In a time of rising anti-immigrant, antisemitic, and anti-Latino incidents, Fiesta de la Simcha brings us together in joy and community for a groundbreaking mash-up of Puerto Rican cuatro and Jewish klezmer music featuring Fabiola Méndez, Ezekiel's Wheels Klezmer Band, and Professor Ilan Stavans.

Fabiola Méndez is a Puerto Rican cuatro player, singer, Emmy-nominated composer, and educator. Her artistic vision and original music focus on the exploration of her culture, her ancestry, and her identities. Native to Caguas, PR, Fabiola began playing the cuatro, Puerto Rico's national instrument, at the age of six. Fabiola's mission has always been to share and celebrate the cuatro, folk music, and collective story-telling

Ezekiel's Wheels Klezmer Band is one of the world's top klezmer ensembles. They have performed everywhere from Amsterdam's Het Compagnie Theater to Boston's Museum of Fine Arts and DC's Kennedy Center. Along with their eight albums, their music has been featured on television in the Netherlands and Brazil, on the Boston Jewish Music Festival’s compilation album.

Professor Ilan Stavans, Professor of Humanities and Latin American and Latino Culture at Amherst College, is an internationally known, award-winning cultural critic, linguist, translator, public speaker, editor, short-story writer, and TV host. His newest book, co-written with Margaret Boyle, Sabor Judio: The Jewish Mexican Cookbook, features 100 personal family recipes. Deliciously illustrated, their cookbook demonstrates how cuisine reflects identity and connects people across places and generations.