Las Azaleas are our musical guests for this year’s Finale Ceremony-
Formed by Diana Olivares in the summer of 2020, Las Azaleas was born out of a necessity to express and share in music during a time when most music events and ensembles were cancelled. In discovering that one of the world’s most famous boleros “Besame Mucho” was composed by a Mexican woman, Diana decided to embark on a mission to share the works of pioneering women in Latin music, both composers and artists alike, with the general public through Las Azaleas performances. Their sound is influenced by mariachi, trio, and bolero music, and the repertoire performed is selected to help further acknowledgment of incredible Latina artists of the past and present.
In choosing the music for this year’s ceremony, I continue to find that regardless of the melody or lyric chosen to perform, a tune means nothing without the human voice to drive its expression and our hearts to fuel its interpretation. As an all-Latina group heavily influenced by the mariachi genre, this year’s music will take the folk tunes and stories we’ve grown up honoring throughout our lives and make the music our offering via our instruments, voices, and hearts.
In preparing for the ceremony, I find Las Azaleas navigating grief, celebration, and reverence together and am struck at the realization that what is shared through an intimate rehearsal process amongst our group, can and will be amplified so that an entire community shares in this magic together. We unify. We collectively take our grief and all of the emotions that come with this experience and share in our sorrow together. Beautifully acknowledging one another’s loss no matter the specifics or each other’s background. We understand the emptiness caused by the hollow parts in our hearts and in coming together, through the magic of All Soul’s Day, we celebrate. We celebrate our past, our loved ones and each other, and continue on this beautiful road called vida. Las Azaleas is honored and humbled to share in this experience with you.
Con mucho amor,
Diana Olivares