Recomposed - Alvaro Carillo

A follow up to the post from a couple of days ago.  They moved the bust of the Alvaro Carillo just a few meters, but you can see, by turning it 90 degrees, it made all the difference in the world.  He is one happy composer. 

He looks fantastic.  And he lives on in all the hearts of all oaxaqueños in his wonderful music.

Update:  As the librarian from Casa Colibri informs me, this little park is called La Plazuela de la Bohemia.  Gracias!

All about the bass... uh, tuba

The tubas players in Oaxaca are totally killer.... meaning they are just the best.  Each has a different personality and they are always the driving force behind any good bands sound.  This player from Los Magueyitos from Matatlan, the very heart of mezcal country.  They were playing in the zocalo in Tlacolula yesterday and I did record them, but to say they were loud would be an understatement.  Loud enough for a good rave, but people were just sitting quietly and listening to some really hot music.

Here's the tuba player warming up. 

He had a nice mic on him and his low notes made my body vibrate!
Be sure to check out Casa Colibri's shots of the festivities.

Bloomin'

Maybe the rains have come early.  We had a very nice display of thunder and lightning and then a solid rain for thirty minutes which the ground immediately drank in.  Ahhhhh.....

The plants and trees are quite happy.

Shirt shots from Carnaval

Well, massive marches and blockades made it impossible to make it back to Teotitlan del Valle for the last day of carnaval, but that's Oaxaca.  Still, I had some shirt shots from Tuesday that pretty much covered it all.  Our first model, Little Mess Maker... note the wrecking ball.

Good friend, Beto Ruiz - Zapata is not dead!

And where would we be without.... ove?  No, silly, love

I like that her nails match her phone.... coincidence?

Re-composing not decomposing

They are working on the base that holds a large bust of Alvaro Carillo, Oaxaca's famous composer of so much wonderful music, over three hundreds songs.  He was born in Cacahuatepec in 1921. 

I watched them work for a while and suggested that we all should be singing.  They agreed.
Here is the maestro singing and playing a couple of his hits.

Carnaval in Teotitlan del Valle - 2015

Carnaval in Teotitland del Valle is very different from most.  First, it is after Easter, not before Lent.  And second, it is a movable fiesta that goes from village section to village section and culminates after five days with a grand gathering at the municipal center.

We caught the action on the second day so, Segunda Seccion, here we come.  As in all things in the village there is an over arching sense of formality and tradition... no matter how much mezcal gets imbibed.  There is music and food and dancing, all following a pre-described order.  We got there early and left before lots of the action, but will be back on Friday to catch the final celebration.

The stars of the show are los viejitos, who are absolutely hilarious... purely in Zapoteco... but one still finds oneself laughing along with everyone else.

They do their dance and lead the band to the house where everyone is waiting.

There is much merriment and then a meal.  Delicious mole rojo.  No knives or forks or spoons, only tortillas.  No, no chopsticks either.

And then more dancing.... which I hope to catch on Friday.  Today it is section three's turn, different house, different viejitos, then, on to four and finally section five.  Then recovery...

Inconceivable!

From one of the most quoted films of all times..... "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

Easter in Mitla - Pascua en Mitla

A beautiful Easter Sunday morning and no better place to be than Mitla.  I have been here before for Easter celebration and it is such a warm and serene place it always feels great.  Mitla has ten thousand years of history and you can feel it all around you. 

It is the place where corn was developed and on the edge of mezcal land.  They always use agave flowers for decorations.  Simply elegant.

 This is the view from inside the church.

While this was behind me.

We caught the very beginning of mass with lots of excitement in the air.

Such a sense of community and happiness.

 Smiling through the clouds of incense.

Happy Easter!

Procession of Silence - 2015 - Procesión del Silencio

Good Friday's Procession of Silence is one of the most powerful moments of Semana Santa.  Thousands of people line the procession's route to see this traditional event.  This was the 29th anniversary and it seems like it gets bigger every years even though it is really almost the same.  The statues from various churches are carried through the streets as thousands of people silently watch them pass.

It is hard work, real penance.

Light and daylight savings time always plays a role in getting decent shots.  This year the gods were not with us and it was almost dark before the whole thing even started.  Check out the waiting game as chronicled by Casa Colibri.

It got dark, so I split, but I managed to get into the thick of things and got some nice shots before the light went.  In fact, it will take a few days to go through them all, but here's a start.

These heavy crosses get dragged a couple of kilometers over the cobblestones by hooded men.

An arduous undertaking.

And always an ethereal moment as the only sounds one hears are the crosses hitting the stones.

 And then, of course,  there are the brightly colored hoods.

 It is not all somber.  There are always smiles and a feeling of joy.

I will post some portraits next, because the people are the best part, as always.

Meanwhile...

The crowds are back.... bigtime.

I read that the hotels were at between 85 and 95 percent occupied.  Good for businesses.  Tourism is mother's milk to the place.  It needs it and them in order to thrive.

Pascua

Good Friday - Viernes Santo - The Etlas

Before heading into the city for the Good Friday celebrations, I thought I would check out the nearby Etlas.  I live out in el campo, not near much, but no sooner had I left the house, when I saw this vision. 

Obviously, a station of the cross, but I have no idea where the others could be, but they must have been a good distance.  Does it get any better than this?  Good Friday.  Onward.  I stopped in Reyes Etla and Tres Reyes, but it was too early.  However, in Etla, where they have a full reenactment of the day, I caught a bit in the morning.

Such a beautiful and  tranquil gathering, as opposed to the thousands who will be in the city later.

It is different in each village, but in all of them, there is faith and reverence in abundance. 

Much more shortly.  But how about this rare daytime casillo from a couple of years ago?

If a tree falls....

Some trees are more important than others.  Sadly, they do not live forever, even though the one in El Tule seems timeless at around 1500 years.  So it was with sadness, that I paid my respects to this old beauty in the zocalo in San Bartolo Coyotepec.  The village, famous for its black pottery and folk art museum, has a large tranquil zocalo, that is always very well maintained.  I have killed a lot of time sitting under that tree's branches, just watching the world go by.  I have no idea what caused it to split so badly and lose most of it branches.  There is some controversy as to who did or did not do something.  However, the deed it done.  I watched them water it and they emptied water trucks pretty regularly.  It had a good life and it will leave a huge hole.  I am sure they will plant something to replace it and in time.....

Meanwhile this was happening right next to fallen tree.  Life goes on.....