Valpo still falling down

This past Saturday just before 14 hrs, those who were close to the municipal Theater heard a huge crash.... It was the falling of parts of a wall of a commercial building across in Uruguay street. One of the crowdest street in Valpo..... one of the latest aftermaths of the earthquake of February 27th past..... where our volunteer firemen had to run fast .
The problem.....no warning, no money for demolition... and lot of legal problems between owners, municipality and the goverment.... a reality we still have to face in the Almendral neighbourhood..... where we have plenty of buildings condemned but nobody is able to take and pay the bills for it.
At the end of the day, just before getting to the opening of the municipal theater at 7 pm, the firemen and the carabinero police had left and the street vendors (ilegal) had taken back the street as a new alley for their produce.... saying life as normal..... It is surreal.... but this is life in Valpo....

Valpo´s Theater opening..... the quake aftermath

As said earlier on this past weekend our local municipal theater was open to life after earthquake with two special shows on stage.... On the 20th, the french string quartet Diotima that made an outstanding rendition of classic and more contemporary music by J. Tolosa, A. Guarello and M. Ravel. They played without mics and the clear sweet voice of their instruments was heard in the large stage as they were close.... Indeed they proved that the theater's ceiling restoration did not hamper the original excellent acoustics of this stage.....

It's just a pity that just 120 people were attending to this performance.... some people said it was just the the Forum competition with the big open shows at the Plaza Sotomayor stage.....
On the 21th, we had a double programme with the opening of the local Gustos Reunidos ensemble restaging their Pablo Neruda's musical poetic work..... remarkable work of her soprano voice..... For the end of the night, we had the honour to hear Beatriz Pichi Malen, who with an amazing voice showed us the musical traditional singing of the mapuche people as well as along with her two musicians dancers the sounds of the Nature and her mapuche cosmovision.... This time, there were many more people attending the performance, among them members of local mapuche commmunities who cried singing Marichiweu to all the more energetic songs waving even a Mapuche flag.....
This time, The national Day of the Music this theater had the duende (magic) it had lost for a long time.... Like me, some friends who are involved in these musical cultural affairs like Pato Gonzalez, Pascuala Ilabaca, Jaime Frez.. We all saw an amazing view of the full Moon at the gates of the theater still intrigued by this woman, her life, her stories and her amazing voice....

back Valpo's municipal theater

In February 27th central Chile was shaken by a huge earthquake that produced many deaths, much destruction of all kinds, a large tsunami and much havoc with traditional buildings including schools, theaters, etc. especially in the area between Concepcion and Talca.... Nonetheless, even though Valparaiso area was more than 300 km north from the earthquake epicenter, major cities like Valpo and Viña were also deeply affected loosing in a single night all major theaters in the area including Valparaiso and Viña municipal teathers.... Finally, 8 months later today we are recovering for stage Valpo's Municipal theater...
Of course, we wonder if this building indeed is ready for real staging of musical venues.... We will discover this tonight with the french string quartet Diotima, a petit musical luxury to open this stage, continuing tomorrow night with the best known mapudungun language singer Beatriz Pichi Malén singing along with Gustos Reunidos ensemble.... something not to be missed...

Mapuche singing in Valparaiso

Perhaps the best Mapudungun language singer alive. From her native Los Toldos (Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina) to Valpo. Something we cannot miss. Sunday 21th 19 hrs. at Teatro Municipal de Valparaíso.

Tunas in Valpo

For a second year in a row, the PUCV tuna de distrito have organised an international Tuna festival..... It was a great festival this last weekend....

FIMIV 2010

We had two days of ethnic music within the Valparaiso's Cultural Forum framework.... competing with rock festivals like Carnaza and other mega venues at plaza Sotomayor, and Viña. Those who helped us, thank you so much ..... we have been blessed through the years with your aid and attendance to the venues we organise.... Of course, a larger Thank you to our fellow musicians who every year applicate to our festival being represented this year by Ignacio Hernández, banda de gaitas de la colectividad asturiana de Valparaiso, Cuarteto celta, Andes celta, & Manush .... Indeed, this is a musician and musician's friends gathering shared by those newcomers who discover the ethnic sounds hidden in our own surroundings.