Festival Anual de las Artes Otoño Cultural, Mérida, Los Juglares

Every year there is a funded month plus long cavalcade of Cultural events.  This amazing Festival is called Otoño Cultural.  This year it started 8 November, and runs through 16 December.

Most nights there are any number and variety of events and activities for you to choose from; dance, music, comedy, ...

This link has a good list of the activities should you wish to fill your evenings for the new week or so -
http://www.divertorio.com/entrada/teatro/festival_anual_de_las_artes_otono_cultural_merida_novdic_2012.html

This link is to the SECAY's 'official' site, they are the ones that have made this festival possible, but their site is a bit more difficult to navigate, this link goes straight to tonight's (5 Dec)offerings.
http://www.culturayucatan.com/index.php?option=com_eventlist&view=day&id=20121205

We attended  a performance by Los Juglares at the Teatro Peon Contreras last night.  Los Juglares is a fantastic Trova group, and we've really loved them since we first saw/heard them our first few months here, back in 2006.

Four months ago we were returning home to Merida from Houston.  We were fortunate that we were seated next to a young meridano returning home from a visit to LA.  Mitch is studying to be an abogado, a lawyer,   He and Tom chatted the entire flight and we've maintained contact - he's visited, we email, we phone, and we facebook.   He knows of our affection for los juglares and offered us VIP seating at last nights performance.  It just so happens that one of the los juglares (Cesar) is his brother in law. SWEET!

We met Mitch and his girlfriend Bruni in front of the theatre, we were then directed to a side entrance, through backstage where we greeted and chatted with Cesar and some of the stagehands.  We then proceeded to our seats, row 2! SUPER SWEET!  




It was a fabulous performance, that included an amazing maraca solo by the incredibly dynamic Chucho,  a short very entertaining majic, and a special surprise, a song by Gianni Rivera who has an amazing voice.  It was a fabulous performance.

In addition to singing and songwriting, these guys are fabulous guitar players.

Chucho entertaining the crowd, kissing the ladies, and playing some awesome maracas.

incredible guitar playing.

Gianni Rivera, an amazing crooners voice!

 We were then honored to be invited along with the family and friends to grab a late night bite - we all made our way over to parque Santiago, it was a bit after 11pm, 4 or 5 tables were pulled together and we sat and ate, chatted, laughed and just had such a special evening.

Tercer Concurso National e Internacional de Piano 'Jose Jacinto Cuevas' competition.

Whenever you talk to or ask anyone about what they like or why they chose to live in Merida, one of the top two answers will be the cultural activities.   And the cultural activities abound.  Merida boasts a fabulous symphonic orchestra, which played last night with the three finalists of the Tercer Concurso National e Internacional de Piano 'Jose Jacinto Cuevas' competition.

Now I enjoy symphonic music, or Classical music, whichever you prefer; but I have a difficult time to attend symphonic events because it is just to sit-still for me.  I dose, I know, my bad!

I enjoy my classical music - at home - turned up loud - while I am doing projects or housekeeping.   Maybe if I knew more about music I could sit and appreciate it.  I'm a bit of a metal head too, but I don't sit still and listen to that either.

Anyway, we went to the performance of the 3 finalists in this piano competition; young men all, 21, 22, and 25 years old.  A Colombian  a Mexican, and a Cuban.  They were amazing, and yes, my head did dip a few times.

The audience were given sheets on which we could vote our favorite.  I have to say that it would have been easier if the music were of similar style and effort.  The first two performances were a Schumann and a Chopin, with similar qualities, but the third piece was a Prokofiev, - and so different, and if forced to choose, I didn't last night because as I said I just don't know enough about music, but for me, and for Tom,  the young Colombian, Wilson Esteban Labrador Lopez stole the show ~   They each were/are each incredibly talented, but the music and the intensity of the Prokofiev piece just made it more dynamic.

the amazing Peon Contreras theatre

tuning up

Darion Antonio Martin Garcia of Cuba, age 25, doing Schumann's Concierto en la menor, Op. 54

Rolando Valdes Pinal of Mexico, 22 years old, doing Chopin's Concierto No.1, Op 11 en mi menor 

Wilson Esteban Labrador Lopez of Colombia, 21 years old, doing Prokofiev's Concierto para piano, Op 26 No 3