Lua Project is a Charlottesville-based ensemble led by Mexican-American vocalist, dancer, and cultural organizer Estela Díaz Knott. Her work explores connections between Latin American and Appalachian traditions, shaped by her upbringing in the Shenandoah Valley with roots in Chihuahua, Mexico. She coined the term “Mexilachian” to describe this cultural crossroads. Through performance, storytelling, and collaboration, Lua Project creates music that is both rooted and new.

Their recent recording, Los Appalachianos, supported by the Mellon Foundation, blends Appalachian fiddle traditions with Mexican styles like norteño and corrido, alongside South American forms such as Colombian puya and Peruvian huayno. Developed alongside an oral history initiative centering Latine voices, the project reflects the evolving cultural landscape Appalachia and it’s shared histories of migration, labor, and community.