What she encountered — a rich mix of language, performer-manipulated sets and deceptively pedestrian-looking choreography — amazed her.
The awards encompassed Spanish-language performers from Spain as well as the Americas, and included music from Portuguese-speaking Brazil.
As a result, many foreign-language performers specially arrange appearances in churches, restaurants and event halls, often at their own expense.
Even before the Sound Strike was announced, some Spanish-language performers had already canceled shows in Arizona or decided to skip the state during tours planned for this summer.
For any Spanish-language performer, it's like getting on 'The Tonight Show' or 'Saturday Night Live.' " "Sábado Gigante," which is taped these days in Miami, the capital of Latin American show business, has stuck to its original potpourri approach.
The result is Aswan, named after the Egyptian city in which it was recorded, which includes six vocalists singing in 11 different languages, and performers from Egypt, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda.
Possibly a little bad language, but the performers could have been signing "The Story of O," and this writer would have been none the wiser.
Since 1954, the play has been translated into 40 languages, including an unwritten African language in which performers learn the parts by hearing them repeated.
The letter notes that SXSW will change language in its performer contracts to remove mentions of making contact with immigration officials in changes that will go into effect in 2018.
Yet it's the facial and body language of the nonspeaking performers that is most memorably eloquent.
"Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien" has since been recorded in scores of languages by scores of performers, including Shirley Bassey, Duke Ellington, Elaine Paige, Johnny Hallyday, Patricia Kaas, Mireille Mathieu, the German heavy-metal band, Rammstein and even the satirical British band Half Man Half Biscuit.
