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Composer Carla Lucero and activist Olga Talamante sit down with Emmy Award-winning journalist Damian Trujillo Opera Cultura's ¡Chicanísima! is coming to NBC Bay Area. Emmy Award-winning journalist Damian Trujillo — host and producer of Comunidad del Valle, the longest-running public affairs program in the Bay Area — sat down with composer Carla Lucero and Chicana activist Olga Talamante to discuss the opera, the story behind it, and what it means to bring this moment to the s

The woman behind ¡Chicanísima! — June 27 at MACLA, San José A Composer Who Follows the Story What inspires Carla Lucero are stories that at their core have some message of social justice — particularly stories that center around strong women who break the mold, who fight to make a better world for the women who come after them. That philosophy has driven one of the most distinctive careers in contemporary American opera. HipLatina According to her official biography at Navona

¡Chicanísima! — June 27 at MACLA, San José What does it mean to set a living person's life to music? And what does it feel like to hear your own story sung? In this rare and intimate conversation, composer Carla Lucero and Chicana activist Olga Talamante sit down together to discuss the making of ¡Chicanísima! — and the extraordinary life that inspired it. Olga speaks candidly about her years of activism, her arrest and imprisonment in Argentina, and what it meant to come hom

The 1975 poster by Malaquías Montoya and its connection to Opera Cultura's ¡Chicanísima! In the spring of 1975, Olga Talamante was sitting in an Argentine prison. Her community was fighting for her release. One of the people who answered that call was Malaquías Montoya — a major figure in the Chicano Art Movement, raised by a single mother in a family of migrant farmworkers in California's Central Valley. His story and Olga's were cut from the same cloth. HISTORY Montoya crea

She Went to Change the World By the time Olga Talamante graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a degree in Latin American Studies, she had already spent years organizing — with MEChA, with the United Farm Workers, with Chicana Consciousness, a group of activists who explored leadership, gender, and power within the Chicano movement. She was twenty-three years old and deeply curious about the connections between the struggles she knew at home and those happening across the Americas

Additional Latinx voices featured in ¡Chicanísima! — June 27 at MACLA, San José Opera Cultura is proud to present more than one opera on June 27. Alongside Carla Lucero's chamber opera ¡Chicanísima! , the program features arias from four works by Latinx composers and librettists — each one a window into the diverse, urgent, and deeply human stories shaping contemporary opera today. Presented in an intimate voice and piano setting, these arias offer a rare and immediate connec

Composer Carla Lucero's ¡Chicanísima! — June 27 at MACLA, San José A Movement of Women History has a habit of remembering the wrong names. When people think of the Chicano Movement — El Movimiento — they often think of men. But the women were there. They were organizing, writing, marching, and building — and they were doing it on multiple fronts at once, fighting racism in the streets and sexism inside the movement itself. Dolores Huerta co-founded the United Farm Workers al

Composer Carla Lucero's ¡Chicanísima! — June 27 at MACLA, San José A Chicana Farmworker's Daughter Olga Talamante grew up in Gilroy, California, where her family worked the fields after migrating from Mexicali, Mexico. She excelled in school, earned a degree in Latin American Studies from UC Santa Cruz, and found her political voice in the Chicana/o movement. She joined MEChA, threw herself into the United Farm Workers cause, and eventually traveled to Argentina to work alon

Opera Cultura is proud to highlight Latinx composers and librettists whose operas will be represented through featured arias in the upcoming Chicanísima concert. These selections complement Carla Lucero’s chamber opera Chicanísima , the central work of the program, and offer audiences a glimpse into the diverse voices shaping contemporary Latinx opera. June 27 at MACLA in San JoséPerformances at 12:00 PM and 5:30 PM. Hashtags #Chicanisima #OperaCultura #LatinxOpera #LatinxCo

A Sweet Tradition at Cantar con los Reyes At Cantar con los Reyes , music and tradition come together in a celebration meant to be shared. One of the most cherished parts of this gathering is the Rosca de Reyes , a symbol of community, generosity, and joy. This year, we are pleased to feature Roscas prepared by Dulce Bocado by Tania , whose baking honors tradition while embracing creativity. Guests will enjoy a delicious variety of roscas, including rosca de nuez con cajeta ,

PLAY THE VIDEO Venid Fieles Todos Venid, fieles todos, a Belén marchemos de gozo triunfantes, y llenos de amor; Y al Rey de los cielos contemplar podremos; Venid, adoremos, venid, adoremos, venid, adoremos a Cristo el Señor. El que es Hijo eterno del eterno Padre, y Dios verdadero que al mundo creó, al seno virgíneo nació de una madre; [Estribillo] En pobre pesebre yace reclinado, al mundo ofreciendo eternal salvación, el santo Mesías, verbo humanado; [Estribillo] God Rest Ye

I’d like to share a brief video excerpt from my opera Farolitos of Christmas from a rehearsal at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuqueque New Mexico. The opera is being produced by Opera Southwest, with performances scheduled 12/7 - 12/14, 2026. Based on the beloved children’s book by Rudolfo Anaya , this family opera is especially close to my heart. It tells a quiet story of love, resilience, and keeping tradition alive during difficult times. I hope this short m

Every December in several towns across Mexico, something magical begins to unfold. As the nights grow colder and the streets glow with warm lantern light, families gather to watch a yearly ritual: the pastorela —a dramatic retelling of Los Pastores , the story of humble shepherds who hear the news of a child’s birth and set out into the night to find him.” These plays aren’t just performances. They’re full of laughter, music, and a little mischief. It’s a tradition that feel

Message from Rosca - CLICK PLAY! January 4, 2026 • 2:00–4:00 PM San Jose Woman’s Club — 75 S 11th St, San Jose, CA 95112 Our beloved Rosca de Reyes has something to say… The first 100 ticket buyers ( General Seating + Rosca Slice Ticket only ) will get a free slice of Rosca de Reyes and a cup of Atole on the house. Rosca says, “Be quick if you want a sweet surprise!” VIP SEATING - If you buy a VIP ticket, you receive a complimentary slice of Rosca and a cup of Atole on th

Día de los Reyes, or Three Kings Day, is one of the most cherished celebrations in Mexican culture. Observed on January 6 , it honors the arrival of the Three Wise Men—Melchor, Gaspar, and Baltasar—who traveled across deserts and kingdoms, guided by a brilliant star, to bring gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to baby Jesus. This tradition was brought to Mexico during the colonial era, but over centuries it has grown into something uniquely Mexican—a celebration of faith,

Every January, Opera Cultura’s Cantar con los Reyes brings the spirit of Día de los Reyes (Three Kings Day) to life through music, family, and cherished Mexican traditions. One of the highlights of the celebration is sharing Rosca de Reyes , a sweet crown-shaped bread adorned with colorful fruits that symbolize the jewels of the Magi. Inside each rosca lies a small figurine of baby Jesus — a surprise that reminds us of faith, family, and the joy of discovery. No celebration