Friday Night Live! at the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) on Nov. 18 will have a guest who comes from Brooklyn … by way of Venezuela.

Migguel Anggelo will bring his free show, Another Son of Venezuela, and his band, the Immigrants, to the DIA. It begins at 7:00 p.m. and is a combination of pathos and humor as he recounts his experience as an immigrant in America. The show was developed with and is directed by Obie Award winner David Drake and Musical Director Mau Quiros.

Anggelo’s music mingles Latin, pop, and folk classics with his and Quiros’ original compositions and his poetic storytelling takes us on a music-theater experience in our ever-expanding bilingual world. He has spent the better part of the last five years developing art that speaks to the immigrant experience. Through his music he shares how he forged his own American identity through love, loss, family and national pride.

The conversation on immigration is certainly very relevant today.

“Another Son of Venezuela’ sheds light on the complexities of being an immigrant in the United States an experience I know well and conveys that story in a way that all of our visitors can relate to,” says DIA Director Salvador Salort Pons. “The DIA is a place where the arts can function as springboard to bring to the foreground important current issues in our society. Music, in this case, is a language that will help bring a fresh perspective about immigration and foster a better understanding and friendly dialogue within our communities.”

Anggelo began his Detroit tour by participating in a panel discussion last weekend called “Art and the Immigrant Experience.” Curated by Culture Lab Detroit and moderated by Global Detroit, the discussion explored the complexities of the transnational experience. It asked the following questions. What does it mean to be an artist and an immigrant? How can art aid in cultural placemaking? How can we utilize the language of art to shift emotional and political perspectives?

Anggelo told the group in his case music is like a tree.  “My songs have roots.  My arms become the branches and leaves of the tree. They provide shade and comfort to everybody.”

One of the pieces he will perform is a song he wrote called “Inmigrantes.” Here is the English translation of some of the lyrics:

We all have a dream

Of having a better future

A long time ago Berlin was freed 

and on the outskirts of Mexico they are building another wall.

Is it a crime to have an illusion?

or seek help without running from immigration;

I’m sure it is a crime to walk without a visa

but you don’t need permission to walk on the moon.

IMMIGRANTS… we are all immigrants

my only boundary was my mother’s womb

we all have different names

but we have the same color blood.

You can watch him perform the song at Joe’s Pub in New York.

Anggelo artistic experience includes a dozen years learning classical ballet and studying voice at the Conservatory of Music in Cologne, Germany. His passion for music started when he was 13 and starred as Pinocchio in a South American touring production of the Broadway musical.

Another Son of Venezuela is free with museum admission for residents of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties.

  Culture Lab Detroit, DIA, Global Detroit, Immigrants, Migguel AnggeloSalvador Salort Pons