An end to a summer filled with wonderful music: the Noches Musicales Series Finale is finally upon us! On August 18, the historical Brown Plaza will be buzzing with life, music, fun, and drink! All of your favourite food vendors (and possibly more!) will make an appearance to cater and make the night one to remember. Bring a chair alongside with your trusted cooler and family and claim a spot before the roads close off at six! Opening the night will be the 4th Annual Hot Summer Nights carshow, followed by the Casa's Ballet Folklorico performance. Los de Esta Noche from San Antonio will perform before the illustrious La Voz de Oro, David Marez, plays into the last hours of the night! Join the Casa for one last summer night to wave Noches Musicales good-bye until next summer!

This Friday at Noches Musicales, Los Centillas will be performing on the steps of the gazebo! The band specializes in norteño music, a genre of Mexican music relating to polka and corridos! Two instruments are prominent in all norteño music, the accordian and the bajo sexto -- a twelve-string instrument originated in Mexico. 

Its history begins with Emporer Maximillian I, who came to México from Middle Europe and brought together bands and musicians to entertain him. When his empire fell, his armies and musicians fled into what's now the Southwestern United States. Norteño music came to be after Mexican and Spanish genres, brass, and Germanic styles like waltz and polka blended together. In the early 1900s, a new form of ballad rose up called corrido. It was implemented into norteño, with Los Alegres de Teran becoming one of the very first official norteño bands in the world. 

In fact, norteño music can differ based on where it's played. For example, Norteño bands in America are influenced by American music styles, while other artists all across the world are influenced by whatever country they play in. I.e., the Carribean, Mexico, Spain.

And if you want to take a gander at how local norteño sounds, come down to the Casa de la Cultura on Friday, August 11 from 8:30-11:00PM to hear Los Centillas play its own unique adorno, their own special musical interlude between lyrics! 

Live music brought to you by the Casa de la Cultura for the 12th summer in a row! Bring a chair and keep cool during our Friday summer nights at the historical Brown Plaza. The event is free! On August 11, come to the Brown Plaza to listen to Los Centillas, a band with incredible Norteno music! Bring your family and have dinner with great company and plenty of food vendors.

A Casa de la Cultura intern was able to interview Fermin Chavarria, the manager and bass player from Xtremo, the band featured to play this Friday at Noches Musicales. After talking about the band, the Casa asked Fermin some questions about the band, its origins, and what it hopes to inspire in us all.

The band's name, "Xtremo", comes into play with the band hoping to strike up the extreme in creating and performing music. They want to inspire and animate their audience when they hear music they'd love to get up and dance to. 

Music runs in Xtremo's blood. All eight members have something unique to contribute to the performance, whether it be talent at the microphone or playing the accodian, bass guitar, or keyboard. With these they string up a diverse musical playlist, indulging diversity and playing things like tejano, country, rock, and disco - all in a night to inspire listeners of all ages!

Xtremo has a message for any music-goers headed to Noches Musicales this Friday at 8:30-11PM: be ready to dance and have a great time!