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Archive for the ‘Celebrations’ Category

Glowing Guelaguetza Auditorium

Posted in Celebrations, tagged , , on August 1, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Gazing up at the Guelaguetza Auditorium tonight from the terrace, as Guelaguetza 2011 came to a close…

Guelaguetza Auditorium with lights glowing at night

 

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Danzón Oaxaca style

Posted in Celebrations, Culture, tagged , , , on July 31, 2011| 2 Comments »

The rain held off long enough today for the conclusion of  Oaxaca’s Sexto (6th) Festival Nacional de Danzón.  Like last year, I was captivated by young and old, feet and faces, formality and style, intensity and joy; and everything in between coming together under the laurels of the Zócalo.

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Hmmm…  I wonder if I can work up the nerve to inquire about dance lessons at the studio around the corner???

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Tejate and tamales

Posted in Beverages, Celebrations, Food, Parks & Plazas, tagged , , , , , , , , on July 27, 2011| 1 Comment »

And now we have the sixth annual Festival del Tejate y el Tamal de San Andrés Huayapam!  A large tent covers half of the Plaza de la Danza and over 100 “tejateras” who belong to the Unión de Mujeres Productoras del Tejate set up shop early this morning to sell refreshing cups of this pre-Hispanic beverage made from corn and cacao.

The festival is part of an effort to preserve the food culture of the Zapotec.  San Andrés Huayapam (aka, San Andrés Huayapan) is about 7 miles north of the city and its main economic activity is the sale of tejate.

Packages of tejate lined up on a table

The festival also features empanadas, hot off the comal…

Empanada being cooked on a comal

and six kinds of tamales:  Salsa verde, Amarillo, Rajas, Verde, Chichilo, and Tamal de mole.A variety of tamales in a metal bucket

I wanted them all!  However, for today’s comida, I opted for chichilo from this gal…

Woman serving tamales

Why chichilo?  The answer is, because I’ve never had that kind before!  Chichilo is one of the seven moles of Oaxaca and is only served on special occasions, such as weddings and christenings, or when the crops have been harvested.  Chilhuacle negro, mulatto, and pasilla chiles; blackened tortillas and seeds of the chiles; and avocado leaves, the latter imparting a subtle anise flavor, give it its distinctive flavor.

Woman reaching into steaming hot cauldron of tamales

She picked out a good one… it was delicious!

People sitting and eating at long tables.

¡Buen provecho!

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Symphony of light and sound

Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, tagged , , , , on July 26, 2011| 2 Comments »

Last night I, along with thousands of others, gathered on the Alameda, with eyes gazing upwards at the “espectáculo” being projected on the facade of the Cathedral.

Three projectors allowed alebrijes to march across the front of the Cathedral, tapetes to hang from the rooftop, and tin ornaments to be displayed, as if they were on a wall in a mercado waiting to be purchased.  Buildings collapsed and were rebuilt, vines reclaimed a pyramid, and so much more.  It was accompanied by music familiar to anyone who has spent more than a day in Oaxaca.  And, at the end, Flor de Piña was heard as fireworks erupted over the Cathedral.

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And so, for whatever role they may have played, my hat is off to the two guys hanging around in their hammocks, mentioned in my July 20 and July 24 posts.  The Sinfonía de Luz y Sonido was, indeed spectacular!

Rumor has it that it is being streamed, though I haven’t discovered the link as yet.  If I find it, I promise to add it to this post.

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Guelaguetza live coverage!

Posted in Celebrations, Culture, tagged , , on July 25, 2011| 1 Comment »

For the first time, live internet streaming of today and tonight’s (and presumably next Monday’s) Guelaguetza performances  at:  http://www.telmex.com/guelaguetza

Guelaguetza Auditorium

As you can see from the photo I just took of the Guelaguetza Auditorium, it is a stunning blue-sky Oaxaca day.

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Mystery solved!

Posted in Celebrations, Culture, tagged , , , , , on July 24, 2011| 2 Comments »

Aha!  So this is what the guys in the hammocks mentioned a few days ago are guarding:  It’s the gear for a sound and light show being projected on the Cathedral.  Noticias has cleared up the mystery and posted a video snippet to lure readers:

Sinfonia de luz en la Catedral oaxaqueña

It worked… I’m going!!!

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Guelaguetza has arrived!

Posted in Celebrations, Culture, tagged , , , on July 23, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Guelaguetza… the offering and sharing has begun!  Under cloudy skies, with the occasional torrential downpour, buses bringing dancers and bands began arriving for the Desfile de Delegaciones Regionales, tonight’s hour-long parade down the Alcalá to the zócalo.

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Parade has ended, I’m back at Casita Colibrí, the sky has cleared, a 200-piece youth orchestra from the central valleys of Oaxaca has finished playing traditional Oaxacan music in the Plaza de la Danza, and the third round of fireworks has just erupted from the zócalo.  Ahhhh… this place is amazing!!!

For more information on Guelaguetza:

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“For everything bad, drink mezcal…

Posted in Beverages, Celebrations, Parks & Plazas, tagged , , , , , , on July 22, 2011| 3 Comments »

… and for everything good, you also should.”  — old Oaxaca saying.

Today, the XIV Feria Nacional del Mezcal opens in el Paseo Juárez el Llano.  Preparations were in full swing yesterday afternoon, when I walked passed Llano Park (as it is more commonly known).

Behind the back of Benito Juárez, carpenters were busy.

Carpenters building a booth in Llano Park next to statue of Benito Juárez

Newly constructed puestos lined the sidewalk on Pino Suarez, waiting to be filled with vendors and displays…

Empty booths along sidewalk
… and hearts of the maguey  (called piñas, because they look like pineapples) were piling up all around the park.

Pile of hearts of the maguey

For more information about mezcal, including how it differs from tequila, see:

In the meantime… “¡Arriba, abajo, al centro y pa’ dentro!”

Update:  Posters, website, and other publicity to the contrary, the feria did not begin today.   Mañana is the word!

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Hammock time

Posted in Celebrations, tagged , , , on July 20, 2011| 1 Comment »

Guelaguetza is almost here, the Zócalo is teeming with tourists, and a massive stage is being set up opposite the cathedral.  I think these guys are guarding it.  I want their job!


Two guys in hammocks hanging from stage scaffolding

Hmmm… there’s an empty hammock.  Maybe I should apply!

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Danza de la Pluma, take 2

Posted in Celebrations, tagged , , , , on July 9, 2011| Leave a Comment »

I must confess, I’m partial to Teotitlán del Valle and this fiesta.  It was photos from the 2007 celebration that first persuaded me to visit Oaxaca.  However, this is it… I promise… no more photos from the Preciosa Sangre de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo in Teotitlán del Valle until next year!

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However, if you, like me, can’t get enough… check out Chris’s photos over at Oaxaca-The Year After.

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Danza de la Pluma

Posted in Celebrations, tagged , , , , , on July 8, 2011| 6 Comments »

A brief slice from the hours and hours of dancing done by the Danzantes de Promesa, in the plaza in front of the church in Teotitlán del Valle, during the multi-day fiesta honoring Preciosa Sangre de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo.

The Danza de la Pluma consists of 41 “bailles” (pieces of music) that, on the surface, reenact the conquest.  Cortes and his troops are played by very young through teenage boys.  They occasionally march around, but mostly stay seated.  The Danzantes representing the Aztec, on the other hand, are young (and not so young!) men and dance at least 70% of the time.  In addition, Moctezuma has some solos and La Malinche and Doña Marina perform several lively dances.

A 20+ piece orchestra accompanies the dancers, playing the proscribed music, including, incongruous to me, waltzes, polkas, and schottisches. According to the Harris article referenced below, at the end of the 19th century the orchestra replaced the original indigenous drum and flute.

The subtext and “hidden” narratives of the danza are multiple and complex and I’m only in the infant stages of understanding.  For now, until my Spanish language skills improve significantly and I can talk with someone who is a member of the community, I will leave it to the two scholarly articles listed at the end of this post to attempt interpretation.

By the way, the day was overcast and windy at times, with gusts threatening those enormous and extremely top-heavy headdresses.

References:

Cohen, Jeffrey.  Danza de la Pluma:  Symbols of submission and separation in a Mexican Fiesta.  Anthropological Quarterly, Jul 93, Vol. 66 Issue 3, p. 149-158.

Harris, Max. The Return of Moctezuma.  The Drama Review, Sp 97, Vol. 41 Issue 1, p. 106, 29 p.

Now that I’ve done some research (alas, after the fact)… I want to see it again!

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Calenda begins…

Posted in Celebrations, tagged , , , , on July 6, 2011| 1 Comment »

After all the waiting, the calenda (parade) of the Preciosa Sangre de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo began winding its way from the church courtyard down the narrow streets of Teotitlán del Valle and back up to the courtyard.

Arms raised, the unmarried young women of the village carried these bamboo-framed canastas floreadas above their heads for the entire route.

And, naturally there was a band… with the requisite tuba!

This Subalterno (one of two who keep their eyes on the festivities) kept the procession moving along…

including the young Soldaditos of Hernan Cortes.

They were followed by the Danzantes de Promesa (note the other Subalterno to the far right)…

and bringing up the rear, Moctezuma with the dual personalities of the same woman, La Malinche and Doña Marina.

In this village, known for its weaving, a complex tapestry of religious ritual, historic legend, and tangled mythology has been woven together to celebrate community and identity.

Definitely worth the wait… AND there’s more to come!

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Waiting, take 2…

Posted in Celebrations, tagged , , , on July 5, 2011| Leave a Comment »

The participants also did a lot of waiting…

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How do they remain in such good humor???

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Waiting…

Posted in Celebrations, tagged , , , on July 4, 2011| 2 Comments »

Waiting is something one does here… and, no matter what the age, it always seems to be done with a Zen-like patience.  Today it was for the traditional calenda of the Preciosa Sangre de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo  in Teotitlán del Valle.

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More on the fiesta in upcoming posts…

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The Fathers of Oaxaca…

Posted in Celebrations, tagged , , , , , on June 19, 2011| Leave a Comment »

One of the sights on the streets of Oaxaca that always brings a smile is a father holding his young daughter’s hand in one hand and her little pink backpack in the other.  In the absence of a photo of that delightful scene, here are a few other padres y hijos…

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