¡Pulso!, Northwestern’s first Latino a cappella group, will soon join the university’s music scene.
The new group is set to perform songs from various Latin genres such as salsa, merengue, cumbia, vallenato and bachata.
¡Pulso!’sfounder, Communication freshman Andre Sguerra, said he felt it was necessary to have a Latino group to add to the diversity of the various multicultural a cappella groups already on campus.
“This felt like it was long overdue,” he said.
NU is currently home to 16 registered a cappella groups, made up of all-male, all-female, co-ed, African-American and Asian groups.
Sguerra said he wanted to form ¡Pulso! before starting his freshman year.
“I looked up the a cappella groups online and saw that none were Latino or performed Spanish music,” he said. “That’s when I got the idea of forming one.”
Sguerra held an informational meeting two weeks ago at NU’s Multicultural Center, 1936 Sheridan Road. On Sunday he gave a workshop to a handful of hopefuls wanting to brush up on their singing skills.
Weinberg freshman Anthony Guerrero said he tried out for other groups in the fall and didn’t receive any call-backs. He said he sees ¡Pulso! as a second chance to sing - but this time with the music he was “born and raised in.”
“¡Pulso! seems like a very good opportunity to start in an a cappella group,” he said.
The formation of ¡Pulso! will be great for Latinos on campus, said Veronica Morales, co-president of Alianza, NU’s Latino community building and cultural awareness organization.
“The Latino community needs a musical outlet like this,” the Communication senior said. “It’s a good addition to the Northwestern Community and the Latino Community.”
Communication freshman Jessica Stahmer, who attended the workshop, said she’s looking forward to learning how to sing in Spanish.
“My Spanish is weak,” she said. “It will be a challenge, but it will be fun.”
Sguerra said anyone can audition for ¡Pulso!, regardless of ethnicity, musical or language experience. The group’s first auditions will be held on Saturday and Sunday and Tuesday, Jan. 25.
“Anyone interested that would be a valuable asset to the group would definitely get in,” said Sguerra. “If you’re interested enough, I’ll take that and see what I can do with it.”
