Hilos Culturales Folk Arts awards announced

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VALLEY — Hilos Culturales announces the 2017 recipients of Lifetime Achievement Folk Arts Award, Premio Hilos Culturales, to Rose Vialpando of Manassa and Ernesto Sánchez of Santa Fe, NM. The annual award recognizes a folk artist, musician or dancer from Colorado and New Mexico who has contributed to the folk and cultural arts of the Hispano Traditions of the upper Río Grande region.

Rose Vialpando grew up listening to the music provided by her family members at gatherings to celebrate family birthdays, weddings in addition to other special community events. Her love for music led her to record her first album, Hallando Mi Voz (Finding My Voice). Her desire to expand writing the songs under the same album title, resulted in an additional four of Rose’s original compositions.

Joining her uncle, Salomón López of San Antonio, Rose and Salomón perform as Los Cancioneros del Valle. This led to their release of a two CD set recording titled Dos Voces – Dos Guitarras and has provided them many invitations to perform throughout the San Luis Valley, the Front Range and northern New Mexico. Their recording includes the always popular Ojitos Verdes, Los Laureles and El Lirio.

Rose received her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Adams State University and has enjoyed a career in education and community counseling. She and Salomón have mentored Rose’s nephew Ruben Domínguez, also a musician and are now performing as a musical trio, El Trío Cancioneros del Valle.

New Mexico Premio Hilos Culturales 2017 recipient Ernesto Sánchez of Santa Fe is a lifetime music educator completing a teaching career of 32 years at Cuba School District and Pojoaque High School. Ernesto began singing with his younger brother Albert at 8 years of age as members of the Santa Fe Boy’s Club Choir. When he entered Santa Fe High School, Ernesto became a member of La Típica Orchestra where he also helped lead Trío Tipiqueño, an award winning musical group with the student orchestra.

After graduating with a music degree from New Mexico Highlands University, Ernesto worked with hundreds of students in the classroom, conducting orchestras, choral ensembles and marching bands. Additionally, he formed Trío Melódico, a professional performing and recording group that performed evening serenata at Rancho de Chimayó and has remained performing at this marquee restaurant with a variety of musicians beyond his teaching career retirement; going on 44 years. Presently he and his son Mark entertain there on weekends. In addition to recordings with Trío Melódico, Ernesto has recorded with his daughters Anita and Catherine and sons David and Mark. Their CD recordings are titled Canciones del Corazón and Latin Favorites – Volume I.