Sonia De Los Santos, born in Monterrey, Mexico, has been enchanting audiences with her infectious smile and bilingual melodies since 2007, when she embarked on her musical journey with Dan Zanes and Friends.
De Los Santos has a story to sing for Chautauqua when she performs for the Family Entertainment Series at 2:30 p.m. Sunday in the Amphitheater, with a special meet-and-greet for families and young fans after the show on the back porch of the Amp.
Her mom likes to say that De Los Santos was born smiling, and it’s hard not to smile when she’s sharing some of her favorite things: migrating birds, friendship, chocolate, and anecdotes about growing up in Mexico and realizing her childhood dream of moving to New York. Her songs are inspired by various Latin American rhythms like huapango, cumbia, salsa and festejo, as well as the North American folk traditions from the United States.
De Los Santos’ solo career boasts three acclaimed family music albums — one of which, ¡Alegría!, a blend of ranchero, mariachi and traditional Mexican folk influences in both Spanish and English, was a 2019 nominee for Best Latin Children’s Album at the 20th Latin Grammy Awards.
Her work’s been honored with a Parents’ Choice Gold Award from the Parents’ Choice Foundation and Billboard has called her “one of the Latin Children’s music artists you should know.”
With her band and as a solo artist, De Los Santos has performed around the world at venues and festivals like Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Austin City Limits, Lollapalooza, the Getty Museum, the National Gallery of Art and the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.
Just this spring, De Los Santos’ new live show, “Música,” honoring women in music, premiered at New York City’s iconic New Victory Theater.
