AFC@50: Corridos of the Semiquincentennial - Voices of Hope and Courage

AFC@50: *Corridos of the Semiquincentennial – Voices of Hope and Courage* is a musical storytelling presentation by Juan Díes of the Sones de México Ensemble. The family-friendly program features eight newly written Mexican corridos honoring American figures whose lives reflect courage, achievement, and defiance.

Corridos are epic ballads and heroic tales that emerged in the 1840s and recount remarkable acts from a folk perspective. Díes’s presentation combines bilingual narration, live music, visuals, and audience participation, with the stories told in both English and Spanish.

When: October 1, 2026

Showtimes: 1:00 p.m.–2:30 p.m.

Tickets: Free. Registration is required.

Lineup: Juan Díes presents new corridos about Abraham Lincoln, Amelia Earhardt, Dorothy Day, Joseph H. De Castro, Mary Fields, Muhammad Ali, Roberto Clemente, and Woody Guthrie.

Format: The family-friendly performance includes live music, storytelling, visuals, and audience interaction, with narration in English and Spanish.

Venue: Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building, Whittall Pavilion, 10 1st Street SE, Washington, DC.

Accessibility: Accessible seating is available upon request. ADA accommodation requests should be made at least five days in advance by calling 202-707-6362 or emailing ada@loc.gov.

Presenter: Juan Díes is a folklorist and ethnomusicologist and a co-founder of the Grammy- and Latin Grammy-nominated Sones de México Ensemble. He is also a 2026 recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts’ National Heritage Fellowship, the nation’s highest honor in the traditional arts.

Presented by: The program is presented in collaboration with the Mexican Cultural Institute of Washington, DC. The American Folklife Center hosts it as part of its Homegrown Concert Series and in celebration of the Center’s 50th anniversary.

Sponsor: The event is sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts in celebration of Freedom250.