BELLE GLADE — More than 76 individuals including faculty, staff and students attended a live performance titled “Las Magnificas” featuring the Core Ensemble Oct. 6 at Palm Beach State College’s Dolly Hand Cultural Arts Center as part of National Hispanic Heritage Month.

“It was a powerful performance and the live music was fantastic,” said Andrew Barrett, PBSC’s student activities manager for the Belle Glade campus. “Everyone who attended really enjoyed delving into the lives, cultures and traditions of those in Latin-America.”

“Las Magnificas” is based on the lives of three renowned Latin American singers: Celia Cruz, the Cuban “Queen of Salsa”; Chilean singer-songwriter Violeta Parra, “the Mother of Latin American Folk Music”; and the iconic Mexican performer Chavela Vargas. The show is filled with music popularized by Cruz, Parra and Vargas. These women were deeply rooted in the traditions of their own cultures’ musical history; all were powerful artistic figures in their respective countries. All three used their voices as instruments of change and resistance, in the midst of political and personal turmoil.

For more information on the Core Ensemble, visit www.coreensemble.org. For more information on the Dolly Hand Cultural Arts Center, visit www.dollyhand.org.