Liberato Kani in Concert
Friday, August 29, 2025 | 6:00 PM | Gallery Art Bar, Urbana
Join us for an unforgettable night with Liberato Kani—Peru’s visionary Quechua hip-hop artist—live at Gallery Art Bar in Urbana. His music fuses hip-hop with Andean, Amazonian, and Afro-Peruvian rhythms, carrying stories of cultural pride, Indigenous resistance, and life between the highlands and the city.
Since his 2016 debut album Rimay Pueblo, Liberato has performed on Peru’s biggest stages and toured internationally through Spain, Chile, Cuba, Germany, and the United States. Performing entirely in Quechua—one of the most widely spoken Indigenous languages in the Americas, Liberato challenges stereotypes and reclaims space for Indigenous voices in today’s global music scene.
In Urbana-Champaign, he will be in residence visiting local schools, guest lecturing in University of Illinois classrooms, and performing as part of Krannert Art Museum’s Grand Reopening (Aug 28, 4-7) and the reinstallation of Fragmented Histories: Andean Art Before 1600. This community concert offers a rare opportunity to experience his music up close in an immersive setting.
Opening Act: Mariachi Libertad
Champaign-Urbana’s community mariachi group, Mariachi Libertad, will open the evening with their vibrant, high-energy sound. Celebrating the rich traditions of mariachi music, the ensemble showcases the talent, culture, and spirit of the local community.
Following the concert:
A Conversation and Reception with Liberato Kani
9:00 PM | Encanto Restaurant in Downtown Urbana
After the performance, join us for a post-performance reception and conversation with artist Liberato at Encanto Restaurant. This informal gathering offers a unique opportunity to meet the artist, engage in dialogue about his creative practice, and reflect on the themes and methods present in his work. Liberato will share insights into his process, discuss the cultural and conceptual foundations of his performance, and invite conversation with attendees in a relaxed, salon-style environment. Light refreshments provided.
Learn more about Liberato Kani's work: liberatokani.com
This program was partially funded by the Vision 2030 Global Strategy’s Implementation Grant. Launched in 2022, Vision 2030 is a university wide strategy to expand and enhance comprehensive global learning, teaching, research and engagement opportunities for students, faculty, staff, and alumni. The Implementation Grant is administratively supported by Illinois International.
Additional support was provided by the Office of Arts Integration, the School of Social Work, and Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. Krannert Art Museum acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council.
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Liberato Kani's residency includes the following public appearances:
LIBERATO KANI IN RESIDENCE 2025:
• Aug 28, Grand Reopening Celebration at Krannert Art Museum, 4–7 pm
• Aug 29, Liberato Kani in Concert with Mariachi Libertad at Gallery Art Bar, 6–8:30 pm
• Aug 29, A Conversation & Reception with Liberato Kani at Encanto Restaurant, 9 pm
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