The multicultural band Sonia De Los Santos performed at the Weis Center for the Performing Arts on Feb. 18 at 2 p.m. The performance was through Family Discovery and recommended for anyone ages four and up.

Attendees were encouraged to bring canned food items, which were set to be distributed to local families in need. “The fact that this performance had to do with charity was one of the best parts of it,” Em Morris ’22 said.

De Los Santos grew up in Mexico but later moved to New York City. She fills her concerts with original works, Latin American music, and versions of popular tunes embedded with Spanish.  During her performances, she sings in both English and Spanish. De Los Santos now tours the world sharing her music.

The show involves many instruments, including the guitar which originated in Spain. The Jarana is another big instrument used in the show, which is a Mexican guitar with eight strings. The Jarana is the instrument of the state of Veracruz in Mexico. De Los Santos has been playing a custom-made Jarana for nine years.

The Leona is another instrument in the guitar family that was used in the show. It has four strings but is much smaller than a traditional bass guitar, which also has four strings. Band member, Sinuhé, usually plays the Leona, which she made herself using different types of wood. The violin, trombone, accordion, trumpet, and drum set are also used in these performances.

De Los Santos’ first family album was recently released, called “Mi Viaje: De Nuevo León to the New York Island.” The album tells De Los Santos’ stories of growing up in Mexico, moving to the United States, and what she learned about her own culture and the cultures of others. She uses sounds from all over the Americas in her music. Her songs also follow certain themes, such as things that make her happy, like signing with her band, birds, butterflies, and being thankful for her parents.

One of the goals of this concert is to teach children about different cultures. During this show, kids learned that America is not solely comprised of the United States, but also Mexico, Canada, Central America, South America, and more. They get a taste of music and knowledge from many different parts of culture. Critics have hailed De Los Santos for being a great multicultural kids performer.

De Los Santos’ albums and videos of her performances are available online. The Weis Center also hosts many performances and events similar to this one throughout the year.