“Even more great international sounds”
By Benjamin Ortiz, Special to the Chicago Tribune
Date: November 20, 2009


Performance curator and DJ David Chavez has been a cultural nomad in search of a home since HotHouse went on hiatus in 2008, and the Morse Theater gave him a short-lived taste of eclectic world-music programming.
“It became apparent to me that building an independent organization of my own dedicated to presenting international music in the city was absolutely necessary,” he said, alluding to Sound Culture, his latest creation in the quest for an enduring menu of cross-cultural performance options in Chicago.
“It’s an organization that needs to exist as a musical mirror to Chicago’s thriving multicultural population and its claim in being a global city,” said Chavez.
Chavez calls Sound Culture “an independent partner” to existing institutions and venues, as he works with such international night-life hot spots as Las Tablas and Sonotheque, as well as the city’s arts establishments, such as the Spertus Institute. He calls his programming “The Nomadic World Music Series,” as it roves across performance sites and adds to their mix.
“There’s no corporate or nonprofit funding that goes into this,” he said. “It’s all a labor of love that comes out of the passion for multicultural exchange through music.”
Chavez has bigger plans in the works, as he closes in on opening his own venue as a permanent musical home in 2010.
Here’s an upcoming event that typifies the multiculti approach of Chavez’s offerings:
Las Guitarras de España: Don’t let the name fool you. This group, rather than the exclusively Spanish sounds that the name might lead you to expect, offers up true world music. You’re as likely to get Senegalese tunes, West African blues from the likes of Baaba Maal or Pink Floyd, as you are flamenco. But most likely, you’ll get a mix of a bit of everything.
Performing with the group for this go-round will be four dancers, representing flamenco, African, modern and Afro-fusion styles.
7 p.m. Nov. 27-29, Links Hall, 3435 N. Sheffield Ave. $18 for students, $25 general admission, 800-838-3006. For more information, visit Sound Culture on the web.

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