Concerts & Tickets

A relatively new ensemble (formed in 2016), Chalaca explores the confluence of cultures found in South America and the Caribbean with a unique combination of clarinet, harp, and percussion. Following the migration of rhythm from Africa and Europe, to the Andean Mountains, to the Amazon...and finally, right to the heart of America, Chalaca is a celebration of the composers who have immigrated to the United States from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela...alongside the folk masters who inspired them.

Based out of New York (but originally from Seattle), the self-described “accidental brass quartet” featuring two trumpets and two trombones takes its name from the prevailing winds that travel from the West to the East. “Skilled interpreters who are also adept improvisers” (NPR’s Fresh Air), this Mix performance in our newest venue, Minneapolis’s Machine Shop, will explore jazz, roots, and chamber music influences to create the rarest of hybrids: music that is both "folk-like and composerly, lovely and intellectually rigorous” (NPR Music). Expect the precision of a string quartet, the audacity of a rock band, and the charm of a family sing-along.