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 LP
is proud to announce that master musician, John
Santos, the founding
member of The Machete Ensemble since its inception nearly three decades,
has been named a recipient of the U.S. Artist 2007 Fellowship Award.
An impassioned ambassador for Latin music, and longtime LP
artist, Santos is a noted ethnomusicologist, cited for his scholarly endeavors
in untangling the rich weave of cultural threads constituting what
we call “Latin music”.
Nominated by peers, scholars and critics, winners of the USA Fellowships
are perceived as experts in their respective fields—music, art,
architecture, theater and dance. Aside from national acclaim, US Fellowships
include a substantial financial component given in recognition of a
recipient’s unique vision and permitting him/her to set aside
time to reflect on and further develop their discipline. As a USA Fellow
for 2007, John Santos joins a distinguished cadre, which includes musician
Don Byron, pottery pioneer Virgil Ortiz, choreographer Bill T. Jones,
writer/director Rhodessa Jones, and novelist Mat Johnson.
The announcement of the significant award followed shortly after another
windfall for Santos. He received a $30,000 commission from the San
Francisco Jazz Festival to compose a thirty-minute suite.
Remarked Memo Acevedo, LP Education Coordinator: “We are very
proud to have somebody of the stature of John Santos on our roster
of artists. I feel that this is a well-deserved award, John is one
of the very finest educators and musicians of Latin heritage in this
country.”
The entire staff of LP salutes John
Santos for his tireless multi-pronged
work in music and culture. He has done this year after year, even when
recognition was not flowing, for the betterment of all. LP offers praise
and gratitude to John on this momentous occasion.
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