Submitted by Lopez Center for Community and the Arts

Che Apalache is a four-man string band based in Buenos Aires with members from Argentina, Mexico and the United States. The group’s founder is Joe Troop (fiddle), a North Carolinian multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and composer who moved to Argentina in 2010. While patiently carving out a niche in the local music scene, Joe taught bluegrass and old-time for a living. That’s how he met Pau Barjau (banjo), Franco Martino (guitar) and Martin Bobrik (mandolin), his most dedicated students. They quickly became picking buddies and in 2013 decided to hit the stage.

Che Apalache began as a bluegrass band, but eventually incorporated Latin American styles into their repertoire. Combining instrumental prowess with tight vocal harmonies, they have curated an authentic blend of genres to reflect the nature of their lives, evoking images from Appalachia to the Andes.

“This blend of Appalachian and Latin music took me completely off guard and won me over instantly. This is a band to watch!” — Béla Fleck

The concert is at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 17 at Lopez Center and is sponsored in part by the National Endowment for the Arts and Western States Arts Federation.

Che Apalache will also give a free workshop at 2 p.m. exploring the intersection of Appalachian and Latin musical traditions. Explore the building blocks of the musical styles instrument by instrument, vocal part by vocal part as the group breaks down their most popular songs. Throughout the workshop, Che Apalache will share personal tales from their time on the road and playing this unique blend for different audiences.

Tickets for the concert are $18 Adults / $8 Youth and are available at Paper Scissors on the Rock, Blossom Organic Grocery, Lopez Bookshop and www.lopezcenter.org.