Oaxaca-The Year After: La Virgen de Guadalupe in Teotitlan del Valle

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.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

La Virgen de Guadalupe in Teotitlan del Valle

What better way than to celebrate Mexico's most important saint than with the danzantes in Teotitlan del Valle. The day was glorious with vivid blue skies and intense sun. Unfortunately, the dancers were in the shade all day, shaded by the huge trees on the southern side of the plaza. So shooting was very challenging, dark images with intensely bright backgrounds. Still, it was fantastic, as always.
In celebration of the Virgin, the dancers had newly woven or embroidered images of her on their capes, coronas (headdresses) or, for Malinche and Doña Marina, on their dresses.