Email & ShareThis Week… starting April 12, 2010
Municipal Fiestas This Week
Events in the following municipalities this week are related to honoring their patron saints. Look for religious processions and church services, along with good food and cultural events, rather than a “county fair” atmosphere. If you are a visitor or potential new resident, these are the events you want to attend in order to answer the ever-present question “Yes – but what is life really like in most of the State of Yucatan?” We think you will be as surprised as we were!
Timucuy Fiesta 6 Day Event – April 10 through April 15
Timucuy is a small municipality on the southeast border of the Municipality of Merida. It is between Merida and Acanceh, north of Tecoh. This is a traditional "county fair" complete with vaquerias and popular dances. The people of Timucuy love their music and you can expect to see traditional Yucateca jarana music and dancing, plus loads of trova and bolero music. The artisans in Timucuy make hammocks and, if you’ve been looking for cross-stitch emboidery, this is the place you will find it. Since this is an agricultural municipality, expect good country cooking to be available at this fair.
Tepakan Fiesta 1 Day Event – April 12
This one day event is in honor of San Antonio. Tepakan is located south of Temax and north Izamal. Pottery is the most important activity of the artisans in Tepakan, so this should be a municipality well worth visiting. With only a little over 2,100 inhabitants in this municipality, almost 1,600 of them are Mayan and the Mayan language is prevalent here.
Akil Fiesta 7 Day Event – April 12 through April 18
This fiesta is in honor of St. Ines. Each home will have an altar with traditional mucbil pollo, accompanied by a traditional drink made from the flour of new maize and another made from chocolate in water. There will be street dancing and jarana dancing competition. Akil is a tiny municipality in the southern part of the state, bounded on the north and south by Mani and Tekax, and on the east and west by Teabo and Oxkutzcab. We often overlook these little gems and are quite surprised when we visit and find marvelous monuments and churches, as well as artisans.
Note: This event is the second week in April unless Easter is late, in which case, it is the week after Easter.
Halacho: Feria de la Flor de Chile Habanero – April 15 through April 21
This traditional fair is in honor of the Blessed Virgin of the Immaculate Conception. This is a wonderful opportunity to partake (if you have not yet) of that spicy little pepper that grows in Yucatan. See our article Habanero High Noon.
Tekal de Venegas Fiesta 5 Day Event – April 15 through 19
This fiesta is held in honor of San Pedro. Tekal de Venegas is located in the north-central part of the state and is in two sections that are connected by only a thin strip of land, so it has 2 neighbors to the north (Temax and Dzoncauich) and 2 neighbors to the south (Izamal and Tunkas). The two most widespread languages spoken here are Maya and Nahuatl. There are two great temples in Tekal de Venegas, one to San Roman and the other to San Pedro, that make this trip worthwhile.
Tekax Fiesta 5 Day Event – April 18 through 22
This fiesta is a celebration of Spring. Tekax is a great place to visit. It has huge colonial churches and plenty of archaeological sites to see. Look for leatherwork and jewelry and, in a town named Pencuyut, look for hammocks. Tekax is the big municipality that goes right down to the southern point of our state, so its southern neighbors are the states of Campeche and Quintana Roo.
Tahmek Fiesta 1 Day Event – April 18
This fiesta is in honor of San Pedro Apostol. Tahmek is not all that far to the east of Merida (just past Seye), and is well into horse country – so look for great leatherwork here!
In the City of Merida
Trovathon: A Fiesta of Music and Songs
There will be a celebration of Trova music and artists going on throughout the week. The list of performers is lengthy and amazing. If you are in Merida Monday through Thursday, and have not had a chance to hear the best of the best among our trova voices, then this is your lucky week. We hope everyone attends these performances and loves the performers as much as we do.
Monday Night: Felipe Ávila, Jéssica Hernández, Manuel Alejandro Ek, Laura Gutiérrez, Ricardo Zurita, Eduardo Rodríguez, Roberto Andrade y Felipe de la Cruz.
Tuesday Night: Maricarmen Pérez, Ramón Triay, María Moctezuma, Lázaro Uzcanga, Gina Osorno, Hugo Borges, Gustavo López y Carlos Heredia.
Wednesday Night: Ligia Cámara, César Marrufo, José Antonio Ceballos, Fernando Leal, Angélica Balado, Andrés Tinoco y Aída Borges
Thursday Night: María San Felipe, Sergio Solís, Conchi Garma, Pepe Bustamante, Addalberto Pinzón, Luz Elena González y Elías Reyes.
Location: Teatro Daniel Ayala
Time: 8:00 PM Monday – Thursday
Admission: Free
Monday (Lunes) April 12, 2010
Concert Gala: 68th Aniversary of the Orquesta Tipica Yukalpeten
This performance is under the direction of Pedro Carlos Herrera. Not only is it one of the best orchestras you will ever see, but the vocal performers who are regulars with this orchestra include almost every voice we have ever labeled as those whom you must never miss an opportunity to hear.
Location: Teatro Peon Contreras, Calle 60 x 57
Time: 9:00 PM Monday
Admission: Free
Trovathon: A Fiesta of Music and Songs
30 Artists, 90 previously unreleased songs!
Location: Teatro Daniel Ayala, Calle 60 x 61
Time: 8:00 PM Monday
Admission: Free
Tuesday (Martes) April 13, 2010
Cairo Cinema Cafe Movie: Enemy, My Dear Enemy
This 2001 Ettore Scola movie is an Italian drama. It is unlikely to have English subtitles, but the story shows us the affect the totalitarism has for people unable or too lazy to think themselves. The development of friendship of two small boys show us clearly how stupid and childish are all the reasons for racism.
Location: Cairo Cinema Café, Calle 20 No. 98A x 15 y 17, Col. Itzimná
Time: 7:00 PM Thursday
Admission: Free
Tuesday of Trova: Felipe Garcia and His Romantic Guitar
Location: Auditorium of the Olimpo, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 8:30 PM Tuesday
Admission: Free
Cafe Pena K’aay T’aan: Alejandro Moguel in Concert
This performance is a tribute to Juan Gabriel.
Location: Casa de la Cultura del Mayab, Calle 63 x 64
Time: 8:30 PM Tuesday
Admission: Free
Concert: Mexico and the Waltz
This is a performance by 68 Ensamble Stradivari.
Location: Teatro Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Calle 60 x 57
Time: 8:30 PM Tuesday
Admission: Free
Concert: 35th Anniversary: Tony Espinosa in Concert
Try to make it to this performance if at all possible. The orchestra, the voices, and Tony Espinosa – all in one night and all under the direction of Pedro Carlos Herrera – should make this an event to be remembered.
Location: Teatro Peon Contreras, Calle 60 x 57
Time: 9:00 PM Tuesday
Admission: Free
Trovathon: A Fiesta of Music and Songs
30 Artists, 90 previously unreleased songs!
Location: Teatro Daniel Ayala, Calle 60 x 61
Time: 9:00 PM Tuesday
Admission: Free
Wednesday (Miercoles) April 14, 2010
Ballroom Dancing: A Little of Waltz and Swing
This performance is going to be one of the best this week! Performers include: Grupo Propuesta, under the direction of Ana L. Nuñez; Banda del Estado, under the direction of guest director Egle Mendiburu, and more guest artists. Yucatan has the art of romanticism down to a science and nothing spells it better than their devotion to the styles of dance from the era when people actually danced with each other!
Location: Auditorium of the Olimpo, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 8:30 PM Wednesday
Admission: Free
Recital of Violin and Piano
This begins the recital season that will last well into summer. Our professional music students are required to give a specific number of public performances in order to earn their degrees. Since most of them are graduate students and already have worldwide name recognition, we who live here are the lucky beneficiaries of these performances.
Location: Teatro Peon Contreras, Calle 60 x 57
Time: 9:00 PM Wednesday
Admission: Free
Trovathon: A Fiesta of Music and Songs
30 Artists, 90 previously unreleased songs!
Location: Teatro Daniel Ayala, Calle 60 x 61
Time: 8:00 PM, Wednesday
Admission: Free
Noche Romantica: More Celebration of Tony Espinosa’s 35th Anniversary
Tonight’s performance continues the celebration of the 35 year journey of Tony Espinosa as one of the most visible representatives of Yucatan’s trova. Performances will be by the great man himself, as well as Grupo K’aay T’aan, and the students of Popular Guitar of Centro Estatal de Bellas Artes.
Location: Museo de la Cancion Yucateca, Calle 57 x 50
Time: 9:00 PM Wednesday
Admission:$10 pesos
Thursday (Jueves) April 15, 2010
Cairo Cinema Cafe Movie: La teta asustada
This 2009 Claudia Llosa movie, made in Spain, is a drama telling the story of Fausta, who is suffering from a rare disease called the Milk of Sorrow, which is transmitted through the breast milk of pregnant women who were abused or raped during or soon after pregnancy. While living in constant fear and confusion due to this disease, she must face the sudden death of her mother. She chooses to take drastic measures to not follow in her mother’s footsteps.
Location: Cairo Cinema Café, Calle 20 No. 98A x 15 y 17, Col. Itzimná
Time: 7:00 PM Thursday
Admission: Free
Classic Cinema: The Tin Drum
Oskar, the young son of a German rural family, circa 1925. On his third birthday, Oskar receives a shiny new tin drum. At this point, rather than mature into one of the miserable specimens of grown-up humanity that he sees around him, he vows never to get any older or any bigger. Whenever the world around him becomes too much to bear, the boy begins to hammer on his drum.
Location: Videosala of the Olimpo, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 7:00 PM Thursday
Admission: Free
Vuelva a La Vida
It is the name of a seafood cocktail in Mexico, and it means Return to Life. This movie, made in Mexico in 2009 and directed by Carlos Hagerman, tells the story of a top model, a Mexican scuba diver and a shark.
Location: LA 68, Calle 68 # 470a x 55
Time: 9:00 PM Thursday
Admission: $30 pesos, $15 pesos students
Concert: Maru Boeta: Two Decades
You will seldom see a listing of the most beloved voices of Yucatan that doesn’t have the name Maru Boeta in it. Don’t miss a chance to hear one of our favorites!
Location: Teatro Peon Contreras, Calle 60 x 57
Time: 9:00 PM Thursday
Admission: Free
Classical Thursday: The Choir of the City of Merida
Never – ever – miss a chance to hear this choir! It is under the artistic direction of Nidia Gongora, who ensures that every performance is a stellar performance!
Location: Auditorium of the Olimpo, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 9:00 PM Thursday
Admission: Free
Trovathon: A Fiesta of Music and Songs
30 Artists, 90 previously unreleased songs!
Location: Teatro Daniel Ayala, Calle 60 x 61
Time: 9:00 PM Thursday
Admission: Free
Friday (Viernes) April 16, 2010
Paax: Young People Rediscover Centro. Every Friday in April, May and June
Visual arts and music events designed to not only turn the attention of young people back toward Centro, but also to listen to their ideas about community projects for the area that will fit their needs.
April: San Sebastian
May: San Cristobal
June: Mejorada
Location: These events take place in the parks in the colonias listed above.
Time: 8:00 PM Friday
Admission: Free
Cairo Cinema Cafe Movie: La teta asustada
This 2009 Claudia Llosa movie, made in Spain, is a drama telling the story of Fausta, who is suffering from a rare disease called the Milk of Sorrow, which is transmitted through the breast milk of pregnant women who were abused or raped during or soon after pregnancy. While living in constant fear and confusion due to this disease, she must face the sudden death of her mother. She chooses to take drastic measures to not follow in her mother’s footsteps.
Location: Cairo Cinema Café, Calle 20 No. 98A x 15 y 17, Col. Itzimná
Time: 7:00 PM Friday
Admission: Free
Contemporary Cinema: Dogville
The beautiful fugitive, Grace (played by the lovely Nicole Kidman), arrives in the isolated township of Dogville on the run from a team of gangsters. With some encouragement from Tom, the self-appointed town spokesman, the little community agrees to hide her and in return, Grace agrees to work for them. When a search party arrives, the people of Dogville demand a better deal in exchange for the risk of harboring poor Grace and she learns the hard way that in this town, goodness is relative. But Grace has a secret and it is a dangerous one. Dogville may regret it ever began to bare its teeth…
Location: Videosala of the Olimpo, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 7:00 PM Friday
Admission: Free
The Bastards
A 24 hour period in the lives of Fausto and Jesus, two undocumented Mexican day-laborers in L.A. Each day another task, each day the same pressure to find money. They go about their daily routine, standing on the corner at the Home Improvement Store waiting for work to come. Today, the job they are given is well paid compared to their poor usual wages. Today, Jesus carries a shotgun inside his backpack.A 24 hour period in the lives of Fausto and Jesus, two undocumented Mexican day-laborers in L.A. Each day another task, each day the same pressure to find money. They go about their daily routine, standing on the corner at the Home Improvement Store waiting for work to come. Today, the job they are given is well paid compared to their poor usual wages. Today, Jesus carries a shotgun inside his backpack.
Location: LA 68, Calle 68 # 470a x 55
Time: 9:00 PM Thursday
Admission: $30 pesos, $15 pesos students
Yucatan Symphonic Orchestra
Pianist Alfredo Arjona, under the direction of Juan Carlos Lomonaco. Tonight’s performance will be a tribute to Daniel Ayala, who was a violinist, a conductor, a composer, and a favorite son of Yucatan.
Location: Jose Peon Contreras Theater Calle 60 x 57
Time: 9:00PM
Admission: $150, $100, $80 and $60 pesos. 25% discount for children and INAPAM
MELL-O-Nights (3rd Friday)
This is a chance for the locals to meet the extranjeros in a casual setting in the gardens at MELL. There is a cash bar and great botanas. Please join us for this sociable evening… meeting old friends and making new ones! This event is open to all. If you want to know more, call the Library at 924-8401.
Location: Merida English Language Library, Calle 53 #524 x66 y68
Time: 7:00 PM to 10:30 PM
Admission: Free
Series: A Concert of My Songs
Tonight’s presenter is Lizza Rodriguez.
Location: Centro Cultural Jose Marti / Parque de las Americas, Av. Colon x Calle 20
Time: 8:00 PM Friday
Admission: $50 pesos
Saturday (Sábado) April 17, 2010
Cairo Cinema Cafe Movie: Man on Wire
This 2008 James Marsh film is a look at tightrope walker Philippe Petit’s daring, but illegal, high-wire routine performed between New York City’s World Trade Center’s twin towers in 1974, what some consider, "the artistic crime of the century." This movie has gotten RAVE reviews and we encourage you to check it out.
Location: Cairo Cinema Cafe, Calle 20 No. 98A x 15 y 17, Col. Itzimná
Time: 7:00 PM Saturday
Admission: Free
Slow Food Market Moves to Saturdays
The beginning of the Slow Food Market was a rousing success! In order to serve the needs of those who work on weekdays, the market has been permanently moved to Saturdays.
Location: Calle 31 x 60, Chuburna de Hidalgo, catty-cornered to the Super Faraon (turn at the light across the street from the OXXO).
Time: 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM Saturday
Admission: Free – but please consider becoming a member (and encourage others to do so as well)! Membership is only $100 pesos per year and directly supports keeping the market going, as well as providing assistance to sustainable and organic production in Yucatan. There is a membership sign-up table on the porch on market day.
Concert: Classics of Mexican Contemporary Music
Tonight’s performance is by Los Hermanos Ruz. This is a great group of young Yucatecos and includes not only brothers, but a cousin or two in the instrumentation. Cone out and see what the future holds for music in Yucatan!
Location: Teatro Daniel Ayala, Calle 60 x 61
Time: 8:00 PM Saturday
Admission: Free
Literary and Musical Magazine: 100 Years of Romanticism
Location: Teatro Peon Contreras. Calle 60 x 57
Time: 8:00 PM Saturday
Admission: Free
Intimacies of Shakespeare and Victor Hugo
Dipping a toe into (early) Errol Morris docu waters, Yulene Olaizola sustains a strange, unsettling mood in her tyro feature, “Intimacies of Shakespeare and Victor Hugo.” Simply taking her vid camera and sound mic into her grandmother’s Mexico City residence at the corners of Shakespeare and Victor Hugo streets, Olaizola unearths a rich, presumably true tale of a lady and the strange, possibly murderous man who lived under (and on top of) her roof for years. Triple award winner at Mexico City
Location: LA 68, Calle 68 # 470a x 55
Time: 9:00 PM Thursday
Admission: $30 pesos, $15 pesos students
Sunday (Domingo) April 18, 2010
Caribbean Night Concert: Grupo Ache
Location: Teatro Peon Contreras, Calle 60 x 57
Time: 8:00 PM Sunday
Admission: Free
Yucatan Symphonic Orchestra
Pianist Alfredo Arjona, under the direction of Juan Carlos Lomonaco. Tonight’s performance will be a tribute to Daniel Ayala, who was a violinist, a conductor, a composer, and a favorite son of Yucatan.
Location: Jose Peon Contreras Theater, Calle 60 x 57
Time: 12:00 AM Sunday
Admission: $150, $100, $80 and $60 pesos. 25% discount for children and INAPAM
Documentary: Dino Planet
This week, we learn about the velociraptor!
Location: Museum of Natural History, Calle 59, next to the Zoo
Time: 12:00 PM Sunday
Admission: Free
Cairo Cinema Cafe Movie: La Boheme (the opera)
Franco Zeffirelli’s production of Puccini’s La Bohème features Angela Gheorghiu as Mimì, Ramón Vargas as Rodolfo Ainhoa Arteta as Musetta, Ludovic Tézier as Marcello, Quinn Kelsey as Schaunard, Oren Gradus as Colline, and Paul Plishka in the dual roles of Benoit and Alcindoro. Nicola Luisotti conducts. Approximate running time: 130 minutes
Location: Calle 20 # 98-A x 15 y 17; Col. Itzimna
Time: 7:00 PM Sunday
Admission: Free
Concert: Trio Ensueño
Another concert celebrating centuries of romanticism in Yucatan… and this one is performed by the trio that has defined romantic trova for a generation.
Location: Teatro Daniel Ayala, Calle 60 x 61
Time: 8:00 PM Sunday
Admission: Free
Coming Soon
Virya Yoga Center in Merida: Workshop in April
April 24: The philosophy behind the positions
Please bring a mat with a towel and a cushion or bench.
Instructors: Donald Niedermayer and Paola Giovine.
Location: Calle 20 no. 101 x 21 y 25. Itzimná
Time: 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM
Admission: $450 pesos, 10% discount if paid by April 19 
Information: Visit the Virya Yoga Center Website to see May and June workshops.
Starting June 11: Carmen
Friend of Merida Carla Dirlikov will be starring in the Yucatan Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Carmen. This is sure to be a stunning event that will be repeated for only six performances. Tickets are on sale NOW at the Teatro Peon Contreras… get yours if you want to be sure to see this! For the entire Symphony schedule, check here.
4th of July BBQ
Sponsored by MELL, IWC, and the Merida Men’s Club.
Mark your calendars! This will be the last of the big events at MELL until the Snowbirds come home to Yucatan again! We’ll keep you posted about time and location as new information comes in.
10th International Festival of Choirs Yucatan
This is a 6 month long festival that begins on April 8th and travels from Jalisco to Merida and on to Colombia and Venezuela before its final performances in Merida in October. If you would like to travel outside of Mexico to hear some of these performances, visit the MySpace page of Conjunto Vocal Yucatan for a complete listing of the international dates. In case there is anyone who doesn’t believe that a voice is the equivalent of a musical instrument or that a choir is the equivalent of an orchestra, we invite you to listen to samples of the work of Conjunto Vocal Yucatan on their MySpace page. We especially liked “A una dama que iba cubierta” and “La Conchinita Pibil.”
Performance dates in Merida include:
May 29 & 30, 2010: Concert under the direction of maestro Electo Silva (Cuba)
July 10 & 11, 2010: Concert under the direction of maestro Jose Antonio Rincon (Colombia)
October 9 & 13, 2010: 10th International Festival of Choirs Yucatan and 25th Anniversary of Conjunto Vocal Yucatan.
For Merida Month-at-a-glance Calendar, click here
or
For ongoing events and classes in Merida,
please click here for our Ongoing Events Calendar!
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