Organized by the Jalisco Ministry of Culture, the Chapala boardwalk hosted the first Festival of Living Cultures of the Riverbank, an event filled with color, tradition, and community art. Spectators and passersby enjoyed an afternoon filled with street theater and ancestral rituals, in an event that prioritized dialogue between local and Latin American cultures.
The first day of the festival began with the performance “El Convite de los Enanos” (The Invitation of the Dwarfs), by the Guadalajara group La Coperacha, which drew laughter and applause by reviving a tradition with big-headed dwarves and “mojigangas” (sketch of funny faces). In a kind of carnival parade, they paraded from Chapala’s main square and continued through the streets and along the boardwalk until they reached the velaria (candlelight theater), next to the statue of Jesús Pescador.
Gerardo Ascencio Rubio, Secretary of Culture of Jalisco, emphasized that the Festival of Living Cultures of La Ribera is a proposal to build bridges between Latin American collectives and the local scene with the goal of celebrating theater, music, and puppetry. “I must tell you that this first festival, which we have promoted since the beginning of the Jalisco Ministry of Culture’s administration, seems to us to be a step in the right direction because we are fulfilling the goal of decentralizing cultural initiatives directly to where you are, where people are in their everyday lives, and with even greater pleasure when that everyday space is a place like this,” he expressed. Meanwhile, the Los Volcanes Community Theater Company captivated with Las Historias del Ahuehuete Sabio (The Stories of the Wise Ahuehuete), while the Colombian company Corporación Escénica D.C. Arte entertained with La Cigarra (The Cigar), a work that fused theater, dance, and music. The event continued with a performance of Cirilo and the Guacamaya by the Colombian group Corporación Cultural Nuestra Gente. In addition to these public performances, the Chapala Cultural Center hosted a community cultural management workshop led by Jorge Blandón, from Colombia, Antonio Camacho, and Alan Diosdado.
Afterwards, a discussion entitled Routes of Latin American Theater took place, with the participation of Petrona de la Cruz, Raúl Pérez Pineda, Antonio Camacho, and Jorge Blandón, who shared experiences and reflections on the performing arts and the importance of community theater. Astrid Meza Olvera, Director of Operations and Cultural Programming, emphasized that the festival seeks to promote the Ribera as a strategic hub for democratizing culture beyond Guadalajara.
The event was free and featured the participation of more than 70 artists. It included workshops and discussions, such as the one led by Colombian Jorge Blandón at the Chapala Cultural Center. The closing performance of the Festival in Ajijic included the performance of “Cirilo and the Macaw,” a work that combines puppets, masks, theater, and music to tell the story of a young guardian of the jungle. The day concluded with a Wixárika ritual led by marakame José Isabel “Perico” Díaz.
Source: jalisco.quadratin
