A Latino grocery store in Delaware turns its produce aisle into a music stage

印刷用画面を開く

Posted

Category: Lifestyle/Entertainment

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. exposure / ɪkˈspoʊ ʒər / (n.) – the public attention that someone or something gets from the media or internet
    Example:

    Performing at university festivals gave the new boy group a lot of exposure.


  2. unassuming / ˌʌn əˈsu mɪŋ / (adj.) – simple; not trying to be special or attract attention
    Example:

    It started as a very unassuming performance, but by the end of the song, the entire crowd was standing and cheering.


  3. up-and-coming / ˈʌp ənˈkʌm ɪŋ / (adj.) – likely to become successful, popular, or famous in the near future
    Example:

    Working with up-and-coming singers allows the music company to give young artists their first big opportunity.


  4. adjacent / əˈdʒeɪ sənt / (adj.) – next to, or sharing a wall or border with another place
    Example:

    They bought a piece of land adjacent to their house to grow a larger vegetable garden.


  5. videography / ˌvɪd iˈɒg rə fi / (n.) – the process or art of recording and making videos using a camera
    Example:

    The couple hired a local company to handle the photography and videography for their wedding.


Article

Read the text below.

A neat stack of 79-cent bananas and rows of colorful fruit flanked the bilingual alternative pop band Luna Luna as they performed for a small audience at a Latino grocery store in northern Delaware.


The show was part of the monthly Mercadito sessions put on by the Fiesta Fresh Market, a family-owned store in the Philadelphia metro-area city of New Castle, far away from the massive music industry hubs typically associated with artistic opportunity and exposure. But the excitement of new music, paired with the colorful, unassuming stage, has rapidly engaged an international following for the two-year-old store—with up-and-coming bands traveling from far away to perform, and tens of thousands tuning in online.


Jose Luis Aguilar Garcia, one of the store’s owners, hopes the series highlights the persistence of joy and creativity in Latino communities, he said.


Jose Luis Aguilar Garcia has worked with both food and music for most of his life. Born in Mexico, Garcia grew up in an apartment adjacent to where he would eventually open Fiesta Fresh Market. Garcia has worked at farmers’ markets and grocery stores since he was a teenager, and ran a photography and videography company that also produced regional Mexican music like mariachi, corridos tumbados, and banda.


“We did a lot of quinceañeras, weddings, that sort of thing. Music was always like something I wanted to do as a passion project, but especially here in Delaware, there’s really no industry for that,” Garcia said.


Garcia initially hoped the shows would attract business, but it was hard to sell local artists on performing in such a quirky context, Garcia said. But soon, the premise caught on. All of the acts in an April show had heard about the small store on social media before they were asked to perform.


While the shows initially featured almost exclusively the Spanish-language music that Garcia produced with his label, the Mercadito sessions now showcase a broad range of artists and genres. “I found that super interesting that no matter who the artist was that was playing, people would gather to hear,” Garcia said.


This article was provided by The Associated Press.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • A bilingual alternative pop band performed for a small audience at a Latino grocery store in northern Delaware. Do you think bringing live music into everyday spaces like grocery stores or markets is a good way to share culture, or is it going to make shopping difficult for customers? Why do you say so? How would your own grocery shopping experience change if something like this happened at your local store? Discuss.
  • Would you enjoy attending a cultural event or concert in an unusual, everyday location? Why or why not? What events do you think might be unusual or unexpected in grocery stores in your country (ex. a dance performance)? In your opinion, what public spaces in your community would be perfect for a live performance instead of a grocery store? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • The live music sessions are held at a family-owned store in a city located far away from the big music centers that normally offer artists the best opportunities. Do you believe artists need to move to big, famous cities to become successful, or can they build a meaningful career from their hometowns? Why do you think so? What do you think are some challenges artists face when they try to get noticed outside of a major creative hub? Discuss.
  • Looking at the crowds that gathered at the market, Garcia found it very interesting that people always came out to listen, no matter which artist was playing on stage. In your opinion, do people in smaller towns appreciate live culture and community events more than people living in massive cities? Why or why not? Do you think your community is doing enough to support local, independent artists who are just starting? Why or why not? Discuss.