FACES OF VLACC | Peter Rodríguez-Pontón

Meet Peter Rodríguez-Pontón, proud Baritone Bass of the Canto Vivo choir and former VLACC board member. Originally from Ecuador, Peter has been involved with the centre for over a decade. In reflecting on his immigrant experience and the role of VLACC throughout his journey, Peter shares: “It has been a great source of entertainment and learning experience but also, maybe most importantly, to build strong community ties that helped me to feel Vancouver as my home.” In addition to helping Peter find his social tribe, the work of VLACC allowed him to share his Latin American roots and learn about other communities, including local Indigenous groups.

For Peter, VLACC’s strength is rooted in its collaboration with local artists and cultural organizations: “Its work generates value not just because it adds a range of different artistic and cultural expressions but also because of the quality and diversity of local artist’s work that is showcased.”

Peter is the founder of Escafandra Magazine, an independent digital media source in Spanish, where he publishes opinion articles, tourism tips, news from Latin America and beyond, as well as mouthwatering gastronomic chronicles. The word escafandra refers to the helmet worn by deep sea divers. The magazine’s logo acts as an invitation for readers to submerge themselves in search of new information. While the concept of his project has changed along the way, first envisioned as a news outlet and now functioning as a blog, this word still resonates profoundly with Peter, an ocean lover and beach enthusiast writing from Canada’s most beautiful seaport.  

Catch Peter at the next Canto Vivo performance or find him biking across the city in search of new cool spots often featured on his instagram @rodriguezponton!

If you are interested in participating, contact Thais Bouez at thais@vlacc.ca.

February 2025

[Text edited by Mirella Livoti]