Always something new!
• Concert
Sunday night a friend invited me to a free concert, told me tomeet her at 8pm at the Krystal Hotel, all she mentioned was “Jazz”. I just couldn’t refuse.
As it turns out we share with Guadalajara a May Festival; this year’s special guest was Germany and the program includes a series of German artists and performers.
That night it was Carsten Daerr Trio and the ballroom was almost full to capacity.
From the beginning we could tell we had three virtuosos playing for us an elaborate jazz repertoire.
After the first song Carsten, at the piano, introduced his team and told us in broken English the names of the first songs.
With the second piece the ambiance started to warm up as the trio introduced us to more of their resources; Eric Schaefer, the percussionist had an extra rack of elements on his right side I had not seen or heard before.
The momentum continued on its crescendo, Oliver Potratz with his upright bass took us to new dimensions galloping on jagged terrains and then soaring with his bow.
Carsten’s versatility went from a song inspired on a toddler playing piano, to a beautiful composition dedicated to his father, but I was overwhelmed by one very special piece, “Singapore”, a powerful composition where the three unleash a great performance.
Three composers, three virtuosos, three cultural ambassadors from a great country that enriched a Vallartense night.
• Street Party
Then last Wednesday, a beautiful section of downtown Vallarta was closed to motor traffic so we could all fiesta!
This is an area of town of steep cobble-stone streets and typical old colonial-style constructions; it is full of galleries and let me tell you a secret: Many Vallartenses have small houses, so when I first arrived here, I found out that sometimes I had to go around some blocks because my neighbors had their daughters birthday party, or whatever.. They would have their party in the street and all neighbors were invited too..
Some outsiders do not accept this so well so now you have to have a permit to have your party on your street, well, if that satisfies all, then let’s have it..
I assume my contemporary art friends were wise enough to have said permit..
Coming back to our story, all the galleries were open, there was music, there was beer and wine and tequila and young volunteers dressed in sky blue shirts and bright smiles joyfully greeted you into the works of art of all types featured in the participating galleries..
I met Margarita, a nurse from the northern state of San Luis Potosí, who is now looking after the fantastic works of Antonio and Agustín Castro (this is an open invitation to see them, they have a way to express themselves through flesh and symbolism, you make your own judgment).
There was friend from the heart Jorge Rubio, his well-known Terra-Noble is only part of his endless world-wide renown creativity.
There was Isabel Cárdenas from Open Air (Cielo Abierto) whale-watching expeditions and there was Sculptor Alicia Bueno, she is doing clay workshops at the Four Seasons Hotel and is building her own place in Puerto Vallarta where she will be offering lodging and art workshops, opening this summer. It will be a great opportunity to combine your holiday with a soul filling, art learning experience.
The streets of Guadalupe Sánchez and Leona Vicario were very much alive, some of the galleries were showing new experimental art forms including photography, multi-media and postcards sent home by immigrants. Portions of the the movie “The Night of the Iguana” were projected on the corner tower of Thierry Blouet’s “Café des Artistes”. The music ran under the supervision of “Apocalitzin and Dr. Lakra” adding to the festive ambiance and the eagerness to savor all these new art forms in such a friendly environment.
• Fireworks
Then, to top this off, on Friday night there was the contest we informed you about last month, a fireworks contest that is a preliminary to bigger stuff coming..
I was waiting for it to get dark so the fireworks would start, but still at dusk I heard them, without time to change I jumped on my bike and hurried on to the city stadium, I was there in no time..
 Well, I made a couple of stops en route because the sky lit up with eruptions of flowers and trees and big bangs; once around the stadium I could see the spinning shapes of just about everything, I saw our city symbol, a seahorse; a 3D spinning octopus, a cupid that suddenly took off into the night sky; flowers whose petals opened and closed as they spun; jumping dolphins, a dragon spinning and flapping its wings, colorful showers of stars, some exploded from within in a constant renewal, some seemed to freeze presenting us with indescribable cosmic panoramas in a feat that lasted 3-4 hours!
At the end I realized I had been part of the show, my bike’s seat had torn well across the back of my very worn cut-jeans, I had been showing my butt to all the audience behind me; it’s all part of the fun I guess..
It is touristic town and we are used to fireworks, but I guess it started with the usual stuff and then it started evolving gradually into stuff that was new to most of us and kept us in wonder for four hours!
As said earlier, always something new going on, and I’m not going to miss it! What’s next? Who knows, but come visit, we’re more than willing to share it with you. Email to a friend
Eduardo Rincón-Gallardo
Email: erincongallardo@frava.com.mx
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