Magic at last year’s ‘Bring the World Together in Peace’ at The Palace Theatre in Syracuse.
Over 20 years, I’ve admired Edgar Pagan the man and Edgar Pagan the music maker.
The Syracuse band leader of Grupo Pagan is once again bringing both sides of his generous personality together to present “Bringing the World Together in Syracuse 2014.” The show starts at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 5, at The Palace Theater on James Street.
The annual event raises money for the West Side Learning and Manos Center.”
Tickets are $27.37 and can be purchased online here. They will be $35 at the door.
Grupo Pagan is the host band. The lineup promises diverse music and dance.
Edgar Pagan has been working with the Manos program for more than 20 years.
“I remember growing up and watching my parents struggle with the English language after coming here from Puerto Rico, and if it wasn’t for the help they received from kind neighbors, family, and government agencies, things would have been much more difficutl,” Pagan says. “Recently I’ve had the opportunity to perform in other countries where I did not know the language, and it creates difficult and uncomfortable situations. Once again it was friendly strangers that helped me get around and communicate.”
It’s a vibrant lineup of Syracuse stars, with appearances by Joe Whiting, Mark Doyle, Root Shock, Alegre Flamenco Dancers, Adanfo African Drummers, La Casita Plena and Bomba Dancers, and The BlackLites.
The concert is part of a 25th anniversary celebration for Partners in Learning.
Last year’s event raised enough money to fund a Mano summer program, Pagan says.
Grupo Pagan visited the white studio to perform an original song when I was putting together the Syracuse original music series for the big daily. You can read more about the band and watch the video by clicking here.
Have you ever learned a second language? How did you get taught?
Mark Bialczak 
I think this is an amazing concert to attend and you were fortunate to have gone there before. I love live music and enjoy Spanish. Perfect! Too bad far away and no money for travel… Will have to check out the music on youtube… smiles, robin
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Yes, YouTube can take you everywhere musically, Robin!
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Learn a second language? Mark I can barely remember the first one.
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Good one, Angie, but I can tell you know No. 1 very well.
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how wonderful and what a great cause. some people are just so dynamic. i can speak kindergarten spanish (learned with my class and still at the same level after more than a decade of it) and a hacked up form of french. (learned in high school and college much later taught by an italian)
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You spoke French in Canada to a biker guy in a bar with alarming confidence, I do recall from a story, Beth. That’s pretty good. I wish I could speak Spanish better than I can show for studying it three years in high school and two semesters in college. I pick up words and phrases by ear, and speak a smidgen. I can only imagine trying to speak Spanish in a Latin country. Oh, my.
Edgar is doing a great thing raising money for the center that helps Spanish-speaking folks learn English.
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yes, you are absolutely right, mark, it was my alcohol fueled confidence that helped in that circumstance, peut etre? yes, it would be a nightmare to have to speak the language in a country that spoke no english at all, although you would come up to speed much more quickly. i forgot to ask you – will you be going to the concert?
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Not going this year, Beth. I’ve been to several in the past.
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that’s wonderful that you’ve gone, it sounds like quite an event –
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What a great cause! (And a great lineup for that matter.)
I took Spanish from 8th to 11th grade, and I finally convinced myself to start taking Italian lessons. First, I need to find a job to pay for this. Hahaha.
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Yo comprendo, my amigo.
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