Musiqa rolled out the red carpet for its annual spring benefit, welcoming Cinco de Mayo with a touch of sophistication for a cause Thursday night. MusiqaFiesta raised funds for its National Endowment of the Arts supported educational efforts and initiatives, mingling margaritas and sombreros with a mini concert.

Leave it up to soprano Karol Bennett and pianist Tali Morgulis to sexy up the evening with sultry and passionate Latin American tunes, warming up the minimalist offices and breathtaking architecture of PageSoutherlandPage with sass and class. Continuing this South of the border musical journey was jazz pianist/composer and eight-year Musiqa board president, David Harris, who premiered a romantic piece dedicated to his wife Sharyn and his two daughters.

Chairs Alison Bieser and Maria Glymph masterminded the event, including an ambitious silent auction which included a special commission by Musiqa composer Karim Al-Zand.

"The arts are not a luxury, they are essential," Musiqa's founder and artistic director Anthony Brandt noted to a responsive audience, earning an ovation for his remarks. "It's impossible to sustain families and build communities without the tools the arts give us for self-exploration and self-expression."

Recognizing that Musiqa's partners in helping reach 30,000 children, educator Rickey Polidore and Alley Theatre's Joe Angel Babb were acknowledged for their role in helping successfully implement "Around the World with Musiqa" and "Musiqa Remix," two of the non-profit organization's educational programs.

Standing to lose $20,000 due to budget cuts to the Texas Commission on the Arts, Musiqa is not letting up its efforts to provide free arts education programs to at-risk youth and Title I schools.

Those supporting music education included PageSoutherlandPage host Jeff Bricker, Sue Payne, Joe Wilson, Carrie and Ed Shoemake, Isabelle Ganz, Mary Lou Swift, Roger Hochman, Scotty Thompson, Rose Ann Medlin, William Joor, Alex Montoya, Marlon Scott and Marsha and Sidney Wallace.