The National Hispanic Cultural Center (NHCC) is dedicated to the preservation, promotion, and advancement of Hispanic culture, arts, and humanities.  Since their grand opening in 2000, they have staged over 25 art exhibitions and 500 programs in the visual, performing, and literary arts.  They provide venues for visitors to learn about Hispanic culture throughout the world.  Their beautiful campus is located along the banks of the Rio Grande in the historic Albuquerque neighborhood of Barelas.

NHCC has generously offered several items for this auction.  A pair of tickets (Orchestra Center) for Perla Batalla in concert is one of them:

NHCC's popular Latin Diva Series continues when Grammy nominated vocalist, composer, and arranger Perla Batalla comes to New Mexico on Saturday October 24, 2009.

Perla was born in Los Angeles, California.  Her father was a musician and owned a popular Spanish language record store. She first gained international attention as a backup singer for Leonard Cohen who later encouraged Perla to embark on a solo career.

The critics loved her debut release, Perla Batalla, in 1994.  They called her singing "sublime" and her talent "stunning."

Her second album, Mestiza, was an immediate favorite on Public Radio shows throughout the U.S.  it was selected as Best Independent Release of the Year by Amazon.com.

Her next release, Discoteca Batalla, was named after her parents record shop and was a compilation of original compositions interspersed with traditional Spanish language classics arranged to reflect Perla's rich bicultural personal and musical heritage.

Grab this chance to get yourself a pair of tickets to hear Perla Batalla who emanates contagious rhythm and pure joy!