Happy Saturday night. Happy Lotus Saturday night. Welcome everybody. My name's Mai. I'll be the emcee
here at the BCT tonight and you are in for a phenomenal lineup of music. We want to start tonight by
acknowledging the native peoples on whose ancestral homelands we gather as well as the diverse and vibrant native
communities who make their home here today. Thank you. Yes. I was supposed to point out the exits first.
I forgot to do that. So I'm going to do my best flight attendant imitation. So there are exits here.
There are also exits here and we won't need them. But in case we do, you know where they are. Want to
give a big thank you to you.
fabulous audience, also the volunteers, sponsors, grantors, and donors who have made the 33rd annual
Lotus Festival possible. So give yourself a big hand. Everybody at Lotus is so grateful to you and to
the community for your ongoing support and your presence here this evening. Lotus Festival is back for
a 33rd year.
to present another fabulous weekend of music, in part through the generosity of some amazing humans
and businesses that we want to call out. I want to start with the Lotus Scenesavers. You'll find those
names on the back of your Lotus program. They raised $25,000 to invest in both
artists in the festival, as well as keeping the 6th Street tent going. Again, their names are on the
back of the program. If you know these humans, tell them thanks. So a big hand for those folks for doing
that. So, Lotus is a wonderful thing.
And Lotus is an amazing asset we have in our community, but Lotus doesn't happen by magic. The ticket
that you bought this evening only covers about 40% of what it costs to put on the festival every year,
plus do the other programming that Lotus offers, such as blossoms and then the concerts and other things
that they do at the Lotus Fire Bay year round. Lotus is,
putting out just sort of a call to let folks know that they need to raise about $100,000 between now
and the end of the year to kind of finish strong and make sure that Lotus 34 is as awesome as Lotus
33. So there's information on their website about how to make a year-end gift to Lotus, and they encourage
you, if you haven't, if you're not currently a supporter of Lotus, to do it. Any amount from $5 to
We'll just, we'll go right up from that, is welcome and they would appreciate it. Now we want to call
out some really special 2026 champions, folks, humans, as well as businesses and other organizations
that have helped make Lotus 33 possible. Again, mention the Lotus Scene Savers, the IU Arts and Humanities
Council. They helped make the festival happen tonight, as well as Blockhouse Studios.
the Grant Street Inn, as well as benefactor sponsors, Bloom Magazine, and the Holiday Inn. Some things
you might wanna check out after this set is over with, visit the Arts Village, which is on Kirkwood,
between College and Walnut. There'll be some great activities. There will also be a Lotus Parade later
this evening, starting at 8.30. For those of you who remember the Lotus Parades of yore, they are back.
So if you wanna check that out, yes!
Grab a flag and join the parade starts at 8.30. There's also swag, t-shirts, pins, hats, all the things.
And the festival store is on the northeast corner of the courthouse lawn. So check that out. Buying
artists CDs is a great way to support the musicians that you see at the festival. So there are plenty
of opportunities to buy music,
t-shirts, other things to support both the musicians who perform as well as Lotus. Now, enough of me
yapping. Let's hear about our first set and welcome them to the stage tonight. Our first musical performance
is La Buella Cellas. And yes, you are here because, yes. I'll just tell you, I bet you already know
about them, but I'll tell you just a little bit more before we welcome them to the stage. This all women,
Salsa Sextet, founded in the city of Cali, Columbia in 2017, lifts and celebrates the female voice within
Afro Latin music. And salsa, they bring it.
with vibraphone, percussion, bass, piano, and vocals like Guadalajara's. Do what all great salsa bands
do, pull crowds to the floor to dance. And as you see, there's plenty of space to do that. So if you
feel moved, get on your feet and dance. They have been part of the salsa scene in Guadalajara, Mexico City,
Madrid, Bogota, and they bring the spice and soul of the music and dance tradition of Bloomington during
the 33rd annual Lotus Festival. So let's give a huge Lotus Festival welcome to La Guadalajara.
Yeah. Yeah.
shy, I see a lot of people sitting. So you can go here and dance with us, that's okay.
They are very good dancers. Well, that song that we bring to you tonight is part of all that music that
we do with so much love to reach your hearts.
Para recordar una vez más lo valiosos que somos. Sentimos como propósito de la vida, como grupo, como
guaracheras. Pues nos compite también una tarea que es hacer que el mundo sea un poco más liviano,
un poco más fácil, un poco más llevadero. Our purpose like guaracheras has been a better world, more a world
with more love. Así es. Y esta canción nos recuerda lo valiosos que somos. This song remember us our
value. Que tú no vales por lo que dicen las redes sociales o esas etiquetas que te pone la sociedad.
Your value is not in social media. No vales por un título, por un reconocimiento, por un trofeo.
Your value is not in a degree, your studies, nothing of that. Your value is for you. For your heart.
Because you are light and grace. You are wonderful. And there's not two of you.
I want to remember you, who you are, who we are.
Soy por lo que hago, lo que vendo, lo que he visto. Cada uno tiene un payo que depende de lo que ha
visto. Yo no soy lo que tú piensas, lo que sigue, lo que esperas. No reparen mi pasado, eso ya está
en otro lado.
Yo no soy lo diploma en la foto, el tatuaje, la talla que soy ni mi color de piel. Yo no soy tu pantalla
que dicta, que marca las cifras que soy para llegar a mí.
The next song is an inspiration for us because the name of the group is Las Guaracheras because Celia
Cruz. That is a great inspiration for us. And this song is a tribute for her.
A la guarachera mayor. Inspiración para nosotras como grupo llevar este nombre, Las Guaracheras, con
la alegría, con el sabor, con el amor de hacer esta música, rendir homenaje, compartirla con ustedes,
ser felices a través de ella con esto que dice así. Disfrútenlo.
was the
I think I guess
This is our tour number six around the United States. And we want to invite you to follow us on all
social media, like Las Guaracheras with G.
you can know more about us and can we follow back.
This song, remember us, the beginning of Huaracheras, when we were studying Joe Cuba and all the musicians
that are an inspiration for us.
que la gente tiene ganas.
Yeah.
Thank you, thank you for always welcoming us in this beautiful country with open arms. I also greet
all the Latin people who are out there enjoying themselves. And we are saying goodbye with this saying,
we are the Guaracheras. Please, if you have videos out there, follow us on social media, tag us,
tag us, so we can have the pleasure of sharing. All these images are beautiful.
Everyone stand up. It's a require for this song. Thank you, Tamara, for everything. Where are you? I
don't see you. Thank you. Okay, I see you now. Thank you, Tamara. Thank you for everything. Yeah.
We went up, we went up, we went up to ask for permission. If you feel comfortable, if you feel comfortable,
if you feel comfortable with all our rhythm, I would like you to take a breath, that you don't plan
to stop or cry. If you are there with the key, cross with that ring.
We are seeds, we are air, we are sea.
Be more grateful. Love more. Hug more. Be happy, the life is beautiful. Y nos vamos a ir por un viaje
hermoso. Me los quiero llevar conmigo a Colombia, al pacifico colombiano.
que disfrutemos de esta música preciosa de la cual nos sentimos orgullosas de representar. Y esto dice
así. Woo!
Oh, yeah