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 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, Culture, Music, Travel & Tourism, tagged Banda Oro Blanca, bands, Guelaguetza, Mexico, music, musicians, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Reyes Etla on July 18, 2017| 2 Comments »
The dancers get most of the press, but the musicians are some of the unsung heroes of all the Guelaguetza performances. And, I have to say, yesterday the Banda Oro Blanco at the Guelaguetza at “Las Peñitas” in Reyes Etla played a leading role. And the view wasn’t bad either!
What can I say about this clarinet player? At one point he played off a fake book on a smart phone and he was on fire!!!
Posted in Culture, Flora, Gardens, Travel & Tourism, tagged bougainvillea, Casa Colonial, flowers, Mexico, mural, music, musicians, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations on March 1, 2017| 3 Comments »
Sunday afternoon at Casa Colonial in Oaxaca: Sun filtering through the trees of a lush tropical garden, the smell of hamburgers and hotdogs grilling on a barbecue, a friendly bartender, and a great jazz combo. What more could anyone want?
Thank you to the Casa’s owner Jane Robison and manager Amado Bolaños. It was a lovely way to spend a Sunday.
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Education, Parks & Plazas, Travel & Tourism, tagged clowns, high heels, Lent, Llano Park, Mexico, musicians, Oaxaca, Paseo de los Viernes de Cuaresma, payasos, photographs, photos, shoes, students, tacones, Viernes del Llano on February 27, 2015| 4 Comments »
Fridays during Lent must mean the “only in Oaxaca,” Paseos Florales del Llano or Viernes del Llano, the Friday pageant through Llano Park by young female preparatoria (high school) students and their spear, oops, I mean flower, carriers.
Some will teeter on spiky heels (tacones, en español); others will opt for the less sexy, safer, maybe even edgy, and definitely more comfortable “flats” look.
According to this article, there was a tradition in Oaxaca to pay homage to women — to honor them for the important role they play in the support of the family. The ritual died out, but was resurrected in the seventies by the Universidad Autónoma Benito Juárez de Oaxaca (UABJO) to recover religious and family values. And so, for five Friday mornings during Lent, action in Oaxaca centers in Llano Park. Along with the young women, there will be fans…
and bands…
Monos and clowns.
But the stars of the show are the young women; this Friday from Preparatoria 6. They ranged from the natural to the glamorous.
There are winners — I think based on the number of flowers they collect from their friends, families, and fans. However, in what seems to be a popularity contest, there is joy and sisterhood expressed by all; that is where their beauty shines through.
If you are in Oaxaca, or will be in Oaxaca in the next few weeks, check it out for yourself.
Please note, the early start! I arrived around 8:15 AM and, unlike previous years, couldn’t get close to the paseo. Chris at Oaxaca-The Year After rolled in at 9 AM and it was all over but the posing, departures, and detritus.
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged Andri Cauldwell quote, Black and white photography, Carnaval, Doña Marina, Guelaguetza, Mexico, Moctezuma, musicians, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Santiago Juxtlahuaca, Teotitlán del Valle, Tlacolula de Matamoros on September 19, 2014| 6 Comments »
After a visit to Centro Fotográfico Manuel Álvarez Bravo, I’m seeing the color of Oaxaca in black and white…
“To see in color is a delight for the eye but to see in black and white is a delight for the soul.” – Andri Cauldwell
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Music, People, Travel & Tourism, tagged Alejandra Robles, Desfile de Delegaciones, Guelaguetza, Lila Downs, Mexico, musicians, Oaxaca, parades, photographs, photos on July 28, 2013| Leave a Comment »
Some of my closest friends have been (and continue to be) musicians. And, one of the things I find so appealing about Oaxaca is that music is everywhere and all the time. Marimbas are set up on sidewalks, accordions are almost ubiquitous, and free concerts occur weekly in the zócalo. Music is honored and valued as an integral part of the culture — a birthright.
Each of the 8 regions of the state has its own distinctive “sones” and “jarabes” and they are tremendous source of pride. Within a bar or two of Pinotepa, Canción Mixteca, or any one of Oaxaca’s regional anthems, the clapping begins, tears may well up, and audiences of all ages begin singing the lyrics. Thus, a major feature of the modern “Mondays on the Hill” that is Guelaguetza, is the performance of the music and dance of each of the regions.
And, so I give you, some of the musicians who played almost non-stop for 3 hours, while their delegations danced their way through the streets of Oaxaca city during the last two Saturday evening Guelaguetza desfiles (parades).
Here’s to the musicians, long may they play!
Posted in Culture, Parks & Plazas, People, Protests, tagged Bernardo Vásquez Sánchez, buskers, graffiti, Macedonio Alcalá, Mexico, Motley Crue, musicians, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, street musicians, U2 on August 20, 2012| 2 Comments »
A motley crew…
Are you, too?
They were playing Pink Floyd — “Another Brick in the Wall.”
The “writing on the wall” refers to the assassination in March 2012 of Bernardo Vásquez Sánchez, a Zapotec community activist who had spoken out against a Canadian owned gold mine in San José del Progreso, Oaxaca.
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