Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Music, Neighborhoods, Travel & Tourism, tagged bands, Barrio de Jalatlaco, Day of the Musicians, Día de Santa Cecilia, marching bands, Mexico, music, musicians, Oaxaca, parades, photos, popular travel destinations, processions, Saint Cecilia, Teotitlán del Valle, video on November 22, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Why I love Oaxaca, reason number 2,022 — music is heard everywhere and seemingly all the time. November 22 is Día de Santa Cecilia who, among other things, is the patron saint of musicians.
And, since this post honors musicians, how about a little music…
A big muchisimas gracias to musicians all over the world who provide the soundtrack of our lives.
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged cemetery, cempasúchitl, Day of the Dead, Día de Muertos, flowers, fruit, marigolds, Mexico, Oaxaca, panteón, photos, popular travel destinations, Tlacolula de Matamoros on November 17, 2022| 5 Comments »
Under the sun dappled light filtering through the 500 year old ahuehuete trees, there was stillness and peace.
November 2, 2022 in the panteón of Tlacolula de Matamoros.
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Neighborhoods, Travel & Tourism, tagged altars, Barrio de Jalatlaco, candles, cempasúchitl, Day of the Dead, Día de Muertos, flowers, images of the saints, marigolds, Mexico, Oaxaca, ofrendas, papel picado, photos, popular travel destinations, Teotitlán del Valle on November 10, 2022| 8 Comments »
Every Día de Muertos, I love seeing the artistry of public ofrendas, feel honored being welcomed into the homes of friends and placing pan de muertos on their very personal ofrendas, and enjoy assembling my own ofrenda to departed loved ones. (Click on each image to see the details.)
I love the spicy and welcoming scents of cempasúchitl (marigolds), lacy flor de muerto from the Sierra Norte, pan de muertos, and incense of copal.
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Neighborhoods, Travel & Tourism, tagged Barrio de Jalatlaco, Day of the Dead, Día de Muertos, Mexico, murals, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, street art, urban art, wall art on November 5, 2022| 9 Comments »
The Día de Muertos murals in my Barrio de Jalatlaco neighborhood continue to go forth and multiply…
As do the crowds. Love the former. No comment about the latter.
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Neighborhoods, Travel & Tourism, tagged Barrio de Jalatlaco, calacas, Day of the Dead decor, Día de Muertos, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, skeletons on October 31, 2022| 6 Comments »
Everywhere one looks, skeletons can be seen hanging around my Jalatlaco neighborhood.
They are even floating above us.
At least they order something when they enter a restaurant.
All in all, they look pretty happy, even if some of their poses look mighty uncomfortable.
Hmmm, I wonder what they are waiting for. Día de Muertos, perhaps?
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Neighborhoods, Travel & Tourism, tagged artists at work, INFONAVIT, Mexico, murals, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, Ricardo Ángeles, street art, Taller Jacobo y María Ángeles, urban art, wall art on October 25, 2022| 6 Comments »
One day there was a blank wall. By the next day, the wall had turned into a canvas for a gigantic mural. The story soon unfolded…
The piece was commissioned to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of INFONAVIT (the federal government’s home loan institution). Ricardo Ángeles designed the mural and the work was carried out with the collaboration of the acclaimed, Taller Jacobo y María Ángeles.
That first day, after chatting with María, she scrambled up on the scaffolding to continue working along with the team of painters.
A couple of days later, there was Jacobo, in his signature white shirt, on his knees painting details on the image of the dog.
Despite late season rains, the work went quickly and I couldn’t believe my eyes at the progress by day five.
The team (listed above) did an amazing job. With pots of plants replacing caution cones and scaffolding, the finished mural was inaugurated yesterday. It is located on 5 de mayo, between Calle de la Noche Triste and Calle de la Alianza in Barrio de Jalatlaco.
By the way, the people in the mural sure look a lot like a young Jacobo, Ricardo, Sabina, and María — la familia Ángeles.
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged Chotis de 4 Reyes, dancers, Danza de la Pluma, danzantes, Fiesta de la Virgen del Rosario, Mexico, Oaxaca, popular travel destinations, religious celebrations, Schottische of the Four Kings, Teotitlán del Valle, video on October 19, 2022| 8 Comments »
For two days following the previously mentioned convite inviting the villagers of Teotitlán del Valle and guests to the festival honoring the Virgen del Rosario (Virgin of the Rosary), the Danza de la Pluma was performed in the atrium of the church. The Danza de la Pluma is a ritual reenactment of the battles between the Aztec and the Spanish conquistadors. There are thirty nine dances that tell the story. This is the Chotis de 4 Reyes– a Schottische performed by the four kings allied with Moctezuma.
As you can see, the dance steps are complex and made all the more challenging by the wind, which comes up most late afternoons this time of year, catching the massive penachos (the headpieces) worn by the dancers. By the way, this day was the actual feast day so they danced for seven hours. I don’t know how they do it!
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged convite, Danza de la Pluma, danzantes, Fiesta de la Virgen del Rosario, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, procession, religious processions, Teotitlán del Valle on October 6, 2022| 12 Comments »
A BFF since age twelve (don’t ask how long ago that was) and her husband are visiting. I took them to the weaving village of Teotitlán del Valle for the Santísima Virgen del Rosario festival — three days of witnessing the weft of Spanish conquistador Catholicism woven onto the warp of indigenous Zapotec culture. The public festivities began with Friday evening’s convite — a formal 45 minute procession, through the streets of the village, that serves as an invitation to the festival.
I think my friends were impressed!
Posted in Culture, Music, Neighborhoods, tagged Barrio de Jalatlaco, Mexico, music, musicians, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, Tuna de la URSE, video on September 13, 2022| 4 Comments »
Barrio de Jalatlaco played host to an invasion of tunas a few weeks ago. No, not the smelly fish or succulent cactus fruit. These were of the 13th century strolling university musician variety. The tradition of Tuna bands originated in Spain and Portugal, spread to Latin American, and remains alive and well in Oaxaca. Thus, the Tunas from the Universidad Regional del Sureste (URSE), one of four groups participating in the Barrio’s first Callejoneada, gathered on my block.
They serenaded the neighborhood.
We followed these pied pipers.
How could we not, with exuberant ballads like this?
Tuna de la URSE came, we saw, and two days ago they conquered La Tuna de Montes de Madrid (Spain) and La Tuna de Derecho de San Martín de Porres (Peru) — winning the Gran Final Internacional de Tunas Universitarias competition. ¡Felicidades!
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, History, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged Chiles en Nogada, El Mes de la Patria, Mexican flag, Mexican Independence Day, Mexico, Oaxaca, patriotic decorations, photos, popular travel destinations on September 7, 2022| 3 Comments »
Adding some welcome color to these grey rainy season days, on the first of September my neighbors raised their ginormous flag marking the beginning of the Mes de la Patria — a month-long celebration of Mexico’s War of Independence from Spain.
The war lasted eleven years — from September 16, 1810, with Don Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla’s call to arms (Grito de Dolores), to September 27, 1821, when the Army of Three Guarantees triumphantly marched into Mexico City.
Merchandise in green, white, and red (colors of the Mexican flag) fill store shelves, vendors ply the streets selling flags and tchotchkes, and patriotic displays decorate public and private buildings.
As for me, I’m jonesing for the season’s traditional dish of chiles en nogada. It’s been four years since I savored its complex combination of flavors and textures at Restaurante Catedral (photo above).
Posted in Animals, Celebrations, Churches, Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged Bendición de los Animales, Blessing of Animals, Cats and dogs, Mexico, murals, Oaxaca, Pet sterilization clinics, pets, photos, popular travel destinations, San Ramón de Nonato, street art, urban art, wall art on August 27, 2022| 7 Comments »
Over the past several years, one can’t help but notice that Oaxaca has become much more pet friendly.
In place of the formerly ubiquitous roof dogs menacingly peering down and barking at pedestrians, images of silent dogs and cats look out from walls along the sidewalks.
Veterinary offices have sprung up all over the city, dog walkers have become a “thing,” many businesses are placing water bowls outside their entrances, and restaurants are welcoming pets — cat photos that follow are from the mural outside La Selva de los Gatos Cat Cafe vegetarian restaurant.
Thanks to the efforts of various sterilization clinics in the valley, one doesn’t encounter nearly as many street dogs and feral cats.
If you are so inclined, Huellas de Ayuda Oaxaca and Teo Tails are a couple of clinics that could use financial and volunteer assistance.
Just look at these faces. What’s not to love?
Of course there is the occasional big cat.
And, not to be overlooked, armadillos are known to appear.
No matter the species of animal, on August 31, in celebration of the feast day of San Ramón Nonato, they can accompany their humans to be blessed at Templo de Nuestra Señora de la Merced at 4:00 PM. If years past are any indication, it should be a colorful and lively event.
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, tagged Danza de la Pluma, danzantes, Doña Marina, Fiesta de la Preciosa Sangre de Cristo, Grupo de Promesa de la Danza de la Pluma 2022-2024, La Malinche, Mexico, Moctezuma, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, Teotitlán del Valle on August 1, 2022| 6 Comments »
In Teotitlán del Valle, the dancers of the Danza de la Pluma (Feather dance), make a solemn commitment to their faith and to their community to dance for three years at each of the four major annual religious festivals in their village. 2022 brings a new group and the festival honoring Preciosa Sangre de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo the first of their public performances for the residents of their village and visitors. They dance four times during this festival — two half days and two full (7 hours) days.
July 5, 2022…
July 6, 2022…
On the superficial level, the Danza relates the story of the Conquest — the Spanish, Moctezuma, his allies, and Malinche/Doña Maria. But, as is the genius of art, it reaches into our hearts and souls and explores and communicates the truths we know and feel.
In 2022, they will dance again for Natividad de la Virgen María in September, Rosario de la Virgen María in October, and the Fiesta a la Virgen de Guadalupe on December 12.
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Neighborhoods, Travel & Tourism, tagged Barrio de Jalatlaco, calendar of events, folkloric dance, Guelaguetza, List of delegations, Live streaming, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations on July 25, 2022| Leave a Comment »
After a two-year hiatus, La Guelaguetza is back. Papel (actually, plastic) picado, in the colors of the rainbow, is draped over the streets, Tiliches (iconic participants at Carnaval in Putla de Guerrero and this year’s chosen image to represent Guelaguetza) are hanging around on sidewalks, walls, and rooftops, and the streets are filled with tourists, both foreign and domestic.
This morning, the dancing will begin at the Guelaguetza Auditorium on Cerro del Fortín. The list of delegations by date, time, and the dance they will be performing follows.
Please note, next Monday evening’s performance will include the previously mentioned Teotitlán del Valle, Danza de la Pluma Promesa 2022-2024. If you are not in Oaxaca or, like me, don’t have tickets, you can watch courtesy of CORTV via television, their website, and Facebook live.
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged canastas, convite, Danza de la Pluma, danzantes, Fiesta de la Preciosa Sangre de Cristo, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, procession, religious celebrations, Templo de la Preciosa Sangre de Cristo, Teotitlán del Valle, video on July 22, 2022| 3 Comments »
The annual convite at the beginning of July in Teotitlán del Valle has not only been an invitation to the village’s patronal festival honoring Preciosa Sangre de Cristo. For me, it has also served as an invitation to a month of non-stop celebrations and events — an excuse to set aside my daily routines and chores and, instead, revel in the color and culture on display in the streets of the city and the small towns dotting the valley of Oaxaca.
After almost an hour, the convite and its contingents returned to the church atrium. Their work, of extending an invitation to the festival, is finished — until next time!
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged convite, countryside, Danza de la Pluma, La Mano Mágica, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, Preciosa Sangre de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo., Teotitlán del Valle on July 10, 2022| 11 Comments »
Yikes, I realized it’s been nine days since my last blog post. Time does, indeed, fly when you’re having fun. And, fun is what I’ve been having, especially during the last four days.
More on the convite, Danza de la Pluma, hike, and calenda to follow. But, first, a return to Teotitlán del Valle today for the final Danza de la Pluma presentation for this festival.
Mexican Peso Converter
View From Casita Colibrí 