Angélica Y La Güira

Ang幨ica has spent the summer in the Dominican Republic with her t燰s and primas, her grandparents, and their parrot, but soon she'll have to say goodbye. The end of summer means returning home to start school on another shore. Before she leaves, her grandfather gives her the perfect gift. It's something with the power to make people dance as fast as the wings of a hummingbird: a gra. Ang幨ica falls in love with this musical instrument, though nobody shares her enthusiasm at first. "What is that sound," they say, "pennies inside a tin cup?" But on a hot, sunny day, in the land of Washington Heights, where the fr甐 fr甐 woman scrapes ice for a long line of customers and the men on the corner plunk dominoes on a makeshift carboard table, Ang幨ica shows her neighbors the power of la gra.

Ang幨ica and la Gra lovingly explores music and community, the wisdom and guidance of our elders, and the joy and freedom of dancing in the street. No matter where we are, music brings us closer to home. Available in English and Spanish.