Brooklyn NY, November 1, 2006 - St. Joseph's College Council for the Arts is proud to present the Trinidadian band Los Tocadores on Saturday, November 11 at 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the lower level of McEntegart Hall on 222 Clinton Avenue. To ring in the holidays, Los Tocadores will play their unique blend of parang music and spread the Christmas spirit, West Indies style. This event is free and is open to the public.

Derived from the Spanish word parranda, which means "the action of merry making," parang is usually associated with Christmas festivities in the West Indies. A fusion of Venezuelan and Calypso influences and upbeat tempos with a Spanish style, parang music is popular in Trinidad & Tobago and various areas of Venezuela. "Parang brings that kind of spirit,” lead singer and composer Jennifer McPherson said. “I would like to be able to share that with people because that is what we feel all the time.”

Venturing out after mass on Christmas Eve 1971 to entertain friends and family, nine teenagers from Sangre Grande, including four siblings from the Estrada clan, spontaneously created Los Tocadores. Buoyed by the spirit of change and free expression, of the early 70s, the band went on to establish itself as a pioneer in parang music. For the past 18 years, Los Tocadores has played numerous shows in the New York metropolitan area, performing at the Javits Center in Manhattan, Brooklyn College, and the New York Botanical Gardens. In 2000, the group was recognized by the Massachusetts House of Representatives for its dedication and outstanding contribution towards promoting the culture of parang music in the US.

Founded by Sister Elizabeth A. Hill, CSJ, J.D., president, the St. Joseph’s College Council for the Arts is a coalition of students, faculty members and staff who serve as a focal point for the College’s educational and community outreach programming in the arts. By expanding and integrating campus arts activities, the Council seeks to enhance the public image of the College as a cultural center in Brooklyn and aims to make arts and cultural events more accessible to its students and area neighbors. For more information about this exhibit or other upcoming cultural events at the College’s Brooklyn campus, please call (718) 399-6755 or visit www.sjcny.edu/news.

About St. Joseph's College

St. Joseph’s College has been dedicated to providing a diverse population of students in the New York metropolitan area with an affordable education rooted in the liberal arts tradition since 1916. Independent and coeducational, the College provides a strong academic and value-oriented education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, aiming to prepare each student for a life characterized by integrity, intellectual and spiritual values, social responsibility, and service. With campuses located in the Clinton Hill area of Brooklyn and in Patchogue, Suffolk, Long Island, the College offers degrees in over 22 majors, special course offerings and certificates, affiliated and pre-professional programs through its School of Arts and Sciences and its School of Professional and Graduate Studies.