A sold-out multimedia show dedicated to the works of famed Mexican painter and illustrator Miguel Covarrubias received an impressive send-off during closing ceremonies at the Ford Amphitheatre in Hollywood, where Latin American art expert Gregorio Luke provided extraordinary direction for the affair.
The production included paintings and illustrations by Covarrubias, as well as documentaries about his prodigious career, which ended with his death in 1957 at the age of 52. The various elements of the show were projected on a giant screen during the August 16 closing, filling the width of the Ford Ampitheatre, with superb sound and light quality making it a spectacular event.
The program struck emotional chords, especially for members of the local community of immigrants from the Mexican state of Oaxaca, the homeland of Covarrubias. It started with an opening performance by the Oaxacan Children's Concert Band of the Maqueos Music Academy in the Ford Amphitheatre, directed by maestro Estanislao Maqueos, who inspired an orchestra-quality performance from the performers.
Aspects of the Covarrubias legacy were interlaced during the presentation of his work, which included paintings and illustrations of far-flung subjects such as performers engaged in the banana dance, scenes from the island of Bali, portrayals of life on the isthmus of Tehuantepec in Oaxaca, and depictions of jazz musicians, which recalled Covarrubias' role as an artistic chronicler of the Harlem Renaissance, a flowering of African-American art during the early 20th century.
Another main attractions was the dance group Choreographic Workshop UNAM's (University National of Mexico), the most prestigious contemporary ballet company in Mexico, and the Nueva Antequera Ballet Folklórico, considered the best-known group for Oaxacan folklore in California. Both of the troupes received enthusiastic applause. UNAM won the crowd over with "Zapata", an intense and inspirational piece from the great choreographer Guillermo Arriaga, with music by Pablo Moncayo. The Nueva Antequera Ballet Folkloric did likewise with "La Llorona", which filled the entire stage filled with 16 women dressed in beautiful black velvet suits embroidered with various colors, with the costumes standing in relief against the great mural projected on the giant screen as scenery. The spectacular entry of four couples onto center stage and the accuracy and precision of their dancing the traditional zapateados [tapping of the feet] got the huge crowd to shout "Viva Oaxaca" and "Viva México". Nueva Antequera artstic director Miriam Lopez oversaw the choreography, while Banda Princesa provided the music.
The audience awarded the acts with standing ovations, showing their emotions to give make the evening a true celebration.
Among the audience were the Sibaja brothers, talented painters, who did not try to hide their emotion and pride in being Oaxacan. Some of the many comments heard throughout the evening centered on the Oaxacan presence and its extraordinary sensitivity. Indeed, some of the audience members remarked that such qualities are what makes Oaxaca the "Mecca of Mexican culture."
Raul Cortes is a contributor to Impulso.
Photos by Impulso
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