23rd Annual National Cuatro Festival Program Book

23rd ANNUAL NATIONAL

CUATRO FESTIVAL ‘21

We’re committed to our community.

At BMO Harris Bank, we take pride in our local communities. That’s why, each year, through various sponsorships and community involvement, we are committed to providing our support.

BMO Harris Bank is proud to support the Puerto Rican Arts Alliance.

BMO Harris Bank N.A. Member FDIC

bmoharris.com

Our hands embrace the arts.

Allstate is proud to sponsor the Puerto Rican Arts Alliance’s 23rd Annual National Cuatro Festival.. © 2021 Allstate Insurance Co.

Program

Welcome to the 23nd Annual National Cuatro Festival Friday, November 5, 2021 at 7pm Harris Theater 205 East Randolph, Chicago, IL 60601

Emcees

ACT I Latin Music Project Ensemble

Iris Berrios & Ray Rubio

ACT II Conjunto Tipico

Featured Cuatristas Carlos “Pachito” Vega Xavier Andrés Cintrón Muñiz Milton Sebastián Delgado

Dedication & Intermission

ACT III Danny Rivera GRAND FINALE

Puerto Rican Arts Alliance Our Mission The Puerto Rican Arts is dedicated to preserving Puerto Rican culture by maintaining our traditions, promoting our arts, providing educational opportunities in arts programming and cultivating pride in our heritage for future generations.

To learn more about our programs, events, activities and/or become a member: Visit of the Puerto Rican Arts Alliance at www.praachicago

Special Thanks Emcees Iris Berrios, Noticiero Telemundo Chicago, Reporter Iris Berrios is a News Reporter for the Telemundo Chicago Newscast, which airs Monday through Friday at 4:00pm, 4:30pm and 5:00pm. She also is on air on Saturday and Sunday at 5:00pm and 10pm on Telemundo Chicago. As part of the Noticiero Telemundo Chicago team, Berrios reports the breaking news of the most importance to viewers in the Chicago area.

Berrios joined Telemundo Chicago in 2014. Before joining Telemundo Chicago, Berrios worked as a reporter for Univision 26 Orlando/WVEN from 2006 to 2014. Berrios was awarded the Paoli Award in 2012, recognizing her as Reporter of the Year in Puerto Rico and in Orlando, Florida.

Berrios earned her BA in Journalism from the Universidad del Sagrado Corazón in Puerto Rico. She originally from Ponce, Puerto Rico.

Ray Rubio, Radio Personality Ray Rubio is a renowed radio personality on WSBC 1240AM (hosting the talk show “El Show de Ray Rubio” as well as a musician, singer and actor.

For more than 40 years Ray has been an important advocate of Latino media, art and culture in Chicago and beyond.

National Cuatro Festival Poster Image & Graphics The Puerto Rican Arts Alliance expresses its gratitude to Maestro Antonio Martorell for collaborating with Vera Creative Inc. in the creation of this year’s Cuatro Festival official poster image and graphics.

Sponsors

Thank You to Our 2021 National Cuatro Festival Sponsors!

P L AT I N U M S P O N S O R S

S I LV E R S P O N S O R S

BRONZE SPONSORS

P R O G R A M PA R T N E R S

Featured Artists

DANNY RIVERA

ANTONIO MARTORELL

C A R LO S PA C H I TO V E G A

CONJUNTO TIPICO

M I LT O N SEBASTIÁN DELGADO

L AT I N M U S I C P R O J E C T E N S E M B L E

For ARTISTS BIOS, go to PRAACHICAGO.ORG www.praachicago.org/nationalcuatrofestival2021

X AV I E R ANDRÉS CINTRÓN

Royal Caribbean Group proudly supports

&

We wish you a fantastic

Supporting the arts The fabric of Chicago is woven by its diverse communities. For 170 years, Peoples Gas has been a part of this fabric by delivering natural gas safely and reliably. We are proud to support community organizations such as the Puerto Rican Arts Alliance (PRAA) and its mission to preserve Puerto Rican culture by maintaining traditions, promoting arts, providing educational opportunities in arts programming and cultivating pride in Puerto Rican heritage for future generations.

Together, we are empowering the communities we serve.

Scan for our Corporate Responsibility Report

Leadership Message

A s w e r e c ov e r f r o m t h e l o s s a n d d e va s tat i o n c au s e d by t h e COVID-19 pandemic, the Puerto Rican Arts Alliance (PRAA) is delighted to welcome all of you to the 23rd National Cuatro Festival.

In spite of the existential challenges faced by the non-profit and performance arts sectors, PRAA remained steadfast in its commitment to educate Chicago’s youth in the performance and musical arts through programs and experiences anchored in the traditions of Puerto Rican and Latin music.

We can proudly say that, thanks to the creativity and resilience of our staff, Board of Directors and the generosity of our supporters, our organization remains as strong as ever.

Puerto Rican music has an illustrious tradition and is a kaleidoscope of rhythms and sounds, reflecting our native Taino, Spanish, and African heritage. In this context, our beloved “Cuatro” is regarded as Puerto Rico’s national instrument. The cuatro’s festive notes are instantly recognized by Puerto Ricans at home or in the diaspora. Like PRAA’s mission of unifying communities through the love and promotion of the arts, the cuatro’s notes connect Puerto Ricans and remind us of who we are and where we came from, no matter where we are.

The Emmy Award-winning Annual National Cuatro Festival (NCF) is a celebration of our people and our music as interpreted by the best “Cuatristas” – our cuatro guitarists – from Puerto Rico and the mainland. In partnership with The Harris Theater, we are taking appropriate public health precautions in order to bring this one-of-a-kind musical experience to the Chicago community safely.

As you enjoy this beautiful evening, please consider making a donation to PRAA https://praachicago.networkforgood.com. We are always grateful for your presence and sponsorship, but we are especially grateful for your presence on this occasion, after such a long period of social distancing and longing for human connection.

Enjoy the show!

Manuel Cuevas Trisán

Esq., CIPP, CIPM Chairman

PRAA Board of Directors

Carlos Hernández Falcón Founder & Executive Director

®

Mensaje del Liderazgo

M i e n t ras n os recu p eram o s de l a pé r dida y l a de vastac ión causada por la pandemia de COVID-19, la Alianza de las Artes Puertorriqueñas (PRAA) se complace en darles la bienvenida a todos al 23rd Festival Nacional del Cuatro.

A pesar de los desafíos existenciales que enfrentan los sectores de las artes escénicas y sin fines de lucro, PRAA se ha mantenido firme en su compromiso de educar a los jóvenes de Chicago en las artes escénicas y musicales a través de programas y experiencias ancladas en las tradiciones de la música puertorriqueña y latina. Podemos decir con orgullo que, gracias a la creatividad y la resistencia de nuestro personal, la Junta Directiva y la generosidad de nuestros seguidores, nuestra organización sigue siendo tan fuerte como siempre.

La música puertorriqueña tiene una tradición ilustre y es un caleidoscopio de ritmos y sonidos, que refleja nuestra herencia nativa taína, española y africana. En este contexto, nuestro querido cuatro es considerado como el instrumento nacional de Puerto Rico. Las notas festivas del cuatro son reconocidas instantáneamente por los puertorriqueños en casa o en la diáspora. Al igual que la misión de PRAA de unificar comunidades a través del amor y la promoción de las artes, las notas del cuatro conectan a los puertorriqueños y nos recuerdan quiénes somos y de dónde venimos, sin importar dónde estemos.

El Festival Nacional Anual del Cuatro (NCF), ganador del premio Emmy, es una celebración de nuestra gente y nuestra música interpretada por los mejores cuatristas de Puerto Rico y el continente. En asociación con el Harris Theater, estamos tomando las precauciones de salud pública adecuadas para llevar esta experiencia musical única a la comunidad de Chicago de manera segura.

Mientras disfruta de esta hermosa noche, considere hacer una donación a PRAA https://praachicago.networkforgood.com. Siempre estamos agradecidos por su presencia y patrocinio, pero estamos especialmente agradecidos por su presencia en esta ocasión, después de tan largo período de distanciamiento social y añoranza de conexión humana.

¡Disfrute el espectáculo!

Manuel Cuevas-Trisan, Esq., CIPP, CIPM Chairman PRAA Board of Directors

Carlos Hernández Falcón Founder & Executive Director

ASPIRA CONGRATULATES THE PUERTO RICAN ARTS ALLIANCE ON THE 23RD ANNUAL NATIONAL CUATRO FESTIVAL ASPIRAIL.ORG

Dedication

Every year the Puerto Rican Arts Alliance dedicates its National Cuatro Festival to an individual or institution that has demonstrated a life time of cultural achievement or whose social/economic work has positively impacted the Puerto Rican community. We are honored that this year’s award has been bestowed to renowned painter/ artist Antonio Martorell.

Additionally, an exhibition of Martorell’s artwork entitled The Immortal Plena/La Plena Inmortal, will be open to the public November 2nd at the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture.

Antonio Martorell, born in Santurce, Puerto Rico in 1939.

His workshop is in La Playa de Ponce. He has been artistin-residence for more than 30 years at the University of Puerto Rico in Cayey. He keeps busy at painting, drawing, installation and performance art, graphics, set and costume design, theatre, films, TV, radio, writing for the press and has published four books. He is a host of the WIPR-TV program En la punta de la lengua. This television series has won 5 Emmy Awards. For more than three decades he has been a co-host with Rosa Luisa Márquez in the radio program 1,2,3 Probando on Radio Universidad de Puerto Rico.

His work has been exhibited and awarded in and out of the country and is represented in private and public collections including the Museum of Modern Art, NY, the Whitney Museum, NY, the NY Historical Society, El Museo del Barrio, NY, the Library of Congress, the National Portrait Gallery, the Latino Art Collection of the Smithsonian, Washington, DC, the Princeton University Library, National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture, Block Museum of Art, Northwestern University, Chicago, Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, NY, Princeton University Library, NJ, Museo de Arte Moderno, Mexico, Casa de Las Américas, Cuba, Museo de Arte de Ponce, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, Museo UPR, Río Piedras and Cayey, La Casa del Libro, Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo, PR, among others. He is a member of the Academia Puertorriqueña de la Lengua Española. As a writer, Martorell is the author of the memoir La piel de la memoria (1991)(translated as Memory’s Tattoo by Andrew Hurley), El libro dibujado/El dibujo librado (1995), El velorio (no-vela)(Martorell’s Wake)(2010), in a bilingual edition with English translation by Andrew Hurley which is a fictionalized commentary of the iconic nineteenth-century painting, El velorio, by the Puerto Rican Francisco Oller and his latest book, Pierdencuentra (2019).

He is the author of the Veveviejo texts, adapted for the theather by Rosa Luisa Márquez and performed by her and himself. He is the subject of Paloma Suau’s prizewinning feature documentary film El accidente feliz (2019).

PRAA Board of Directors

PRAA Staff

Manuel Cuevas-Trisan, JD, Chair VP Human Resources, Harvard University

Carlos Hernandez, Founder & Executive Director

Monica Diaz, Vice-Chair VP Talent Development, Diversity & Inclusion, Royal Caribbean Group

Jose Carrasquillo, Latin Music Project Manager Jorge Felix, Studio Arts & Exhibits Program Director Antonio Flores, Accountant Carmen Gonzalez, Facility Manager

Ignacio Lopez, Ed.D. Secretary Dean, College of Professional Studies & Advancement, National Louis University

Benjamin LaBoy, Music Instructor

Robert Pantoja, Treasurer President, Retail Banking Market, BMO Harris Bank

Nancy Ward, Development Director

JeNyce Boolton VP / Community Relations Mgr. Corporate Responsibility, U.S. Bank Eduardo Camacho Sr. Compliance Facilitator, Chicago Public Schools Cheryl Cooke Manager, Corporate Giving, Allstate Insurance Company Dr. Ernesto Matias Chief Education Officer, Illinois State Board of Education Diana Maldonado VP, News Noticiero Telemundo, WSNS-TV Telemundo Chicago Sylvia Mojica-Castillo, PsyD Psychotherapist Consultant Stacy O’Brien, JD VP & Deputy General Counsel, Exelon

Zabdiel Santiago, Latin Music Project Manager Michael Scott, Music Program Director

Consultants Complement Consulting Ernesto De La Torre, Accounting Consultant Kopczyk, Osher & Scott, Accountants Rebecca Raab, Development Consultant Vera Creative, Inc. Eric Wagner, True story. Graphic Design

Visual Arts Instructors Mara Ayala, Studio Arts Instructor Brian Herrera, Studio Arts Instructor Amara Martin, Studio Arts Instructor Christian Roldan, Studio Arts Instructor

PRAA Advisory Committee Chicago

National

Jose Barrera, Columbia Explorers Academy

Luz Dary Denton, Kroma Associates, LLC, San Juan, PR

Julio Cruz, Community Resident Michael Foster, Whitehall Hotel Antonio Guillen, Wintrust Angel Gutierrez, Catholic Charities Carmen Hernandez, Clayco Pablo Matias, U.S. Bank Manuel Medina, City Colleges of Chicago Edwin Mendez, Community Resident Martin Montes, ComEd Willy Montes de Oca, Community Member David Olivencia, Accenture Arnaldo Rivera, Navy Pier Edwin Rivera, Metaphrasis Milton Rodriguez, Prosper Senior Solutions Heriberto (Ed) Ruiz, R4 Commercial Real Estate Solutions Zoraida Sambolin, NBC 5 Chicago Angelo Sanchez, Community Advocate Isabel Tellez, Chicago Public Schools Cristina Vera, Vera Creative, Inc David Woolwine, Impact Squared Group

Midwest Aly Echevarria, Community Resident Damaris Montano, Puerto Rican Society of Waukegan Angel Perez, Hijos de Borinquen

Eduardo Diaz, Smithsonian Latino Center, Washington DC Nelson A. Diaz, Hon. Judge & Author, Philadelphia, PA Wanda Figueroa-Peralta, River Valley Behavioral Health, Henderson, KY Lidia Mercado de Hernandez, Empresas Hernandez Mercado, San Juan, PR Walter Otero, Walter Otero Contemporary Art, San Juan, PR Miguel Rodriguez, Cultural Outreach Consultant, San Juan, PR

El Archivo Project Advisory Committee Hector Aponte Alberto Carrero Eliud Hernandez Miguel Palacio Jaime Rivera

Latin Music Project Parent Committee Magaly Medina Myrna Perez Juana Santoyo

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Special Acknowledgements Corporations & Foundations Accenture Amazon Allstate Foundation / Allstate Corporation Alphawood Foundation BMO Harris Bank

Chicago Community Trust Chicago’s Cultural Treasures ComED / Exelon Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust Field Foundation of Illinois Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation Goya Lloyd A. Fry Foundation MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at Prince McDonalds Hispanic Owners Operators Association NBC 5 Chicago Paul M. Angell Family Foundation People’s Gas Polk Bros. Foundation Pritzker Traubert Foundation Southwest Airlines Telemundo Chicago Terra Foundation for American Art The Joyce Foundation U.S. Bank Foundation / U.S. Bank Walder Foundation

Motivating Actions (ALMA)

Lily’s Record Shop

After School Matters

LUCHA

Catalyst Circle Rock – Charter School

Lyric Unlimited

Centro de Estudios Avanzados de PR y el Caribe

Museo De Las Americas

Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education Chicago Collections Consortium Chicago Cultural Alliance Chicago History Museum Chicago Latino Theater Alliance Chicago Park District, Humboldt Park Field House Chicago Philharmonic Chicago Public Schools Collaboraction Theatre Company Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico DeVry University El Archivo General de Puerto Rico Empowering Communities through Opportunity En Las Tablas Performing Arts Center ENRICH Chicago

Guitar Center - Halsted Harris Theater for Music & Dance Hermosa Neighborhood Association Howard Brown Health Illinois Humanities Council Illinois State Board of Education Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña

Community Partners

Jayuyanos Unidos En Illinois

ASPIRA, Inc. of Illinois

Latino Arts, Inc. - Milwaukee, WI

AfriCaribe Cultural Center Association of Latinos

Kehrein Center for the Arts La Rondalla de Humacao La Voz Hispana

Museo Felisa Rincón de Gautier Navy Pier NBC 5 - Telemundo Chicago Natl. Conference of Puerto Rican Women, Northern Chapter National Museum of Mexican Art New Rhythm Arts Center Northeastern Illinois University Northern Illinois University North West Side Housing Center Office of Local School Council Relations Opportunities for All Pilsen Neighbors Community Council Philharmonic Orchestra of Puerto Rico Puerto Rican Police Association Puerto Rican Society of Waukegan Rincon Family Services Roberto Castillo’s Archives Shuga Records Southern Illinois University University of Illinois at Chicago/ LARES Wilbur Wright College WIPR – Puerto Rico

Youth Empowerment Performance Project

Government City of Chicago-DCASE Illinois Arts Council Agency National Endowment for the Arts

Special Acknowledgements School Partners After School Matters ASPIRA Business & Finance

High School

Belmont Cragin Elementary School Charles R. Darwin Elementary School Columbia Explorers Elementary Academy Francisco I. Madero Middle School Harriet Beecher Stowe Elementary Irene C. Hernandez Middle School James Monroe Elementary School Mary Lyon Elementary School Nathan Smith Davis Elementary Ogden International High School Richard Edwards Elementary School Roberto Clemente Community Academy Wolfgang A. Mozart Elementary School

Rep. Will Guzzardi, 39th District

Xiomara Green

Rep. Delia Ramirez, 4th District

Kenneth Green

Sen. Omar Aquino, 2nd District

Patty Greene

Sen. Cristina Pacione-Zayas, 20th District

Tracie Hall

US Rep. Jesus Garcia, 4th District

Sandra Hernandez

Cook County Commissioner Luis Arroyo Jr., 8th District

“Super Star” Volunteers Terry Alameda Elimar Alvarez Elizabeth Alvelo Pedro Almestica Ayuso Sarah Arriola Carlos Ayala Margie Bonano Sonia Caban Ramzie Casiano Mayra Casinao Nydia Castillo Celestina Chaverria Coty Cervantes

Elected Officials

Vilma Colom

Mayor Lori Lightfoot, City of Chicago

Ada Iris Diaz

Ald. Felix Cardona, Jr., 31st Ward Rep. Eva Dina Delgado, 3rd District Ald. Roberto Maldonado, 26th Ward

Cheryl Cooke Aly Echevarria Katty Enriquez Mayo Hector Fabregas Sandra Feliciano Anthony Fournier

Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, 35th Ward

Daisy Lleras Farley

Ald. Ariel Reboyras, 30th Ward

Alberto & Jennifer Fret

Ald. Gilbert Villegas, 36th Ward Rep. Jaime M. Andrade Jr., 40th District

Evelyn Fred Maggie Garcia Miguel Gomez Teo Gonzalez

Minerva Hernandez Mary Leung Evelyn Lopez Laura Lopez Orlando Lopez Martha Maldonado Emily Masincup Luis Medina Magaly Medina Doris Medrano Norma Mateo Gladys Mendez & Family Patricia Mendoza-Carbo Nancy Menjivar Veronica Montanez Patty Montenegro Martin Montes Willy Montes de Oca Elba Morales Isabel Morales Mary Morales Nerida Morales Herbert Moreno Emily Navarro Anna Ortiz Emma Ortiz Angelica Perez Rosa Perez Javier Ramos Maria Reyes Teresa Reyes Daisy Rivera

Special Acknowledgements

Enid & Jaime D. Rivera

C U AT R O L E V E L

Lynn Basa

Peggy Rivera

Elizabeth Colon & Edwin Rivera, Metaphrasis Language & Cultural Solutions LLC

Patricia Bastin

Margarita Rodriguez Aida Luz Roman Betty Roman Alejandra C. Sanchez Angelo & Carmen Sanchez Iris Sanchez Elba Santiago Maryorie Santos Santiago Juana Santoyo Judy Sauri Medina Elliot Segarra Ivellise Segarra

Angel Gutierrez Mike Pietrzak, ASPD Milton Rodriguez, Milton & Associates, Inc.

Rose Mary Bombela-Tobias JeNyce Boolton Michelle Boone Lorena Borges Dean Bowie

Herberto Ruiz, R4 Commercial Real Estate Solutions

Rosa Cabrera

Hector L. Fabregas Jr., State Farm Agent

Julian Camacho

Ret. State Legislator, Hon. Miguel Santiago & Ret. Judge, Hon. Leida Santiago

Alicia Castillo

Eduardo Camacho Greg Cameron Rosa Castillo-Maldonado Sylvia & Ruben Castillo

Charlie Serrano

Luz Cavazos

Aida Sultan

Marta Cerda

Isabel Tellez Elizabeth Torres Alex Vallejo Richard Velazquez

WE TRULY APPRECIATE OUR DONORS Donations Received

Aracely Chavez Magdalena Chavez Sedlacek Claudia Chevere Courtney Cintron

Cristina Vera

11/1/20 – 10/25/21

Vilma Colom

Angi Villafana

Julio R. Abreu Jr

Elizabeth Colon

Gustavo Villafana

Antonio Acevedo Angelo Agosto

Cuenta Conmigo “Count On Me” Members CONGA LEVEL ASPIRA, Inc. of Illinois Martin Cabrera, Cabrera Capital Markets Dr. Ramon Garcia, Garcia Medical Center Jesus Esquivel, Opportunities for All

Dominique Allen Eva Aquino Omar Aquino Connie Aragones Annamarie Arroyo Luis Arroyo Luis Arroyo, Jr. Carmen I. Ayala Rosyvette Ayuso Erin Balata Raymond Barbosa Levier Barreda Jose Barrera

Luis A. Colon Pedro Colon Elizabeth Colon Rivera Community Solutions of Illinois Comple’ment Consulting Group Maria Concepcion Cheryl Cooke Karina Cruz Luis Cuevas Manuel Cuevas Trisan Tina de la Torre Claire De Leon Carmen D. De Santiago Frank Diaz Monica Diaz

Special Acknowledgements

Eduardo Diaz

Janessa Hernandez

Jose Mirque

Brian Dillon

Carlos Hernandez

Fernando Mojica

Arturo Duplessis

Carmen Hernandez

Sylvia Mojica-Castilllo

Howard Ehrman

Yalila Herrera

Sean Moloney

Alexander Espada

Carnell Holmes

Damaris Montano

Cinthya Espinoza

Courtney Hrejsa

Patricia Montenegro

Carmen Estela

Jen Hunt Johnson

Martin Montes

Lucy Everett

Rivera Jackeline

Guillermo Montes de Oca

Hector Fabregas

Hilda Koskiewicz

Elba Morales

Jeannie Figueroa

Laurel Lipkin

Gisselle Moreira

Wanda Figueroa Peralta

Anna Locke

Elizabeth Munoz

Evelyn Fred

Orlando Lopez

David Munoz

Maria Fresse-Giffels

Lisa Lopez

Yaratzed Munoz

Alberto & Jennifer Fret

Ignacio Lopez

Jasmin Nieves

Yolanda Frontany

Arelys Maceda

Wilberto Nieves-Neira

Damita Fuller

Carmen Malave

Ydalmi Noriega

Graco Funes

Diana Maldonado

Jane Norton

Clifford Gabor

Ruthie Maldonado-Delwiche

Stacy O’Brien

Marines Garcia

Aida W. Marchant

Billy Ocasio

Maggie Garcia

Alexander Marianyi

David Olivencia

Ramon Garcia, MD

Angel Marrero

Irma Olmedo

Gloria Gibson

Jalitza Martinez

Grisel Olsen

Elina Golod

Jessica Martinez

Claudia Ortiz

Miguel Gomez

Marilyn Martinez

Emma Ortiz

Marilyn Gomez

Narda Martinez

Wandy Ortiz

Francisco Gonzalez

Virginia Martinez

Roselin Pabon

Luis González-Mendez

Heidie Maslo

Teresa Pace

Patty Greene

Ernesto Matias

Josie Pacheco

Eugene Gross

Judith Sauri Medina

Robert Pagan

Linette Guerra

Kenneth Medina

Miguel Paloma

Carlos J. Guevara

Dervin Mejia

Robert Pantoja

Antonio Guillen

Marisel Melendez

Michael Parish

Angel Gutierrez

Ana Mendez

Heather Patay

Natja Guzman

Gladys Mendez & Family

Franklin Paz

Mark Hallett

Marcos Mendez

Maria Perez

Sandra Hernandez

Lidia Mercado de Hernandez

Christina Perez Good

Minerva Hernandez

Tammy Miller

Anthony Perez

Special Acknowledgements

Margarita Perez

Nilda Ruiz Singh

Cristina Vera

Olga Perez

James Salazar

Evelyn Vicente Quiñones

Mike Pietrzak

Myrna Salazar

Erika Villegas

Noel Pina

Enrique Salgado

Gilbert Villegas

Angelique Power

Melissa Sanchez

Raynell Walls

Bill Pyter

Jose Sanchez

David Woolwine

Lilyan Quinones

Carmen Santiago Vega

Josie Yanguas

Joseph Quinones

Gladys Santiago

Luz Dary Zayas

Carlos Ramirez-Rosa

Leslie Santiago

Luis Ramos

Miguel & Leida Santiago

Ariel Reboyras

Will Santiago

Teresa Reyes

Maryorie Santos Santiago

Sonia Reyes

Samuel Santiago

Claire Rice

Wilson Santiago

Harold Rice

Eligio Santos Torres

Amanda Rivera

Damian Sciulli

Arnold Rivera

Linda Scott

Denise Rivera

Rodrigo Sierra

Evelyn Rivera-Swint

Robert Slayton

Harry Rivera

Shuga Records

Juan Rivera

Jaclyn Smith

Julie Rivera

Gregory Smith

Peggy Rivera

Javier Soler

Sandy Roa

Ruben Soler

Nicole Robinson

Ivette Sosias

Jeannette Robles

Lindsey Spruell

Isabel Rodriguez

Gabriela Suarez

Miguel Rodriguez Lopez

Isabel Tellez

Nedith Roldan

Carla Vargas

Luisa Roldan-Rivera

Rosario Vargas

Rachel Roman-Vargas

Charles Vazquez

Martha Rosa-Salgado

Johanny Vazquez-Nieves

Rosalina Rosado

Peter Vega

Tricia Rosado

Amelia Vega

Adam Rosen

Felix Velazquez

Vee Rubio

William Velez

Heriberto Ruiz

Elisa Velez-Makar

In Honor of Juan Mendez Michael T. Angell Margaret Anthony & Family Erin Balata Evette Cardona Julio Cruz Tina de la Torre Wanda Figueroa Marcia A. Goldstick Luis Gonzalez-Mendez Carlos J. Guevara Antonio Guillen Caroline Her Carmen Hernandez Betsy Lozano Ernesto Matias Virginia Martinez Peggy & Luis Medina Elba Morales Lidia Mercado de Hernandez Billy Ocasio Roselin Pabon Anthony Perez Cristina Perez Good Margarita Perez Gladys Poveda Harold Rice Amanda Rivera

Special Acknowledgements

Arnold Rivera Evelyn Rivera Swint Harry Rivera Marjorie Rivera Julio Rodriguez Sr. Julio Rodriguez Jr. Samuel Santiago Judith Sauri Medina Damian Sciulli Caroline Shoenberger Nilda M. Soler

How You Can Help!

Donors provide the means for us to carry out our mission of preserving Puerto Rican culture by maintaining traditions, showcasing art and music, providing arts and music educational programs and cultivating pride in heritage. Here are some ways you can help.

B E C O M E A F U N D R A I S E R : Set your own goal and become a fundraiser for PRAA. Visit our website at https://www.praachicago. org/donate to start your campaign TODAY! M A K E A D O N A T I O N : We welcome contributions of any size.

Alisa Stanfield

Donations are accepted via cash, check, credit card, and PayPal.

Eileen Stern

P L E D G E : You may make a pledge of any amount and pay on a

Eliza & Neil Stern Carla Vargas Elisa Velez

Special Thanks to Eric Wagner, True Story Inc. and Cristina Vera, Vera Creative Inc. for their graphic design services.

schedule you choose.

B E Q U E S T : Name PRAA as a recipient in your estate planning.

I N S U R A N C E : Name PRAA as the beneficiary of a life insurance

policy.

M E M O R I A L / H O N O R : Remember someone or honor someone.

Celebrate a birthday, graduation, anniversary, or wedding with contributions made to PRAA in lieu of gifts.

M A T C H I N G G I F T : If your employer (or your significant other’s

employer) has a matching gift policy as one of its’ benefits, your gift could double or triple in value.

I N - K I N D G I F T S O R S E R V I C E S : Volunteer on one of our

committees or to help with an event, donate items that can be used in our music and art programs, or donate items that can be used as raffle prizes or give-a-ways at events.

A T T E N D A N E V E N T : Register for programs or attend performances,

exhibitions, or special events.

D O N A T E A I R F A R E : PRAA regularly brings musicians and artists

to Chicago. Donate miles or tickets.

Contact Nancy Ward, Development Director at 773-342-8865 x 105 or nancy@praachicago.org for PRAA’s gift acceptance policy, more information about donations, becoming a fundraiser, or volunteer opportunities.

Congratulations Puerto Rican Arts Alliance!

Thank you for serving our community and schools with quality music and arts educational programs!

Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation

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&

Cermak Produce congratulate The Puerto Rican Arts Alliance on their 23rd Annual National Cuatro

Festival. e e

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Congratulations to the Puerto Rican Arts Alliance for 21 years of outstanding programming!

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Music is our voice!

The Latin Music Project provides youth and children the opportinuty to acces affordable heritage-based music classes taught by conservatory trained instructors - supporting students on their path to becoming the next generation of profesional musicians for classical and other pop music orchestras.

Puerto Rican Cuatro | Guitar | Violin | Little Genius

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Congratulations to Carlos Hernandez and the entire staff for keeping our culture alive and providing yet another wonderful performance in 2021!

Cuatro History and Facts

The following are frequently asked questions about the origin, history and tradition of the cuatro.

Written by William Cumpiano of the Puerto Rican Cuatro Project.

Why it is called a cuatro (which means “four”) if it has ten strings?

The answer may lie in the fact that the earliest cuatros had only four strings. However, it has been pointed out that the ancient Moors (who occupied most of Spain for almost 800 years until 1492) had a word al-qatr that meant “stringed instrument.” There was also an ancient Persian four-string instrument called the chartar (pronounced kar-tar). So the word cuatro may not necessary originate from the Spanish word “four” but from a more ancient word and meaning suggesting something else altogether.

Where did the cuatro come from?

The antecedents of all the stringed instruments of Latin America can ultimately be traced to 16th and 17th century Spain, which according to Cervantes abounded in plucked stringed instruments of all shapes and sizes. Stringed instruments came to America in large numbers during the Spanish colonization of the Americas. Early edicts archived in Spain tell us how the Catholic kings commanded the colonizers to take stringed instruments into the New World in order to help them observe and spread the faith.

Stringed instruments of Spain were themselves derived from Moorish and Persian instruments of great antiquity. Research conducted by the Puerto Rican Cuatro Project points to at least two Spanish instruments that may have inspired the early jíbaros (country folk of Puerto Rico) to make their own cuatros. The banduria was a small, four-string Spanish instrument of the 17th century which had the same tuning intervals as the earliest four-string cuatros made in the hilly countryside in central Puerto Rico.

These rustic instruments were seen on the island as late as the 1950s. In the 18th century, the

banduria evolved to have ten (5 double course) wire strings. These later bandurias were tuned and strung identically to the cuatros of the 19th and 20th century, suggesting that they were likely the models for the cuatros which abounded on the northern coast of Puerto Rico, particularly in the large cities of Arecibo and San Juan. The modern 10-string cuatro is still called the cuatro español by some old-timers who still recall the Spanish antecedents.

Why are modern cuatro strings placed in pairs and when did it change over from single strings?

It is a prevalent myth in Puerto Rico that the older four-string cuatro evolved to ten strings. It was said that the great Yauco cuatrista Heriberto Torres first doubled the strings on his cuatro during the 1920s to achieve “greater sonority.” Actually, both single and double-string cuatros co-existed on the island as far back as the nineteenth century. But the single-strung cuatros vanished because they didn’t change. There is evidence that shows, as the myth goes, double strung cuatros were being played in Heriberto’s southern town of Yauco during the 1920s but, in fact, double-string cuatros were being played concurrently on the northern coast prior to the 20th century. Indeed, the pairing of the strings is an ancient configuration prevalent in Spain and other European countries during colonial times and many doublestrung instruments must have landed in Puerto Rico since then. However, it is unlikely that many jíbaros saw them until late in the 19th century due to their relative isolation, the scarcity of passable roads in the countryside and the difficulty of travel to larger cities.

How was the cuatro used by jíbaros in the past?

The cuatro and other Puerto Rican stringed instruments played a significant role in the jíbaro’s daily life and social behavior. From the earliest day of the colony, the cuatro and the diminutive tiples were

Cuatro History and Facts

used to accompany the observance of both festive and solemn religious rites, of which there were many.

Among the many religious rites that relied on the native stringed instruments were the rosaries cantaos (sung rosaries), velorios (wakes), promesas (vows), visitas de la virgin (special prayers to the Virgin Mary), florones and aguirnaldos (musical “gifts” sung during the holiday season), and more. The various families of Puerto Rican stringed instruments and musical genres were also used to accompany the island’s many secular festivals. For example, it was customary for Puerto Ricans to end the harvest season with a great festival called the acabe or “ending.” The numerous Puerto Rican dance styles – like the cadenas and the cabayo – were also done in the accompaniment with cuatros, tiples and with guiros (the traditional Puerto Rican scratch-gourd percussion instrument). The centerpiece of secular jíbaro music was the seis, which originated from cheery church dances of medieval Spain. Jíbaros took the seis and combined it with another ancient Spanish tradition, the ten-line poetic form called the décima. With these two elements, the jíbaro created the wonderful music of seis con décima.

This archetypal form features a single troubadour who, on the spot, invents clever lyrics that conformed to the complex rhyming rules of the ancient décima. The troubadour was always accompanied by a cuatro and a güiro.

How is cuatro strung and tuned?

The modern ten-string cuatro is tuned in string fourth, with five courses (in this case pairs) of strings. From lowest pitch to highest pitch, these are: B E A D G. For the first fifty years of the 20th century, virtually the only wire strings that were available in Puerto Rico’s small towns were from U.S. (sets of strings sized for American steel-string guitars). During this period, cuatristas had to select those individual strings that were appropriate in gauge (or thickness) for their cuatros. Jíbaros tend to refer to these as cuerdas campana or “bell strings,” undoubtedly because of the large bell logo on the wrappers. Strings with a large bell on the wrapper could be obtained in virtually

every small and large town on the island, in one or more general stores near the town plaza.

During research, the Puerto Rican Cuatro Project obtained an old wrapper and found that these “bell” brand strings were made in Chicago. They appear to be the only ones imported to the island for decades.

Thus, when a cuatrista is asked what gauge strings are put on the cuatro he will usually say: Dos primas (two firsts – that is, two guitar first strings – which comprise the G or first course of the cuatro), dos segundas (two seconds – two guitar second strings for the D or second course for the cuatro), and dos terceras o una tercera y una prima (two guitar third strings or one guitar third and one first for the A or third course of the cuatro).

In other words, there are two ways of tuning and stringing the third course: 1) the “old way” (in which the pair consists of a wound guitar third and a plain guitar first, both tuned to A but an octave apart) or 2) the “new way” (with two guitar third strings tuned in unison). Cuatros strung and tuned in each way sound noticeable different.

Historia y Hechos Del Cuatro

Las siguientes son preguntas y respuestas que más frecuentes se hacen sobre el origen, historia y la información técnica del cuatro puertorriqueño.

Escrito por William Cumpiano. Derecho de propiedad literaria: El Proyecto del Cuatro Puertorriqueño.

¿Por qué se llama cuatro si tiene diez cuerdas?

Por supuesto, el instrumento se nombró desde sus inicios como instrumento los cuatro cuerdas sencilla de tripa. Pero la nomenclatura original del cuatro es un problema más complejo de lo que parece. Los Moros antiguos (quienes dominaron a casi toda España por casi 800 años hasta el 1492) utilizaban una palabra al-qatr, que significaba, “instrumento de cuerdas.”

También sabemos que existió un instrumento de cuatro cuerdas en Persia Antigua llamado kar-tar.

Aunque la palabra cuatro puede no originarse de la palabra en español que denomina al número cuatro, si pudo haberse derivado de una palabra más antigua.

¿De dónde vino el cuatro?

Desde luego, los antecedentes de todos los instrumentos nativos de cuerda de la America Latina hispana pueden trazarse a la España del siglo 16 y 17, la cual, de acuerdo con Cervantes, abundaba de instrumentos tañidos de cuerdas de todos los tamaños y configuraciones. También sabemos que muchos de los mismos llegaron a América en grandes cantidades.

Esto fue debido a que los reyes católicos de España encomendaron solemnemente a los colonos a que llevasen instrumentos de cuerda al “Nuevo Mundo” para observar y dispersar la fe mediante la música.

Sabemos también que muchos marineros llevaron pequeños instrumentos de cuerda consigo mediante las largas travesías marítimas como pasatiemp

Dirigiéndonos a épocas aún más antiguas, sin embargo los instrumentos de cuerda de España fueron derivados de los instrumentos de cuerdas Moros y Persas de gran antiguedad. Nuestras investigaciones señalan que existieron por lo menos dos instrumentos españoles en específico que pudieron haber inspirado a los antiguos jíbaros en la construción de sus propios cuatros: Las pequeñas bandurias españolas de cuatro cuerdas del siglo 17. Estas tenian la misma afinacion

que los cuatros antiguos que se hicieron en los pueblitos de la cordillera central de la isla. Estos cuatro de cuatro cuerdas perduraron en la isla hasta mediados del siglo 20.

Las bandurrias españolas de diez cuerdas del siglo 18. La encorbadura de las bandurrias en España habían aumentado a diez cuerdas (cinco pares u ordenes) durante el transcurso de un siglo. Debido a que estos eran encorbados y afinados idénticamente a los cuatros de Puerto Rico durante los siglos 19 y 20, pensamos que deben haber sido los modelos originales para que estos cuatro surgieran en la costa norte de la isla, particularmente en los pueblos de Arecibo y San Juan. Dicho sea de paso los cuatros modernos de diez cuerdas son llamados “cuatro español” por algunos ancianos que recuerdan su antecedencia ibérica.

¿Por qué emparejan las cuerdas del cuatro y cuando pasó a ser instrumento de cuatro cuerdas sencillas?

Es un mito prevaleciente en Puerto Rico que el cuatro antiguo de cuatro cuerdas evolucionó progresivamente hasta alcanzar diez cuerdas. El mismo mito menciona la persona responsable y la época del cambio: el mito popular dice que fue el gran cuatrista de Yauco, Heriberto Torres, quien por primera vez en la década de los 1920 emparejó las cuerdas de su cuatro para así lograr más sonoridad. Pero como hemos mencionado, el uno no se derivó del otro, porque el cuatro de cuerdas sencillas tanto como el de las cuerdas dobles co-existieron en Puerto Rico desde (por lo menos) los fines del siglo 19; de esto hay prueba certera. Tenemos evidencia que se tocaban cuatro de cuatro cuerdas dobles en el pueblo sureño Yaucano de Heriberto durante la época de los 1920, pero de hecho cuatros de cinco cuerdas dobles se veían tocándose concurrentemente en pueblos de la costa norteña desde el siglo anterior. El emparejamiento de cuerdas es una configuración indudablemente antigua que prevalecio en España y en otros países europeos durante los tiempos coloniales. Muchos instrumentos de cuerdas dobles tocaron tierra en Puerto Rico desde tiempos immemorables. Pero también fue probable que pocos jíbaros vieron instrumentos configurados así hasta los fines del siglo 19, debido a su aislamiento y a la escazes de carreteras adecuadas en la Isla.

Historia y Hechos Del Cuatro

¿Cómo era el cuatro utilizado por los jíbaros en los tiempos remotos?

El cuatro y otros instrumentos de cuerdas puertorriqueñas jugaron un papel significante tanto en la vida cotidiana de los jíbaros como en su comportamiento social. Desde muy temprano, el cuatro y los diminutos tiples fueron usados para acompañar las costumbres de ambas festividades y los ritos religiosos solemnes, que eran muchos. Entre los tantos ritos religiosos con que contaban los instrumentos de cuerdas nativos estaban los rosarios cantaos, velorios, promesas, visitas de la Virgen, y florones aguirnaldos.

Las varias familias de cuerdas de instrumentos puertorriqueños e instrumentos musicales fueron usados a menudo para acompañar los muchos festivales seculares de la Isla. Por ejemplo, los puertorriqueños estaban acostumbrados a terminar la época de la cosecha con un gran festival llamado el acabe. Las numerosas formas de bailes sociales como las cadenas y de cabayo también fueron acompañadas con cuatros, tiples, güiros e instrumentos tradicionales de percusión puertorriqueños. La pieza central de la música jíbara fue el seis, el cual se originó en los bailes jubilosos de las iglesias medievales en España. Los jíbaros tomaron el seis y lo combinaron con otra tradición antigua Española, la de las diez líneas más conocidas como la décima. Con estos dos elementos el jíbaro creó la maravillosa música del sies con décima. Este prototipo caracterizó al trovador o troubadour quien podía improvisar letras ingeniosas que conformaban las reglas del complejo de rimas de antigua décima.

El trovador estaba siempre acompañado de un cuatro y un güiro.

¿Cómo se afina y se toca el cuatro?

El cuatro de cuerdas modernas se afina en cuartas exactas con cinco cursos (en este caso parejas) de cuerdas. desde los más bajos hasta los más altos tonos, estos son: B E A D G. CALIBRES: Por los primeros veinte años del siglo veinte, virtualmente las únicas cuerdas de alambre que estuvieron disponisbles en los pequeños pueblos de Puerto Rico fueron un par

de cuerdas hechas en los Estados Unidos para uso de las guitaras de acero americanas. Durante este largo período los cuatristas tuvieron que seleccionar estas cuerdas individuales que fueron apropiadas en calibres (o menos delgadas) para sus cuatros. Los antiguous cuatristas a los que le hemos preguntado, se refieren a esas cuerdas como campanas o “campanas de cuerdas”, indudablemente por el largo de la envoltura de la campana. Cuerdas con una campana larga en la envoltura podía ser virtualmente adquirida en todos los pueblos de la Isla, en una o más tiendas cerca de la plaza del pueblo.

Nosotros, obtuvimos una envoltura vieja y encontramos que verdaderamente era una campana de cuerdas de marca hecha en Chicago. Parecía ser la única importada en la isla por décadas. Así que cuando a un cuatrista se le pregunta de que medidas son las cuerdas que usa el cuatro usualmente dice: Dos primas [dos primeras – que son dos guitarras de primeras cuerdas quien componen la G o primer curso del cuatro.] Dos segundas [dos segundas – dos guitarras de cuerdas segundas para el D o segundo curso del cuatro.] Dos terceras o una tercera y una prima [dos guitarras de cuerdas segunda o una guitarra tercera y una primera para el A o tercer curso en el cuatro.]

En otras palabras, hay dos maneras de afinar el tercer curso: Lo que ha sido descrito como el ”camino viejo” lo cual consiste en un par de guitarra plana primera, ambas afinadas para A pero con octava parte – o la “nueva manera” con dos guitarras de terceras cuerdas afinadas en armonía. Los cordones de cuatro afinados de cada manera suenan notablemente diferente. Una cuarta y una segunda [una guitarra cuarta cuerda y una guitarra segunda cuerda por el cuarto curso del cuatro.] Una quinta y una tercera [en la guitarra la quinta cuerda y una guitarra tercera cuerda era el quinto curso del cuatro.]

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Congratulations to the Puerto Rican Arts Alliance on your 23rd Annual National Cuatro Festival!

We are proud to join you in celebrating Puerto Rican and Latin American cultures and the beauty of Chicago’s diversity.

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As we reflect over the events of this pandemic, words such as loss, social distancing, and remote come to mind, as we’ve been separated by space and time for longer than any of us could ever have anticipated.

This evening marks a return, and as Chicago’s Latino residents and the Puerto Rican community come together to celebrate the cultural heritage of the island’s art and music, we know this gathering cannot, and should not, be taken for granted. Connection cannot happen through separation, and the sights and sounds of the cuatro cannot be appreciated more than when experiencing Puerto Rico’s most talented Cuatristas, as well as the rising talent and budding students from across the U.S. mainland, live and in-person.

The NCF is back live in 2021, so congratulations to the Puerto Rican Arts Alliance on the 23rd Annual National Cuatro Festival. Enough cannot be said about PRAA’s educational music and art programs, and its continued efforts spreading the island’s traditions and raising Puerto Rican cultural awareness.

There’s no doubt the pandemic disrupted the performances, programs, and exhibitions offered by PRAA. But as we come back to the theater, we are proud to support PRAA’s continued mission and celebrate the island’s culture, music, art, history, and folklore, and most importantly, honor the memory of the jibaros unable to be here with us tonight.

Pero nuestro cuatro sigue vivo y presente!

Luis A. Colón Owner

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I am proud to salute the Puerto Rican Arts Alliance on its 2021 National Cuatro Fesival and applaud your dedication to serving our youth with arts and music educational programs.

Roberto Maldo ado 26TH WARD ALDERMAN

Me enorgullece felicitar a el PRAA en su Festival Nacional del Cuatro Puertorriqueño del 2021 y aplaudo su dedicación a servir a nuestra juventud con programas educativos de arte y música.

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Harris Theater Information COVID Protocols: All audience members attending performances inside the Theater will be required to show proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID-19 test prior to entering the facility. In addition, all audience members will be required to wear a mask while inside the venue, regardless of vaccination status. For more information, visit harristheaterchicago.org/faqs.

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For Your Safety: Please take a moment and note the nearest exit. In the event of an emergency, follow the directions of the Harris Theater house staff. In the event of an illness or injury, inform the Harris Theater Front of House Manager.

Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible seating locations, swing arm aisle seating, and inclusive/wheelchair accessible restrooms are available on all auditorium seating levels. The Harris is also equipped with an Infrared Assistive Listening Device system. Headsets are available for check out with a valid ID. Large print programs are available for all Harris Theater Presents engagements. Please call the Box Office in advance at 312.334.7777 regarding ticketing and accessible seating questions. If inquiring on any additional accommodation requests to enhance your performance experience, please reach out to access@harristheaterchicago.org or call 312.334.2486 at least two weeks in advance.

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Harris Theater Mission: The Harris Theater is Chicago’s home for music and dance, connecting diverse audiences with artists from across the city, the nation, and the world. Opened in 2003 in Millennium Park, the Theater was the first multi-use performance venue built in downtown Chicago since 1929, and fulfilled the city’s need for a shared home for mid-size performing arts organizations. Today, the Harris features some of the most diverse arts and culture offerings of any venue in the city, and is a distinctive model for artistic quality, collaboration, and making the performing arts relevant and accessible to the widest possible audience.

Founded on the principle of serving Chicago’s vibrant creative community, the Theater is the home venue of more than 25 not-for-profit arts and culture organizations. The Harris Theater Presents series has featured world-renowned artists and ensembles including Laurie Anderson, Batsheva Dance, English National Ballet, Joshua Bell, Renée Fleming, Sir John Eliot Gardiner and the Monteverdi Choir, Angélique Kidjo, and Paris Opéra Ballet. The Theater’s community engagement initiatives build bridges between artists and community members, providing master classes, artist talks, and free tickets for more than 35 partner organizations throughout Chicago.

To learn more about the Harris Theater, Chicago’s state-of-the-art 1,500-seat performance venue in Millennium Park, visit harristheaterchicago.org.

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PUERTO RICAN ARTS ALLIANCE

Being your neighborhood bank means doing our part to give back to the local organizations and events that unite and strengthen our area. We’re particularly proud to support the Puerto Rican Arts Alliance and its dedication to preserving Puerto Rican culture and heritage through tradition, art, and educational opportunities for future generations.

LOGAN SQUARE’S NEIGHBORHOOD BANK 2814 W. Fullerton Ave. | Chicago, IL 60647 773-227-7074 | www.wintrustbank.com

SATURDAY, DEC 4, 2021 6PM-9PM

PRAA Center, 3000 N. Elbridge, Chicago TICKETS & MORE INFORMATION praachicago.org/national-coquito-festival

$65 In Advance | $75 Day of Event Tickets include live music, food, drinks, coquito sampling and much more!

773-342-8865 X105

Honored to support We’re proud to support the Puerto Rican Arts Alliance and its commitment to promoting artistic excellence and inspiring cultural experiences for present and future generations.

Working hand-in-hand with local partners to build strength in our community.

At Amazon, we look to leverage our scale for good to help strengthen local communities. That means combining our strengths with those of community partners, working together to find creative solutions that have a lasting impact.

Visit www.aboutamazon.com/impact

Southwest Airlines® invites you, along with our Employees, communities, and friends to join us in the call for a kinder world. Learn more and take the Southwest Kindness Pledge at southwest50.com.

Southwest Kindness Pledge I pledge to spark Acts of Kindness—one at a time, sprinkling compassion around the world.

I will practice Hospitality, making people feel welcomed, cared for, and appreciated.

I will treat others with courtesy, politeness, and respect.

I will do little things, because little things make a big difference.

I commit to putting my Heart in Action, sharing a smile and a little bit of love to make someone’s day a little brighter.

EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES ComEd is proud to support the Puerto Rican Art Alliance’s 23rd Annual Cuatro Festival.

Congrats to all for a wonderful event!