Aurelio de la Vega. Photo by Lee Choo

California State University, Northridge’s Mike Curb College of Arts, Media and Communication will screen “Aurelio: Rebel With a Cause” — a documentary that takes a deeper, more complex look at the island’s culture, through the life of faculty emeritus and Cuban classical music composer Aurelio de la Vega.

The screening will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 23, in the Armer Theater, located in Manzanita Hall on the south side of campus at 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge. The film will be followed by a Q & A period with de la Vega.

The composer, who taught music at CSUN from 1959 to 1993, said his story as a Cuban classical composer was a gift to share with his students. He said he looks forward to sharing it with the CSUN community.

“I hope there are some new faces and students [at the showing],” he said. “I want to show them that something else happened between the past and current Cuban music. It is not just maracas and drums and moving you know what!”

De la Vega said he is most interested in showing people how Cuban culture is diverse and complex in its art.

“Not only music exists. The culture is related to sociological ideas,” he explained. “All of these cultural constellations come to make a very rich picture of Cuban life. The film is a beautiful work of loving reality.’’

The screening of “Aurelio: Rebel With a Cause” is free, but space is limited. To register for the event, please email mccamc@csun.edu or call (818) 677-2247.

Armer Theater, Aurelio de la Vega, Cuba, Cuban Classical Music, Mike Curb College of Arts Media and Communication, Rebel With a Cause