View From Casita Colibrí

Last year, wearing the whitest of white huipiles, skirts, shirts, and pants, the delegation from San Melchor Betaza, in the Sierra Norte Region of Oaxaca, danced the sones and jarabes from their community.

I don’t know how the turkey felt as he took center stage when Ocotlán de Morelos, from the Valles Centrales Region, performed La Llevada del Guajolote, a dance dating to the 19th century.

The dances by the delegation from San Andrés Huaxpaltepec, from the Costa Region, offered the action of the Fandango de Cajón and the grace of the Mayordomía with women wearing stark white mandiles (shawls) and caracol dyed purple pozahuancos (wrap skirts).

As the first few notes of the Canción Mixteca were played, the audience rose and, as one, began waving their hats and singing the beloved song of the Mixteca Region.  With the audience warmed up, the gals from Huajuapan de León began dancing the Jarabe Mixteco — twirling and tempting the guys with their flirty skirts.

Click HERE for last Monday’s part 1.  Stay tuned for more next Monday, as the countdown to this year’s Guelaguetza festivities continues.