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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 28, 2010 4:42:55 GMT
Yesterday was the 2nd of the two Mondays of the Guelaguetza celebration in Oaxaca and the surrounding towns. Check out this thread for more detailed information on the festival.
Last Monday I attended the Feria del Mezcal, one of the many events taking place in Guelaguetza season. That thread contains some pictures and links about the regional costumes, something that will be intensive in this thread.
I have to admit right here that I've never attended the giant festival in Oaxaca's auditorium due to my limited interest in folk dance and my disinclination to sit for hours in the sun watching it. However, I've enjoyed the People's Guelaguetza because of the pageantry and opportunity to split when unavoidably bored by the dancing.
Anyway, yesterday I set off for Zaachila, a nearby market town that I've shown various times here on anyport. Their festival was slated to take place in the zona arqueológica just above the town. When I arrived, I was thrilled to see all the gorgeously costumed dancing groups congregating in the town square, an extravaganza of photo ops.
For more in-depth information on the clothing, this is a fascinating site: www.mexicantextiles.com/
These photos were all taken under a huge awning strung from the arches of the municipal building over the square in front. So, apologies for all the glare.We also serve, who sit and kibbitz ~Aw, dad, I don't want the kerchief on my head! He seems to have a proprietary interest in the headresses, though.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 28, 2010 5:08:04 GMT
Cute as he is, that little guy wasn't the only cute kid there. And you should have seen how committed and professional these small children were in the dances. Remember, they're wearing lots of clothing on a very hot day, had to wait for ages, then climb up on stage in front of thousands of people. What talented little troupers they all were!And some big kids representing Huautla de Jiménez ~Incidentally, all of these groups didn't actually come from the regions they're representing. Various barrios of the town of Zaachila undertook to present the costume and dance of the different regions of the state. I'm certainly not the only one wielding a camera today ~What's that you say? Something about one of the previous pictures not exactly belonging here? Um, yeah, maybe. Don't worry about it right now.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 28, 2010 5:33:33 GMT
I thought it was great that the guys were just as much into the spirit of the thing and the necessity of dressing for it as the girls were. These dances are really long, and some of them are complicated, with the men's part quite athletic at times.
I used to live in Colonia Yalalag, a very small neighborhood named for Yalalag, a Zapotec town where the founders and inhabitants of the neighborhood came from. All of the old ladies still wore the white huipil of their region and dressed their hair traditionally. My landlords father couldn't speak Spanish, only Zapotec. All of this is to explain how alive the cultures still are here. That neighborhood had a school of traditional dance. I was allowed to watch the teenage boys practicing one day. They were sweating and wheezing by the end and their instructor was really demanding. But they just carried on, starting the dance from the beginning and trying even harder to get it right.I thought of this group of girls as the 12 dancing princesses, probably because of the utter lushness of their skirt fabric. As I edged in trying to get a better picture, I caught a couple of other women with their cameras also trained on those skirts.The hand-woven fabrics of the pre-columbian design clothing is something to behold ~
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 28, 2010 5:49:31 GMT
Everyone was so cheery and happy and proud to pose for pictures ~ And that brings us to the woman in the "alternate" outfit we saw earlier. I immediately recognized her top as being the same workmanship as the well-known Tehuana regional blouses (explained in Reply #1 here). Since she was obviously quite proud of her ensemble, I approached her, complimented her and asked her about it. She said that she designed it and had it made for her, and that it had a matching mini skirt as well. Well, I imagine you all have had as much costume as you can bear for the time being. There is lots more to show of the festivities, but it's after midnight here. I hope you'll check back later to see more additions.
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Post by hwinpp on Jul 28, 2010 8:46:20 GMT
You've got too much time on your hands, Bixa, but good for us!
So many different (what we'd consider) hilltribes!
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Post by fumobici on Jul 28, 2010 14:24:25 GMT
Wow, just wow. What an incredible feast for the eyes. The workmanship on those fabrics and the exuberance of the color is just remarkable. Whoever wove those are masters.
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Post by bjd on Jul 28, 2010 15:37:07 GMT
Those clothes are sumptuous. I much prefer the multi-coloured ones to the shiny long skirts.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 28, 2010 18:41:32 GMT
Thanks so much -- I am glad y'all are enjoying this. I was afraid of over-kill, but this level of artistry deserves attention, as you all are acknowledging. Bjd, I agree the hand-woven huipiles are far superior, but I do love the theatricality and sumptuousness of the shiny skirts. Oh, a note about the blouses on the shiny-skirt girls ~~ their blouses are embroidered, but there is another version of those blouses which is all bead work. They're heavy, but what an effect! Perhaps you all noticed the prevalence of ribbons and lace on some of the garments. That is actually quite traditional, although surely something from the last 500 years. In some clothing, such as that from Jamiltepec on the coast, it's obvious the ribbons are stand-ins for the woven-in stripes. I own three hand-woven huipiles from there. Two are a heavier weave incorporating a woven colored stripe. The third is a much lighter fabric and a fuller garment, with the panels joined by ribbon. I covet one of those completely embroidered dresses, such as the two girls holding hands above are wearing. They're frequently embroidered on rayon, which makes them wonderfully drape-y. Check the hems on all the underskirts in the photos. More often than not, the selvage is a giveaway that the garment is handloomed. This wraps up the gorgeous-garment segment of this thread, but please check back as I have much more to show!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 28, 2010 19:09:15 GMT
The extremely patterned dresses are a colorful feast for the eyes, but frankly, they look kind of weird to me as clothing -- not the least bit comfortable or practical.
And also the satin shirts on the guys look like they are meant to be worn one time only.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 29, 2010 5:08:51 GMT
As noted in reply #5 here, you hardly ever see a man in traditional clothing. In certain indigenous groups, the women and girls always wear traditional dress. It's quite common to see women dressed like those in pictures #3, OP & reply#1, for instance.It's time to get moving, as the festivities are slated to begin at one o'clock.
Some of the dancers are having last photos taken, such as this group preparing to pose in front of a depiction of a dancer of la danza de la pluma.
I didn't get a good picture of the statue, but here's one from the internet. click statue picture for source and info
The danza de la pluma is extremely important and respected in the valleys of Oaxaca. This video is from Cuilapam, a nearby town that claims to be the cradle of the danza de la pluma and has a very large danzante statue in its square. (not my video)
Here we are out on the main street, just a few steps from where we were with all the dancers. You can see traffic being re-routed and excited festival-goers all heading up the road toward the side of the church. That's where the entrance to the archeological zone is, part of which is a hill (actually a pyramid) upon which the spectators will sit.
Come on, lady -- you're not really planning to blow up that balloon, are you?!
The reflective sunhat is tempting., I'd be the only one in my set to have one ~
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 29, 2010 5:27:29 GMT
Oh thank goodness ~~ we won't starve!
Note the knife grinder in front of this stand, making sure that the goat meat will get carved.
But what's that guy in the red shirt doing?
Do you suppose he just came from this stand?
The people running the stand are urging all the passersby to come sample their wares.
There are roasted segments of agave heart to be cut up and offered to everyone.
But what does that bottle in the middle of the picture above say? We need to take a closer look ~
Why, it says "mezcal de alacrán -- scorpion mezcal. Indeed!
How nice that limes, sal de gusano, and slivers of roasted agave have been put out for the samplers and potential customers.
Uh, what is that beyond the guy's arm? There's something in that bottle!
Oh lord, these are the big guns of mezcal additives!
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 29, 2010 6:03:39 GMT
There's no way I'm stupid enough to down straight liquor in this heat and sun!
Better to proceed toward the festival site, looking at some of the abundance of crafts and clothes along the way ~
After stopping to buy a pitahaya and a cuajinicuil, I start up the path to the archeological zone and am stopped in my tracks by the sound of music.
It's Don Florencio! I knew he was from Zaachila, but have never seen him here, since for years and years he's played and sung on the streets of Oaxaca. Oh dear -- he's so old now!
You can watch the video here, but if you wish to see my small reminiscence of Don Florencio, double-click on the video to see it at youtube.
*sigh* That rather wrung me out. Oh well, let's proceed on.
The real onslaught of serious eaters and drinkers hasn't begun, but they're ready for them and well placed here, on the flanks of the pyramid hill.
The spitted pile of well-seasoned pork smells delicious, even though it's nowhere near done yet.
This lady is selling more of the two treats I bought earlier, plus piles of roasted peanuts ~
Here are close-up looks at the pitahaya -- a tropical cactus fruit, and the cuajinicuil -- the huge pod of a tropical tree. I was ever so dubious the first time I tried one. The beans are covered in a beautiful velvet that hardly looks like something to put in the mouth. Amazingly, it's meltingly moist and sweet, but not cloying.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 29, 2010 6:22:19 GMT
Hoo boy, the sight of these shade-seekers on this side of the hill did not prepare me at all for the sea of humanity on the other side. These pictures show only a fraction of the crowds there.
Every age group was represented, and people in all kinds of of physical condition. And of course, the vendors were out in force. The heat was tremendous.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 30, 2010 0:21:14 GMT
The event begins with the announcer introducing the young woman who portrays Pitao Cozobi, goddess of rain and fertility of the fields. All of the groups then parade across the stage, accompanied by music, fireworks, and enormous enthusiasm.
First to come out are the monos de calenda. They're giant figures made from reed, stuffing, and papier-mâché, animated by a person dancing inside.
This is just a small sampling of all the groups that paraded.
A popular combination of themes ~~ turkeys + dancing. The guys did a great job of realistically bobbing and dancing the fowl.
This is the group that performed the sacred ceremony that officially opens the Guelaguetza.
When they came on stage, the announcer asked for silence.
There were quite a few of them, and the ceremony was elaborate and lengthy, involving a drum, blowing of the conch shell, copal incense in clay censors, prayers and dialogue.
The solemn part is over. Let the mad rumpus begin!
The crowd has swelled dramatically since I arrived.
It's incredibly hot today. All the rain of the past few weeks is steaming up from the ground. The sun has been out most of the time, but when as the clouds move in, they seem a giant lid to keep the heat in.
After a couple of long dance sequences, I decide to pack it in.
Here is a group that just completed their dance, joyously throwing pastries and fruit to the crowd.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 30, 2010 0:43:03 GMT
Just a little wrap up here, to cover some obvious questions and some things that were left out above. Go here for some history and background. This link appears earlier in the thread, but access it to read the part about the Zancudos, the wonderful stilt walkers. A few seconds of them in action (not my video) ~~ The usual apologies for the quality of video my camera produces. I couldn't see anything in the viewfinder in that strong sun. This is edited and captioned, though, to give you some flavor of the event. If you have more interest in any of this, remember you'll get more links in youtube's sidebars when accessing these videos. Finally, here is a beautifully made and edited video (not by me!) which gives a quick good look at the dancing at last year's Zaachila Guelaguetza.
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Post by Jazz on Jul 30, 2010 3:40:56 GMT
A sumptuous and vibrant thread! I love the skirts of the young women, they make me think of flowers. Years ago when I visited Mexico I bought a gorgeous dress with the embroidery. Love both the traditional look and the embroidered corset of today. The snake in the mescal bottle is scary! Love these two photos, the 'boys', ‘we also serve, who sit and kibbuttz’ and the 3rd photo of #2, with the young girls in their lovely skirts and richly embroidered blouses.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 31, 2010 16:29:49 GMT
Thank you, Jazz! It's so great to show stuff here and know that someone really got it. This country is almost dangerous for people who love textiles and design. There is all the color of course, but also more subtle tones, textures and variations to be found in huipiles and rebozos. Lila Downs is known for incorporating traditional clothing into the clothing she wears onstage and the creative verve she brings to those creations. (not my photos)Some of the clothes work for everyday ~~ and some of them are exuberantly crafted into fantasies of showmanship ~~
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Post by bjd on Jul 31, 2010 16:40:55 GMT
I showed these photos to my husband and he told me that years ago, when he spent a year in Texas, he took the bus to Mexico. While he was in Oaxaca, he ended up in Monte Alban and there was a festival going on with lots of brightly dressed dancers and music.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2010 10:15:34 GMT
The people there, in Oaxaca,(and other parts of Mexico as well) when I visited,were so gracious and beautiful,both physically,stunningly gorgeous people,the women in particular,had an incredibly regal bearing,and generosity of spirit.I felt very safe there.The invitations into peoples homes to share in whatever they had. I know,had I stayed longer,I would have made many friends. It really is one of the most welcoming places I have ever been. Even the daily mercados,in different sections of town,were cause for celebration. Their spirit,is very much reflected in the clothing they wear,it's not just a mere costume anymore,you realize,after being there. It reflects a way of life.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2010 11:20:37 GMT
I never realized that dragon fruit (pitaya) was originally from Mexico, but it's logical, since so many of the Southeast Asian fruits are actually from South America.
Remembering the discussion on the Thailand branch of the red fleshed dragon fruit (which is from Costa Rica), I was reading that it can cause (harmless) panic, because if you eat too much of it, it colors your urine and feces like red beets.
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 1, 2010 22:30:14 GMT
Bjd, that was a great piece of luck for your husband. I wonder what year it was. The museum up there was opened in 1985, and I think the site is now rigidly opened and closed like any museum. He might have been looking down on where my house is now!
One really nifty thing about taking the early morning flight to Houston from Oaxaca is that, because of thermals or who-knows-what, the plane flies to Monte Alban and then does a u-turn and heads the other way. This gives a great view of the ruins site and the cloud shadows on the valley floor below.
Dragon fruit are way high up on my list of favorites. That one was white-fleshed. They're not available here all the time and they're never terribly cheap, not like in Mérida, where they practically give them away.
Did anyone notice that all the beans in the cuajinicuil were sprouting? I nibbled off the good part, and planted the seeds.
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Post by hwinpp on Aug 2, 2010 9:38:08 GMT
I was about to ask Bix whether the cactus fruit was in fact what we call the dragon fruit here. You've answered it now, K2. We've also got both varieties, the white and the red fleshed ones.
We've also got the spirits with snakes and other critters but unfortunately it's not as mezcal, I'd bet.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 2, 2010 9:48:20 GMT
I drank the snake wine in Vietnam. What a silly idea in so many countries to put nasty critters in alcohol just for shock value. If it was for taste or medicinal value, they would grind up the snakes so that you would have delicious reptilian goodness in each sip.
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Post by bjd on Aug 2, 2010 9:48:51 GMT
Bixa, my husband's trip to Mexico was at Christmas 1977.
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 3, 2010 16:45:25 GMT
Of the "nasty critters" mezcal, I've only tried the scorpion and the worm kinds. The kind with the worm is one of my favorites. When I tried the scorpion kind, I didn't know it had a scorpion in it, and was simply impressed that it was really good. However, it wasn't a really distinctive taste, so maybe it doesn't do anything taste-wise at all.
HW, there are both varieties of the dragon fruit/pitahaya here, too. I've mostly had the white-fleshed kind. It's definitely one of my favorite fruits, with that candy-like, but not cloying flavor.
You really need to come here and become a mezcal connoisseur!
I'm jealous of your husband knowing Oaxaca that long ago, Bjd. 1977 was at least ten years before it started getting all modernized. A fiesta on the top of Monte Alban must have been magical.
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