San Miguel Fraser
Thursday Sept 17 @7pm
The duo pairs Spanish fiddler, singer and percussionist María San Miguel with American fiddler and composer Galen Fraser. Together, they explore the connections between the traditional music of Spain and the Celtic world, building arrangements around fiddle, voice, cittern and the distinctive rhythms of the Spanish pandereta.
San Miguel comes from a musical family in Castile and has devoted much of her career to the traditional songs and instrumental music of her home region. Fraser grew up surrounded by Scottish fiddle music as the son of internationally celebrated Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser. That combination of backgrounds gives San Miguel Fraser an unusually broad musical vocabulary.
Their repertoire can move from ancient Spanish songs to Scottish-inspired fiddle tunes, newly composed melodies and energetic dance music. Rather than simply placing two traditions side by side, the musicians look for the places where those traditions overlap, creating a sound that feels both rooted and contemporary.
Their album Dots of Light further explores that musical conversation, blending Castilian and Celtic influences with original compositions and collaborative arrangements.
For the Cultural Center, San Miguel Fraser offers a fitting introduction to a season built around the idea that traditional music is not static. It changes as people travel, meet, collaborate and carry their music into new places.