The here and now... and what and why

Complacency is a trap. At least that’s what I was thinking when I up and left the comfort of a Yankee prep school gig, where I taught music, amongst other things, for 28 years. There was also that life long career as a composer, musician and artist.

First, it was a year in St. Thomas, USVI, working as a reporter and shooting photography and then, a year in San Agustin Etla, Oaxaca, Mexico.
Time passed.
More time passed and a year back in the Athens of America followed by a hasty return to Oaxaca where it is all happening.
A couple of years in San Sebastian Etla and now, just down the road in San Pablo Etla. Life is good.

Click on an image to see it larger.
For additional photography please visit my flickr page.
You can find my music on Jango (World & latin - Worldbeat) and at iTunes and most online stores.
¡Soy consciente de todas las tradiciones del Internet!
If you are coming to Oaxaca, please contact me for tours or advice.

Santo Domingo

Santo Domingo
The view from Corazon del Pueblo

The hereafter re me

My photo
Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico
Musician, photographer, videographer, reporter, ex-officio teacher, now attempting to be a world traveler

Saturday, December 25, 2010

La Noche del Rabanos cont.


La Noche del Rabanos was fantastic, as always.

Simply one of the best days one can spend in Oaxaca or anywhere in my opinion.

I arrived early to watch the the pieces being assembled.
La Catrina in Radishes?  Fantastica!

With the radishes, some arrive fully completed, but many are constructed and carved on the spot.  It is not like the work can be done a week ahead of time.  Once they are carved, people spray them with water just so they will make it through the day.

With the dried flowers and corn husk pieces, they are all made before hand and then arranged and assembled the day of the competition.

As much as I like the art, it is the people that make it, who always gets to me.


With my improved Spanish I was able to do a better job talking with the artists and learned plenty.  The dried flower and corn husk pieces took, on average, four months to create.
 
This woman spent one year working on her display, which must have been four meters long with hundreds of figures.

I have shot Rabanos a bunch of times now and I recognize people who participate every year.  This woman for San Antonio del Flores, one of my favorite villages, has participated for years.

  She must have won a couple of times.  Her work is always so beautiful.

A smile from the creator of the Mitla rendition.

Some piece are small, filled with delicate detail.
 

Amazing work, no?.

Others quite large.

How about this amazing rendition of Frida's famous work?

This post has been a rush job, but I have a Christmas dinner to attend and I'm hungry.  I have lots of shots and will post more later.

1 comment:

Joan said...

This is a pleasure to view!! Thank you!! One of these years...I will be there on the 23rd.