Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center’s La Cantera welcomes Candela from La Casa de la Plena Tito Matos. Produced by SRBCC with the support of the Chicago Park District’s Night Out in the Parks series, bringing hundreds of free events to the parks every summer.

Directed by Master Plenero Juan Llonsi Martínez, Grupo Candela is a youth project (ages 8-15) of La Casa de la Plena Tito Matos of Taller Comunidad La Goyco in Santurce, Puerto Rico. Their repertoire is known for original plenas, as well as songs written by Puerto Rican composers.

Directed by piano player Adrian Ruiz, La Cantera is SRBCC’s Afro-Caribbean Jazz Collective, a youth jazz performance ensemble born at Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center. The program incorporates 8 young veterans of Ruiz Belvis’ Afro-Caribbean Jazz apprenticeships with guest appearances by the city’s top local and touring Latin music talent.