CulturalFest Countdown: Meet Daniel Kapellmann

This year's CulturalFest Performance Showcase will feature 10 performing artists from around the world on the Meany Hall stage. Read on to learn more about one of this year’s performers, Daniel Kapellmann, and watch him on the big stage on February 25!

How did your group begin? Tell us a little bit of your story.

I have always liked singing since I was small, although I started around 13 to sing for a band with my brother and some close friends. It was fun because we used to play everything, from classical rock to Mexican Cumbia, and it was a great experience. However, after the band dissolved I started doing it by myself, I had a teacher for a couple of years and started doing some songs for my own, and participating in events every time I could. Being on the stage feels nice because of everything you can share with the audience and it is always a challenge to try and make your best.

What do you hope the audience will take away from your performance? What do you hope they will learn about the culture(s) that your performance represents?

I hope they get to know a bit more about traditional Mexican music, and that they are able to see that slight difference that make our songs different from those in other parts of the world. Even though our most traditional songs tend to be from Ranchera music, the local music industry has gained quite a lot of relevance during the past years as a mechanism to pull out talent from different parts of the world and help them escalate up to the US and the global music market. I am going to present just two songs that exemplify how this started happening.

What has performing in past CulturalFests meant to you? What can the audience expect to be different this year?

Performing in CulturalFest last year was a great experience! I loved how well organized it was, the high energy of the people who went with high expectations and the great performers that I could watch as well as its diversity. In a time such as the one we are currently living in, it is definitely of great importance to celebrate diversity and learn from each other's culture in order to keep a closer community that stands whatever may be coming. In terms of what will be different this year, I would say first of all the genre of music, second that this time they are both quite serious strong songs so it can be expected to be an exploration of an entirely different performance with far higher vocal requirements, but probably less performing components. This time it will be more about feelings and expressing as much as possible with the voice.

Is there anything else you would like people to know about your performance?

Yes, the two songs I will sing are called Al Final by Emmanuel and El Triste by José José. Both songs were some of the winning ones in the Iberoamerican Music Festival (OTI) that existed from 1970 to 2000, combining musicians from all the countries from this category. The first one was chosen because of how beautiful it is, plus because my singing professor always expected me to sing it, but she unfortunately passed away before I did, so it was a good chance. The second one was actually chosen because of its great importance as a classic, and how it is still remembered today precisely during this particular performance at OTI. Additionally, José José is very well known in Mexico still nowadays and, although he lost his voice for health reasons, he was considered the Prince of the Song for many years.

Join us for our celebration of the diversity and talent that international students bring to our community!

CulturalFest Ticket Information:

General admission tickets are on sale now for $15 online or at the door. Discounted student tickets are available for $10 in advance at the FIUTS office (HUB 206).