Yala Lati | Melanie DeMore | Women Rise Choir (Hybrid Event)

Featuring Guest Artist Melanie DeMore and Women Rise Choir

Join us for an unforgettable evening of heart and harmony at the historic Rio Theatre in Midtown Santa Cruz! (and on Zoom)

Since 2005, Yala Lati has woven a tapestry of sisterhood and uplifted the heart of our community with soulful songs and transcendent harmonies! Under the artistic direction of Heather Houston, the choir is known for its rich harmonies, heartfelt performances, and an infectious spirit that invites audiences into a shared experience of belonging.

This year, we are thrilled to welcome Women Rise Choir, Heather Houston’s new community choir, which will join Yala Lati for seven songs. Eighty voices strong, Women Rise Choir will add a powerful new dimension to the evening!

We are also delighted to welcome internationally renowned vocal artist, composer, and song leader Melanie DeMore as our special guest artist. Melanie is a powerful presence in the world of community singing, using her remarkable voice, body percussion, storytelling, and original music to bring people together across generations and cultures.

The evening will feature Yala Lati’s signature blend of soulful, uplifting, and rhythmically rich music, the powerful harmonies of Women Rise Choir, and the unmistakable artistry and spirit of Melanie DeMore. Together, we’ll fill the beautiful Rio Theatre with songs that tend to our shared humanity.

Come be moved. Come be uplifted. Come celebrate 21 years of Yala Lati and the power of voices joined in harmony.

Yala Lati women's choir has been a vibrant part of our Santa Cruz community since 2005, known for their uplifting songs and transcendent harmonies that draw from diverse traditions and languages. Rooted in sisterhood and their devotion to singing, this loving community of women lift their voices as an offering of hope and resilience in these turbulent times. The name "Yala Lati" emerged out of an improvisational singing session and means "women's voices rising in harmony to praise life and bless the world." You can hear their beautiful voices on Heather Houston's "Sisters of the Moon" album which can be found on all streaming platforms.

Women Rise Choir is Heather Houston’s new community choir, bringing together 60 voices in a celebration of harmony, connection, and collective expression. The choir will join Yala Lati for eight songs during this year’s concert, adding its vibrant energy and powerful sound to an already unforgettable evening.

Melanie DeMore is a vocal activist, composer, performer, and internationally recognized facilitator of community singing. Known for her commanding voice, infectious warmth, and masterful use of body percussion, she has inspired communities around the world to experience singing as a source of connection, resilience, and collective joy.

Our artistic director, Heather Houston, is a well established Santa Cruz-based musician, recording artist, vocal coach, song circle leader, and choral director whose spirit uplifts hearts and weaves community through the power of singing. Over the last three decades, you may have heard her singing three part harmony with her a cappella groups Dis Moi & SIRENZ, singing jazz with the Steve Abrams trio, leading community singing circles and large crowds in song at demonstrations and marches, or singing at Bay Area & Central Coast Spiritual Centers. She offers life transforming events internationally online, and in person - from the Esalen Institute, to 1440 Multiversity, to Sivananda Bahamas, but most notably, her annual Sisters in Harmony Summer Singing Retreat at Green Mountain Retreat Center in the Santa Cruz Mountains gathers over 100 women in song and sisterhood. Heather's original, heart-opening music can be found on all of the streaming platforms.

ACCESSIBILITY

The venue offers 4 wheelchair placements in row A. If someone in your party needs space for a wheelchair, please register for the Wheelchair PLUS Companion Seat. For the same price as one General admission ticket, you will receive a wheelchair placement plus a seat for your companion. If you have additional members in your party, they will need to purchase premium seating to be placed with you.

Giving Back to our community:

5% of proceeds go to Santa Cruz Women's Shelter

5% of proceeds go to