Last Thursday night, Colgate’s Africana, Latin, Asian, and Native American (ALANA) Cultural Center hosted a live music night kickstarting celebrations for LatinX and Hispanic heritage month, which will take place from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. 

The event featured the SonMilanes band, a Latin music group based out of Bay Shore, N.Y. According to the band’s Bash profile, they perform a wide variety of music— music genres include “salsa, merengue, son cubano, cumbia, bachata, latin jazz, bossa nova, bolero,and much more.”

According to Esther Rosbrook, director of ALANA, the decision to hold a live music event took into consideration both the value of music for celebrating different cultures and its power in bringing people together. 

“In our effort to celebrate cultures, arts are essential as tools to connect people, and as a result, a community is built,” Rosbrook said. “Colgate’s culture celebrates diverse cultures, and we hope the cultural celebrations that we organize can create a sense of belonging for many community members at Colgate. People can feel that Colgate is truly their home away from home and that everyone can participate actively in creating a better environment for everyone.” 

The music night brought together both regulars of events at ALANA and first time attendees. 

Sophomore Shanely Perez told the Maroon News, “I think it’s just amazing to have an event that promotes cultural diversity, as well as inclusion. If you look at the dance floor even, there’s a bunch of people here from all walks of life.” 

Celebrations for LatinX and Hispanic Heritage month will continue at Colgate this Wednesday with a social justice dialogue on immigration with Professor Sandoval-Leon, as well as other social events throughout the month.