'INFUSION LATINA' is the story of Coral Fusion Latina; Canada's first and only choir dedicated to performing Latin American choral folk music. Its members are amateur singers and all are immigrants to Canada, representing countries such as Brazil, Columbia, Spain, Chile, Mexico, Costa Rica, Venezuela, and Argentina. The documentary follows the progress of the choir shortly after its inception, and culminates in their debut concert in front of a Vancouver audience one year later.

Choir members candidly discuss their personal experiences as immigrants to Canada. They talk about their reasons for emigrating; they describe what they knew of Canada before, and what they discovered after their arrival; they describe the nuances and differences between Latin and Canadian culture; and they describe how they have had to adapt, in order to integrate into Canadian society. The choir provides an emotional outlet and a means of expressing their Latin character in a way that is as natural to them as breathing, by singing. It is also a bridge for understanding, as they endeavor to share their culture, through music, with their adopted country.

Rehearsals, for the members of Fusion Latina, provide an opportunity to socialize with fellow Latinos and let loose in a way not afforded in their daily lives within Canada's relatively reserved Anglo-Saxon society. Their rambunctious behaviour, however, tend to turn rehearsals into free-for-alls, which frustrates their Latin Canadian conductor no end.

Fabiana Katz is the professionally trained, no-nonsense director of Fusion Latina. She discusses the progress of the choir from its humble beginnings to its transformation into a musical entity. Fabiana was born in Argentina, and immigrated to Canada with her family as a young teenager. She is fiercely proud of her Latin American heritage and its rich musical history. Her frustrations in organizing this group of unruly and fun-loving Latin Americans into a choir, however, lead her to examine her own heritage. It comes as somewhat of a surprise to Fabiana, that in many ways she has become more Canadian than Latin in her temperament and expectations. And perhaps that's just as well; as she requires all the patience and discipline she can muster in order to prepare the choir for their debut.

This program belongs to the following categories:

• Documentary