Like in so many cultures, music plays a vital connective and communicative role in Chicano life. That music has been honored since 2002 at Su Teatro’s Chicano Music Hall of Fame, and now there’s a new group of musicians to be honored for their contributions.

The 2020 inductees are Lu Liñan, Frank Ayala and Los Trujillos and were inducted on July 30. The closed-to-the-public event was shared with audiences via digital methods like Zoom, Facebook and YouTube.

“The intimate event is to honor the legends that have influenced the Colorado music scene,” wrote Angelina Gurule, marketing coordinator at Su Teatro, in an email interview. “Chicanos have played aa significant role in music and have influence generations of musicians.”

The hall of fame event and the 24th Annual Chicano Music Festival is co-presented with KUVO radio, and the festival aspect is running virtually through Aug. 2. In addition, this year’s event will offer a tribute to two musical icons who have passed this last year, according to information provided by Gurule: Mariachi Vasquez patriarch Raul Vasquez and jazz master Freddie Rodriguez.

The selection process for inductees begins online with a nomination application, and they are then voted on by a committee with three specific criteria in mind.

“Longevity, which in this instance refers to consistent or sustained activities over a period of time, uniqueness which asks… what is the singular contribution that they introduced?” Gurule explained. “And the final is excellence: what are the qualities that placed the nominee at the `top of their game’?”

Here’s some information on the inductees, as provided by Gurule:

• Liñan and her family were among the first to bring Mexican Mariachi music and dance to Colorado public schools in the 1960s and 70s. Liñan and her husband, Salvador Herrera, would bring Mexican Mariachi bands from Mexico to perform at Colorado public events so that the people of Colorado could celebrate Mariachi music and culture.
• Ayala has been an influential Chicano jazz musician in the Denver area for the past 30 years. His current ensemble is called Mistura Fina. His La Raza Cosmica take on music mixes Spanish-American-Indian musical traditions and combines influences from the best that humanity offers.
• Los Trujillos is a “true dance band for the masses.” This tight-knit family of musicians from Commerce City has brought Tejano/Colorado music to weddings, celebrations, and other festivities across the state for the past 45 years.

“So much of our history is weaved within our music,” Gurule said. “Shining a spotlight on the musicians that have made such an impact in Colorado is the least we can do.”

For more information, including the virtual festival schedule, call 303-296-0219 or visit www.suteatro.org.

Celebrate a historic Colorado Day

This year’s Colorado Day will look a bit different than previous years, but that doesn’t mean residents can’t celebrate their state. There are a couple of different ways History Colorado is encouraging people to celebrate in 2020.

Online celebrations will be running from July 27 through Aug. 1, including videos, recipes and crafts. The big day is at 9 a.m. on Saturday the 1st, when there will be a virtual birthday party as well as free admission at all eight of History Colorado’s museums throughout the state.

Free admission to museums can be booked via h-co.org/welcome. All visitors who select tickets for Saturday, August 1 in the online reservation system will be able to book at no charge.

Clarke’s Concert of the Week - The Marcus King Band plays The Last Waltz

The Band’s “The Last Waltz” is one of the most famous concerts of all time, and over the year it has become a staple of rock fans’ Thanksgivings. But fans of the classic don’t need to way for turkey day this year, thanks to South Carolina’s The Marcus King Band.

King specializes in the same kind of southern-drenched soul-rock that groups like Nathaniel Rateliff and The Revivalists have brought to the pop charts. The virtual performance will be at 7 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 3 as is the final show in the Four of a Kind concert series. Get info and a ticket at www.marcuskingband.com.

Streaming style - ‘Coherence’

There’s a reason “The Twilight Zone” remains a cultural touchstone more than 50 years after its debut. You can describe something as “straight out of The Twilight Zone” and people know immediately what you mean. That ethos pervades James Ward Byrkit’s directorial debut, “Coherence.”

It’s difficult to say too much about the film without spoiling things, but what I can say is a group of friends gathers for a dinner party in California. It just so happens the gathering happens while a comet is passing by. From there, things get…odd. Think of it like a science-fiction version of Luis Buñuel’s “The Exterminating Angel.”

If you’re looking for a film to mess with your mind for a little while (in a good way), this is your film. You can stream it on Amazon Prime and Hulu.

Clarke Reader’s column on culture appears on a weekly basis. He can be reached at Clarke.Reader@hotmail.com.