HBO to Premiere the Carlos Santana-Executive-Produced Music Documentary “Fandango at the Wall” This Month

Carlos Santana is bringing the fandango to the U.S./Mexico border wall, and HBO, this month…

HBO will premiere the heartfelt music documentary Fandango at the Wall, executive produced by the 73-year-old Mexican Grammy-winning musician/guitarist, at the end of the month.

Fandango-at-the-Wall

Directed by Varda Bar-Kar and executive produced by Santana, Quincy Jones, Andrew Young and Kabir Sehgal, Fandango at the Wall follows the journey of Grammy-winning musician Arturo O’Farrill and Grammy-winning producer Sehgal in Veracruz, Mexico, where they recruit musicians for a live album recording at the U.S.-Mexico border wall.

The project, which also includes a live album and a book, was inspired by the annual Fandango Fronterizo Festival, founded by Jorge Francisco Castillo and held at the Tijuana-San Diego border featuring the 300-year-old folk music tradition, son jarocho that fuses indigenous, Spanish and African traditions.

For Leslie Cohen, Senior Vice President, Content Acquisitions at HBO and HBO Max, “the film’s meaningful story and magical music will resonate deeply with our audience.”

Producer Doug Davis said in an official statement, “HBO has long demonstrated a commitment to documentarians like us who make socially-conscious films that explore important issues like immigration and identity.”

Celebrating friendship and unity, the film introduces the region’s son jarocho music, blended with big band arrangements, through interviews and concert footage including son jarocho artists Andrés Vega, Martha Vega, Ramón Gutiérrez, Wendy Cao Romero, Tacho Utrera, Fernando Guadarrama and Patricio Hidalgo.

Sehgal elaborated: “Paradoxically, our film shows how the border can become a place of friendship and amity by harnessing the power of Afro-Mexican music known as son jarocho. I’ve been making music for decades, and I’ve never experienced a more enveloping and transformative art form.”

Director Varda Bar-Kar also expressed appreciation for HBO’s commitment to “provide a platform for diverse filmmakers who tell compelling stories with authenticity, artistry, and layered meaning.”

Produced between Tiger Turn Productions and Sony Music Latin, in partnership with the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance, Fandango at the Wall premieres at 8:00 pm ET on Friday, September 25 on HBO Latino with five additional HBO broadcasts scheduled in the subsequent days. HBO Max will stream in the U.S.

Carlos Santana Producing Sony Music Latin & Tiger Turn Productions’ Border-Blurring Music Documentary “Fandango at the Wall”

Carlos Santana is folking up things at the U.S.-Mexico border…

Sony Music Latin has partnered with Tiger Turn Productions for the feature music documentary Fandango at the Wall, executive produced by the legendary 72-year-old Mexican guitarist.

Carlos Santana

The feature, directed by Varda Bar-Kar, follows Grammy-winning musician and Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra founder Arturo O’Farrill and Grammy-winning producer Kabir Sehgal as they prepare to record a live album at the U.S.-Mexico border wall.

In addition to Santana, the documentary is executive produced by Quincy Jones and Andrew Young.

Fandango at the Wall

 “When I first learned about this film, I knew we had to be part of it. We’re excited to partner with the production team and to share this powerful story with the world,” said Ruben Levya, Senior Vice President at Sony Music Latin, leading artist services and premium content.

“The film explores the roots of Latin music and, in particular, Afro-Mexican music known as son jarocho.It is both timely and timeless, as it looks at the issue of immigration between the United States and Mexico,” said Sehgal, who’s also a producer on the film. “We’re thrilled to partner with Sony Music Latin, which has long been the vanguard of creative content throughout the Americas.”

Combining art and advocacy, the film is inspired by the “Fandango Fronterizo” annual music festival which unites people in son jarocho‘s song and dance on both sides of the Tijuana-San Diego border. 

Fandango at the Wall

Before recording, “Fandango Fronterizo” organizer, Jorge Francisco Castillo, took O’Farrill and Sehgal on an inspiring journey of Veracruz, Mexico, where son jarocho, the 300-hundred-year-old folk music called combining indigenous, Spanish, and African traditions originated. As they travel to the far regions of the Veracruz coast, they meet legendary son jarochomusicians and artisans and recruit them for the upcoming festival. Their travels culminate at the annual border celebration, promoting peace, and celebrating unity.

“I’ve been captivated by the spirit of Mexico’s vibrant son jarochomusic community throughout the magical journey of making Fandango at the Wall,” said Bar-Kar. “I love making and watching music films, and I’ve long admired and appreciated the works that Sony Music Latin has brought to life.”

Fandango at the Wall features son jarocho legends Patricio HidalgoRamón GutiérrezWendy Cao RomeroTacho UtreraFernando GuadarramaAndrés Vega and Martha Vega.

It also includes special appearances by Regina Carter, multi-Grammy nominee and MacArthur Foundation FellowDouglas BrinkleyCNN Historian; Mandy Gonzalez, who performs in Broadway’s Hamilton; The Villalobos BrothersRahim AlHaj, Grammy nominee; and Sahba Motallebi.

The film was produced in partnership with the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance. Sony Music will also represent the film to third party distributors, platforms, and services.