NYC Sentinel

Anyone who believes that classical music is the sole province of old Europe, think again. Or better yet, just listen to Polly Ferman play the piano.

Ferman, 65, grew up a precocious pianist in Uruguay. She started playing at age three, gave her first concert when she was seven, and by 11 had played with a symphony orchestra.

When Ferman arrived in the United States 26 years ago, she was surprised to discover that no one was familiar with famous composers from Uruguay – or from Latin America in general. She expanded her repertoire to include more music from her home country and created the organization Pan-American Music and Art Research, recruiting talented musicians from various Latin American countries.

“I came here and no one knew what my country was, so I decided to show it with music,” she said. “At the beginning they told me that I was jeopardizing my career, that no one was going to listen to Latin American musicians and composers.”

An audience of about 100 people assembled in the Winter Garden of the World Financial Center (on Monday for the launch of this year’s Latin American Cultural Week, which features Latin American dancers and musicians around the city. Mayor Bloomberg’s office officially recognized the cultural celebration last year.

A procession of musicians with impressive resumes including symphony orchestras and Grammy nominations took turns sitting behind a gleaming black grand piano and played the work of composers from Argentina, Uruguay, Mexico and Brazil. The sound reverberated off the tile floors and palm trees that rose out of the plaza, drawing in patrons from nearby chain stores.

The audience also received free salsa lessons from a pair of Argentinian instructors, though the response was lukewarm. A mostly elderly crowd – with women outnumbering men four to one – formed jagged lines and swayed politely for ten minutes or so. Afterwards came a salsa performance. The guitarist sat bent over his instrument, his shiny black ponytail hanging down his back, while the pianist compressed and bent  his body to the rhythm of the music.

The master of ceremonies, Malin Falu, introduced songs in both Spanish and English, the former coming with some appreciative head nods from audience members. She described a song entitled “Malagueña” as “one of the pieces we know since we are growing up in our home countries.”

“This,” Falu said while brandishing a program in between performances, “should be a document for anyone who is studying Latin American music. This builds knowledge that we have classical musicians of the best quality.”

Since Ferman first started organizing the celebration in 2006, more artists have been volunteerring her services, rather than her needing to coax them. Now that it is officially recognized by the mayor’s office and is part of the city’s Latin Media and Entertainment Commission, she said the event has gained visibility.

Sandra Jaikaran, a 48-year-old nanny, was passing by with two little girls when she noticed the event. She did not know the composers, she said, but she was impressed.

“I think it’s fascinating,” she said. “It’s a kind of sophisticated thing – it has class, elegance to it.”

— Jeremy B. White