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Grammy-award winning duo 123 Andrés makes learning about geography and cultural traditions fun, through song, storytelling and visuals Monday at Vilar Performing Arts Center.

Wife-and-husband team Christina Sanabria and Andrés Salguero have been touring for more than eight years, presenting matinees and family shows. Columbian-born Salguero came to the United States for graduate school and ultimately earned his doctorate in music here. When he realized his true passion resided in creating his own music rather than performing other composers’ work within an orchestra, he suggested his wife leave her job teaching in public schools to start 123 Andrés.

“I grew up in the U.S. as a child of immigrants — speaking Spanish at home â€” and I saw that story as a teacher,” Sanabria said. “I know firsthand how important it is for kids to retain their home language â€” and be skilled in a second language (English).”

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She sings in the show, backed by Salguero’s instruments.

Andrés 123’s catchy tunes on “We Grow Together” just won a Grammy for Best Children’s Album in 2024. They also won a Latin Grammy in 2016 in the same category for “Arriba Abajo.” “We Grow Together” is aimed at preschoolers, with songs about learning colors and shapes, as well as life skills, such as knowing it’s OK to ask for help and appreciating all the things they can do by themselves, like getting dressed.

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“Our hope is that they are anthems of growing up,” she said.

The duo also cohosts a podcast for kids on PBS called “Jamming on the Job. It’s geared toward 5- to 8-year-olds and highlights adults with interesting service jobs within a wide range of industries.

Monday’s show, titled “Around the Americas,” begins with the duo pretending that they’re missing a friend who’s supposed to be on stage and setting out on a journey to find her. They involve the audience by asking the kids to help them search for her, as they stop in North America, South America, Central America and the Caribbean, singing songs about different regions and using animated maps that light up wherever they stop.

The show incorporates a lot of Spanish words, which are still accessible to someone who doesn’t know any Spanish, she said. It also incorporates American Sign Language.

“Another value of the show (in addition to teaching about geography and cultures) is gaining an appreciation for languages and also valuing other languages so that we can communicate with each other,” she said.

While the cross-cultural show fosters feelings of global connection and working together, it revolves around fun.

“There’s plenty of silliness along the way,” she said. “It’s not this: Sit quietly (type of show). They’ll be shouting, jumping, pointing and grabbing their head in exasperation saying ‘No, not there — over there’ as we look for our friend. And, there are silly dance moves. It’s very interactive, and it’s very high energy.”

After the show, the duo invites kids to talk to them in the lobby, where they hear all kinds of stories about how the kids relate to the material, from family members living in Guatemala or parents speaking Spanish in the home to visiting Puerto Rico on a cruise or having parents who immigrated from European countries. The blend of Latin music, languages, social studies, geography and physical activity engages kids in a way that they can take in the information presented.