La Santa Cecilia Brings the Audience to Their Feet

This post was written by Lauren Burns, a sophomore Multiplatform Journalism and History double major.

A band with a Spanish name would typically perform Spanish songs, right?

For some reason, I didn’t think much about this during my walk from my South Campus Commons apartment building to The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. So, embarrassingly, I was surprised to hear predominately Spanish lyrics during La Santa Cecilia’s first song.

A highlight was when she sang “Como Dios Manda,” which she described as a traditional love song, in a time when noise from Facebook and social media complicate love. La Marisoul’s voice was loud and powerful as the audience was nearly silent and the band gently played while allowing her voice to be the absolute focus of the song.

I have a limited knowledge of Spanish that is based on two semesters of introductory college courses and four years of working in restaurants with many Spanish-speakers. Even with this lack of fluency, I was able to feel the lyrics of La Santa Cecilia rather than understand literally what Marisoul “La Marisoul” Hernandez was singing.

La Marisoul was the center of the performance. Her funky outfit (complete with a pink tutu) initially was what drew my attention away from the other band members, but it was her rich and full voice that kept me alert from the moment she first sang. A highlight was when she sang “Como Dios Manda,” which she described as a traditional love song, in a time when noise from Facebook and social media complicate love. La Marisoul’s voice was loud and powerful as the audience was nearly silent and the band gently played while allowing her voice to be the absolute focus of the song.

La Santa Cecilia has been advocates for immigration reform, and asked the audience to join them in their fight. The band then played the heartbreaking ballad “Ice El Hielo,” which tells the story of three undocumented immigrants constantly in worry of their detection by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

La Santa Cecilia left the audience wanting more, and came back out on stage for a lively encore. About 15 minutes into their performance in the Kay Theatre, I realized it was the most energetic concert I had ever seen at The Clarice. La Santa Cecilia’s unique blend of Pan-American rhythms based on rock, cumbia, bossa nova and jazz brought the audience to their feet, with dancing in the aisles and a standing ovation at the concert’s end.