The New Orleans Hispanic Heritage Foundation presented “Duets: Origins and History of the Famous Songs for Two” a lecture of stories of iconic duets from the Americas by Dr. Daniel Party, Associate Professor at the Universidad Católica de Chile, on November 9, 2022, from 6:30 to 8:00 pm at the George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center located at 1205 N. Rampart Street in New Orleans.

After the presentation guest enjoyed Latin American music performed by Javier Olondo Quartet. The event was free and open to the public.

“Most pop songs are about love and feature one lead singer. Many include a second vocalist who complements the lead by providing harmony. But only a much smaller number of songs feature two lead singers who play the role of lovers. This is called duets. This presentation will consider the stories of several iconic duets and love duets from the Americas, many of which became duets only at the last minute. We will address questions such as, how are duets musically different from regular pop songs? What makes duets so emotionally compelling? Why have duets enjoyed a symbiotic relationship with the film industry? Why were love duets particularly successful during the 1980s?” Daniel Party, PhD.