In the first half of 1963, Ariel Ramírez composed the Misa Criolla using Argentine and Bolivian rhythms. Over the years, this work has become a classic of Argentine and Latin American music, as well as a concert piece. Recorded by José Carreras in 1988, it gained worldwide prominence with millions of copies sold.
Producciones Lastra has been producing the Misa Criolla since 1978 around the world with various soloists and Andean groups, presenting it with hundreds of choirs in France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Japan, Israel, Lebanon, the United States, the United Kingdom, and many other countries.
Our company exclusively represented the author of the work, Ariel Ramírez, on all his international tours, handling the representation and artistic coordination of all his projects, including the recording of the Misa Criolla by José Carreras in Santander and the presentation at the Vatican for Pope John Paul II in the Sala Nervi.
In June 1995, the Misa Criolla was performed for the first time in London. The concert took place at the Royal Festival Hall with the participation of the most important choir in Great Britain, the Royal Choral Society. Under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the presidency of His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent, this musical institution celebrated its 125th anniversary by performing the widely acclaimed Misa Criolla, conducted by its author, in front of an audience of 3,000.
Among the most recent performances of the Misa Criolla that we have produced, the following stand out:
-In 2005, performing in Japan with José Carreras during the month of October in the cities of Osaka, Yokohama, Nagasaki and at the Suntory Hall in Tokyo.
-In December 2005, we organized a tour of Lebanon presenting the Misa Criolla and Navidad Nuestra alongside the Choeur Polyphonique du Paris and the group Los Calchakis as part of the Al Bustan Festival in Beirut.
-In August 2006, to commemorate the descent of the Virgin of Telde, it was performed during the service with Los Calchakis and the Telde Choir on the island of Gran Canaria (Canary Islands).
- In April 2007, during the Holy Week of Segovia, alongside the Escolania of the Don Juan de Borbón Foundation.
- In July 2007, it was presented again with great success at the Llangollen International Festival (Wales), performed by José Carreras and Los Calchakis in the Royal International Pavilion with an audience of 5,000 and broadcast live throughout the United Kingdom.
- In November 2008, we presented it again in Spain at the Auditorio de San Sebastián de los Reyes, together with the choir of this town.
- In July 2010, we presented a new tour performed by José Carreras and the Andean group Alturas. It took place on the terrace of the Duomo in Milan in a series of 3 unique concerts to benefit the restoration of the cathedral, where the great tenor offered us a first part with a repertoire featuring a selection of well-known arias and a second part where Ariel Ramírez's great work, the "Misa Criolla," was performed along with the Parma Quod Libet polyphonic choir. The concert was recorded by RAI and broadcast throughout Italy.
Starting in 2004, maestro Ariel Ramírez would cease his professional activities due to a degenerative illness that would lead to his passing in February 2010. Ariel was a gentleman, a true gentleman, and beyond his quality as a musician, we will always remember him as a person. Out of the admiration we have always held for him, the best we can do is remember him by spreading his music.