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

Monday, July 31, 2017

The guelaguetza in wood

The Jesus Sosa Calvo family of San Martin Tilcajete made 26 music stands as a part of the ten year project. Twenty six!  And each one is unique and exceptional. Here's one that celebrates the dancers of the guelaguetza.  They covered every inch with so many different elements.  It really embodies so much of Oaxaca in a single piece.
Every side of the base is filled.
The top holds music perfectly and look at all the different traditional trajes on the vertical part.... Wow! So much detailed work.

There are  twenty eight (28!) dancers carved into this stand.  The Sosa family and I had so much fun over the years and they produced some of the finest piece in the collection.  Of course, you can always visit him and his wife, Juana and his sister, Francesca Calvo who is also an amazing artist and carver, In San Martin Tilcajete.  They have a shop, Matlacihua Arte, right on the corner just to the left of the church. You can find them on Facebook.

2 comments:

Bev in Ct said...

Another unbelevably beautiful piece......and you have 60!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Too bad they are all in New England. You could have a show at the Contemporary
Art museum in Oaxaca

itchyfeet said...

Just wonderful; you are absolutely correct when you say this embodies so much of what Oaxaca is all about. Thanks!