Pasatono Orquesta – UNITYFest

Experience a rich journey through Mexican heritage as Pasatono Orquesta brings the nearly lost sounds of Oaxacan Mixtec village orchestras to life with strings, winds, and percussion inspired by generations of tradition-bearers. Doors open at 6 PM. This event is part of the 2026 UNITYFest music festival. ABOUT THE ARTISTS: Pasatono has focused its interest and dedication to research, perform, compose and promote the musical Mixtec culture. After a long journey of many years of explora/on throughout the states of Guerrero, Puebla, Oaxaca and the transnational community, Pasatono has been nourished by the guardians of the cloud people’s music “living treasures”: luthiers, bass players, banjo players, violinists, composers, among others who possess a great knowledge of their musical culture. After a decade of this musical project, Pasatono reinvented itself and in 2008 became the Pasatono Orquesta, made up of an ensemble that portrays the old mixed bands with strings, wind instruments and percussion (almost extinct today in the Mixteca). These orchestras were enjoyed by the mixtecos in past times, wedding diners or those who strolled the afternoon serenatas in public plazas where the music was heard in the kiosks. Pasatono’s musical experience and research comes too from where the violin, the bajo quinto, and the cantaro have been heard; from the Lincoln Center in New York, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., the Getty Museum at Los Angeles, Bard College Summer Festival, San Francisco, Houston, Chicago, NOJAZZ Festival or Stanford’s Center for the Arts and Oregon University, to Mexico City, The Henestrosa Library in Oaxaca, and even the fandangos in communi/es like El Jicaral, Coicoyán de las Flores or Yucuquimi de Ocampo, in Oaxaca. Once more, Pasatono resists leaving behind the sounds with which our grandfathers forged the towns and the merriment of the musics of the fandangos, the instruments that buried our dead, and the songs we grew up to. As present-day mixtecos, we are sure our origin is our destiny. – Rubén Luengas Pérez, Director of the Pasatono Orquesta.   EVENT SPONSOR VENUE PARTNER ADDITIONAL SUPPORT Tickets Tickets are required to enter the concert, but they are free! Seating is first-come-first-served. Tickets are available through each event on our event calendar or on Eventbrite. Any questions regarding ticketing should be sent to the organizer Musical Bridges Around the World, not the venue. Check-in To help our staff and volunteers, please have your ticket ready when you get there. Staff and volunteers will be ready to scan the QR code located on your ticket (print, email, or app). Door Opening Door opening time for all public UNITYFest concert events are 1 hour before the listed start time unless specified above or communicated differently to ticket registrants directly. Health & Safety Statement Musical Bridges Around the World will follow the most up-to-date safety guidelines for fine arts performance h...