CLEVELAND — Hispanic Heritage Month officially gets underway next month, but one local music group is helping the Cleveland Guardians get a head start in celebrating.
What You Need To Know
The Cleveland Guardians are hosting their fourth annual Noche Latina, or Latino Night, at Progressive Field.
The event is part of the team’s ongoing efforts to promote inclusivity in the stadium.
This year, the baseball team is inviting key figures in the community to take part in the celebration, including Brazilian percussion group Samba da Cidade.
Dylan Moffitt still carries the spirit of Carnaval with him, bringing lessons from Samba school in Brazil to northeast Ohio, as the founder of Samba da Cidade, a musical school inspired by Brazilian and Afro-Cuban rhythms. Tonight, they’re bringing these sounds to thousands of people in the stands at the Cleveland Guardians’ opening Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration, Noche Latina.
“It is my sincere hope that when we play these drums that we are spreading a music and a soundscape that… On the best day could really transform the world and take us in places, right in the moment of celebrating one another and the diversity that we’re so lucky to experience on this planet,” Moffit said.
Ensemble member Martha Santos said they’re aiming to shine a spotlight on diversity within the Latin American community.
“At least before, a lot of the Latino celebrations tended not to include Brazil, so to have a Brazilian presence… I like that,” Santos said. “The fact that we have the music today is the product of history, of resilience of people in Brazil, in Cuba who created the music in very difficult circumstances.”
Still, Santos isn’t the only one celebrating global history and heritage in Cleveland.
The Guardians’ National Hispanic Heritage Month logo depicts flags from 31 Latin American countries. (Spectrum News 1/Tanya Velázquez)
Guardians infielder Angel Martinez was born and raised in the Dominican Republic. He said, Noche Latina provides an opportunity to reconnect with his roots while on the field.
“It feels great because we dream with this since we are kid[s], especially me,” Martinez said. “My dad, he played in the big leagues, so I was always around the field, and now I have the chance, like, to represent.”
Martinez said, the event invites baseball fans of all backgrounds to join the celebration.
“We got to show all cultures,” Martinez said. “Especially coming from different countries, like the DR, Venezuela, PR.”
Whether it’s in front of large crowds or out in the community, Moffitt said, the ensemble hopes to spread a soundscape that surpasses all borders.
“Because words just don’t cover the spectrum,” Moffit said. “Words don’t fully engage us, but the vibrations… in a way, there is no boundary for them.”