21 Cartas explores the issue of immigration by amplifying the human stories behind the headlines.
Jazz pianist/composer Darrell Grant and Mexican singer/songwriter Edna Vazquez unite to create a powerful set of songs based on letters written by mothers at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, TX—a for-profit prison for refugees in the US—about what it means to be in jail on Mother's Day. Drawing on the composers’ diverse musical and cultural backgrounds, the bilingual songs of 21 Cartas range from lullabies and hymns to battle cries. Together they address the hopes, hardships, struggles, and dreams expressed by those who have risked everything in pursuit of better lives for their children. Interwoven with filmmaker Adolfo Cantú-Villareal’s evocative portraits of Portland, Oregon’s immigrant community, 21 Cartas represents the legacy of bravery, the search for justice, and power of a mother’s love that are common to the multitude of immigrant stories that define our country.
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The Jazz Society of Oregon ™ is a 501(c)(3) non-profit volunteer organization working to support jazz music, America’s original art form, through our membership activities.
