Festival Internacional Cervantino
Encyclopedia
The Festival Internacional Cervantino (popularly known as El Cervantino) takes place each fall in the city of Guanajuato
, located in central Mexico
. This is a small colonial-era city with history of having a large cultural scene. The origins of the festival are from the mid 20th century, when short plays by Miguel de Cervantes
called “entremés
es” were performed in the city’s plazas. In 1972, this was expanded with federal support to include more events to add a more international flavor. Since then, FIC has grown to become the most important international artistic and cultural event in Mexico and Latin America
, and one of four major events of its type in the world. It is a member of the European Festivals Association
and the Asian Association of Theater Festivals In addition to government support, there are also private sponsors such as Telmex
, Televisa
and Microsoft
.
In 1953, Enrique Rueles of the University of Guanajuato began to put on an annual event called the Entremeses de Miguel de Cervantes Saaevedra, short plays written by the author of Don Quixote. These plays are still part of the annual Festival. In 1972, he founded the Coloquio Cervantino from June to September to expand the annual Entremeses event. That same year, President Luis Echeverría Alvarez
established the foundation for an international cultural festival, originally proposing it for Acapulco
. However, the tradition of the Entremeses was the main reason why Guanajuato was eventually chosen, meshing the two ideas to produce the modern event for the first time in 1972 with performances by artists from fourteen countries including Mexico. For this reason, this year is considered the foundation of the event.
The Festival quickly gained the attention of noted artists, with Elizabeth II and the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
attending the event in 1975. By decree, an organizing committee was set up in 1976 under the Secretaría de Educación Pública, the state and city of Guanajuato and the University of Guanajuato to invite artists from Mexico and abroad. Some of the first invited by this committee were Mario Moreno Cantinflas and Dolores del Río
. This committee is still in charge today, working with the Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes, el Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes and the Instituto de Cultura de Guanajuato
. In 1978, Juan Carlos
and Sofía of Spain
attended as guests of honor.
In the 1980s, the notable acts were Lazar Berman
, Mercedes Sosa
, the New York Philharmonic
, Joan Baez
, Gilbert Bécaud
, Mario Lavista
, Guillermo Velázquez
, Los Leones de la Sierra de Xichú, the National Ballet of Canada
, Nikolais Dance Theater
, the Bolshoi Ballet
, Sankai Juku
, Theater Scena STU
(Poland) and the Marionette Theatre of Hungary.
In 1989, the city became a World Heritage Site
which allowed most of the city’s colonial and late 19th century architecture, including its theatres to be restored.
During the 1990s, the Festival featured acts such as the Guitar Trio of Amsterdam, Voices of Change
, the Vienna Quintet, Guadalupe Pineda
, Krzysztof Jakowicz, Krystyna Borucinska, Kronos Quartet
, Madredeus
, the Open Theater of Belgrade, the Lindsay Kemp Company and the Royal Shakespeare Company
.
In the 2000s, the custom of having Mexican states and foreign countries/regions as “special guests” began. In 2001, the invited region was Oceania
along with Veracruz
. Acts featured during those years included Hélène Grimaud
, Eugenio Toussaint
, Juan Fornell and Los Van Van, the Vienna Symphony Virtuosi, Enrique Bunbury
, Los Tigres del Norte
, Panteón Rococó
, Meno Fortas
and Les 7 doigts de la main.
The city was declared the Cervantino Capital of America in 2005, which prompted the federal government to issue a commemorative silver coin.
The 38th edition of the Festival in 2010 was dedicated to Mexico’s Bicentennial of Independence and Centennial of the Revolution
. Three states, Chihuahua, Michoacán
and Querétaro
along with three countries, Argentina
, Colombia
and Chile
were the special guests as they celebrated their bicentennials the same year. The 2010 version had 3,161 artists from 31 countries, with special emphasis on traditional Mexican music and dance.
, open air theatre, expositions, recent plays and other works from the 20th century by well known writers. It is dedicated to the environment, with a theme of “The Gifts of Nature” and special guests Denmark
, Finland
, Sweden
, Norway
and Nayarit
. Artists include The Oslo Camerata
, Geir Henning Braaten
, Knut Reiersrud
, Mari Boine
, a dramatization of Il Postino
by Pablo Neruda
,the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra focusing on 19th century Russian music, especially Tchaikovsky, the DeMUG Baroque Ensemble
, and an exhibition of Oaxaca
n painter Francisco Toledo
in the Museo del Pueblo. The 2011 event cost 122 million pesos to set up, with most of the money coming from CONACULTA and the rest from the state of Guanajuato
, the University of Guanajuato and the city of Guanajuato
.
, the Teatro de Minas, the Valenciana Church and the Ex-Hacienda of San Gabriel de Barrera. In addition, seven museum spaces are used for exhibitions such as those of photography.
The event represents a tourist and economic windfall for the city, which brought in 423 million pesos in 2010, a 57% increase over 2009 with hotel occupancy alone up 39%. The total number of visitors in 2010 is estimated at 179,000, with 463,000 tickets to events sold. In addition to the events in Guanajuato proper, there were another 125,000 attendees to related activities in 37 cities and seventeen states in Mexico.
, the Festival has a special emphasis on artistic creations in the Spanish language, with the original tradition of performing this writer’s “entremeses” plays upheld by the University Theater of Guanajuato. The international aspect is to create a space for discovery and exchange. The Ballet Folklorico de Mexico
under Amalia Hernández
has performed every year since the beginning. Acts have been booked from all parts of the world of a wide variety from classical music, Mexican folk dance, Chinese acrobats
and more. The event attracts artists from all over the world each year in order to present typical aspects of culture from each country. Acts include those from genres such as opera, music, dance, theatre, street spectaculars, visual arts, film and literature along with various academic events. The Festival has an agreement with the MUTEK Festival of Montreal
with the aim of presenting newer acts to the audiences in Mexico especially in the field of electronic music.
.
Prior Festival events and shows related to artists scheduled to perform in upcoming festivals are shown through the Festival’s television, radio and website. A channel called TV FIC or Canal Cervantino was created on channel 157 of Cablevision to broadcast archived footage of past festivals and performances by those scheduled to perform the upcoming year. Microsoft
sponsors the Festival’s web page as well as a online radio station called Radio FIC which offers online archives of music, video and photographic works, as well as a various types of informative material.
To promote a link between culture and technology, the Festival and Microsoft México sponsor a Technology Pavilion at the Mesón de San Antonio. It is planned to contain an Internet café with large lounge chairs and wireless services for those with mobile devices. Microsoft sponsors a set of academic lectures about what’s new in technology and art, games and everyday life.
Much of the festival is set up to attract young people from children to university age. The Cervantino Program for Youth sponsors programs for this age group as well as other activities. It has an annual Artistic Creativity Contest for Youth put on in collaboration with the Edinburgh International Festival
and The Anglo Mexican Foundation
. Two activities in 2010 were a contest of photos taken with cell phones and another contest of short electronic music pieces, both of which were launched over the Internet. Winners received trips to the Edinburgh International Festival
, the first and largest international cultural event of its type in the world.
A number of performers and academic activities are scheduled with young audiences in mind. These include rock and electronic music concerts with dance and theater events. In 2011, these included German electronic music groups Moonbootica
and Schlachthofbronx sponsored by the Goethe Institute and rock musicians Sierra León, Finde, El Otro Yo
and Rubick . Theatre for youth include Vivarium Studio
performing L éffet de Serge, Mauricio García Lozano and Teatro Farfullero presenting La pequeña habitación al final de la escalera and Circo Aereo
and Les Objets Volants
, a Finnish/French group with acrobats, comedians and other circus performers. Other events for youth include DJ Frivolous and DJ Kid Koala from Canada and German artist Brandt Brauer Frick who mixes electronic and acoustic sounds. University students can get up to a 73% discount on tickets for selected acts. There is an event to bring together children and Mexican poets and a performance of A magic flute for children by the French ensamble Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord.
In 2011, the Festival scheduled its first Art Book Fair, focusing on books about the visual and theatrical arts.
21°1′3.74"N 101°15′23.99"W
Guanajuato, Guanajuato
Guanajuato is a city and municipality in central Mexico and the capital of the state of the same name. It is located in a narrow valley, which makes the streets of the city narrow and winding. Most are alleys that cars cannot pass through, and some are long sets of stairs up the mountainsides....
, located in central Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. This is a small colonial-era city with history of having a large cultural scene. The origins of the festival are from the mid 20th century, when short plays by Miguel de Cervantes
Miguel de Cervantes
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra was a Spanish novelist, poet, and playwright. His magnum opus, Don Quixote, considered the first modern novel, is a classic of Western literature, and is regarded amongst the best works of fiction ever written...
called “entremés
Entremés
Entremés, is a short, comic theatrical performance of one act, usually played during the interlude of a performance of a long dramatic work, in the 16th and 17th centuries in Spain. Later it became the sainete....
es” were performed in the city’s plazas. In 1972, this was expanded with federal support to include more events to add a more international flavor. Since then, FIC has grown to become the most important international artistic and cultural event in Mexico and Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, and one of four major events of its type in the world. It is a member of the European Festivals Association
European Festivals Association
The European Festivals Association or EFA is an umbrella group for various festivals in Europe and other countries. It supports artistic cooperation among festivals and offers programs for new festival and artistic managers...
and the Asian Association of Theater Festivals In addition to government support, there are also private sponsors such as Telmex
Telmex
Telmex is a telecommunications company headquartered in Mexico City that provides telecommunication products and services in Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Brazil and other countries in Latin America. In addition to traditional fixed-line telephone service, Telmex also offers Internet access, data,...
, Televisa
Televisa
Televisa is a Mexican multimedia conglomerate, the largest mass media company in Latin America and in the Spanish-speaking world. It is a major international entertainment business, with much of its programming airing in the United States on Univision, with which it has an exclusive contract...
and Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
.
History
The city of Guanajuato, where the Festival takes place, has historically had a large cultural scene in relation to its size. The richness of the mines in colonial times started a tradition of theaters and other cultural venues to satisfy the desires of the middle and upper classes. The city has a tradition of hosting musical, theatrical and dance events not only in its numerous theaters but also in its many small plazas with benches.In 1953, Enrique Rueles of the University of Guanajuato began to put on an annual event called the Entremeses de Miguel de Cervantes Saaevedra, short plays written by the author of Don Quixote. These plays are still part of the annual Festival. In 1972, he founded the Coloquio Cervantino from June to September to expand the annual Entremeses event. That same year, President Luis Echeverría Alvarez
Luis Echeverría
Luis Echeverría Álvarez served as President of Mexico from 1970 to 1976.-Early history:Echeverría joined the faculty of the National Autonomous University of Mexico in 1947 and taught political theory...
established the foundation for an international cultural festival, originally proposing it for Acapulco
Acapulco
Acapulco is a city, municipality and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast of Mexico, southwest from Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semi-circular bay and has been a port since the early colonial period of Mexico’s history...
. However, the tradition of the Entremeses was the main reason why Guanajuato was eventually chosen, meshing the two ideas to produce the modern event for the first time in 1972 with performances by artists from fourteen countries including Mexico. For this reason, this year is considered the foundation of the event.
The Festival quickly gained the attention of noted artists, with Elizabeth II and the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
attending the event in 1975. By decree, an organizing committee was set up in 1976 under the Secretaría de Educación Pública, the state and city of Guanajuato and the University of Guanajuato to invite artists from Mexico and abroad. Some of the first invited by this committee were Mario Moreno Cantinflas and Dolores del Río
Dolores del Río
Dolores del Río was a Mexican film actress. She was a star of Hollywood films during the silent era and in the Golden Age of Hollywood...
. This committee is still in charge today, working with the Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes, el Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes and the Instituto de Cultura de Guanajuato
Guanajuato
Guanajuato officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Guanajuato is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 46 municipalities and its capital city is Guanajuato....
. In 1978, Juan Carlos
Juan Carlos I of Spain
Juan Carlos I |Italy]]) is the reigning King of Spain.On 22 November 1975, two days after the death of General Francisco Franco, Juan Carlos was designated king according to the law of succession promulgated by Franco. Spain had no monarch for 38 years in 1969 when Franco named Juan Carlos as the...
and Sofía of Spain
Queen Sofía of Spain
Queen Sofía of Spain is the wife of King Juan Carlos I of Spain.-Early life and family:Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark was born in Psychiko, Athens, Greece on 2 November 1938, the eldest child of the King Paul of Greece and his wife, Queen Frederika , a former princess of Hanover...
attended as guests of honor.
In the 1980s, the notable acts were Lazar Berman
Lazar Berman
Lazar Naumovich Berman was a Soviet Russian classical pianist. As a technician, Berman was extraordinary in terms of sheer evenness, control, and rhythmic panache, yet he always channeled his considerable craft toward musical ends....
, Mercedes Sosa
Mercedes Sosa
Haydée Mercedes Sosa, known as La Negra, was an Argentine singer who was popular throughout South America and some countries outside the continent. With her roots in Argentine folk music, Sosa became one of the preeminent exponents of nueva canción. She gave voice to songs written by both...
, the New York Philharmonic
New York Philharmonic
The New York Philharmonic is a symphony orchestra based in New York City in the United States. It is one of the American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five"...
, Joan Baez
Joan Baez
Joan Chandos Baez is an American folk singer, songwriter, musician and a prominent activist in the fields of human rights, peace and environmental justice....
, Gilbert Bécaud
Gilbert Bécaud
Gilbert Bécaud was a French singer, composer and actor, known as "Monsieur 100,000 Volts" for his energetic performances. His best-known hits are "Nathalie" and "Et Maintenant", a 1961 release that became an English language hit as "What Now My Love"...
, Mario Lavista
Mario Lavista
Mario Lavista is a Mexican composer and writer. He has had numerous pieces published, especially chamber music, but also incidental music for plays, film scores, orchestral pieces, and vocal music....
, Guillermo Velázquez
Guillermo Velázquez
Guillermo Velázquez is a Mexican musician from Xichú, best known for his folk music known as "arribeño huapango" and work with the Los Leones De La Sierra De Xichú. The rough guide to World music describes him as "probably the greatest living arribeño trovador".He is a noted organizer and...
, Los Leones de la Sierra de Xichú, the National Ballet of Canada
National Ballet of Canada
The National Ballet of Canada is Canada's largest ballet troupe. It was founded by Celia Franca in 1951 and is based in Toronto, Ontario. Based upon the unity of Canadian trained dancers in the tradition and style of England's Royal Ballet, The National is regarded as one of the premier classical...
, Nikolais Dance Theater
Alwin Nikolais
Alwin Nikolais was an American choreographer.Nikolais studied piano at an early age and began his performing career as an organist accompanying silent films. As a young artist, he gained skills in scenic design, acting, puppetry and music composition...
, the Bolshoi Ballet
Bolshoi Ballet
The Bolshoi Ballet is an internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Russia. Founded in 1776, the Bolshoi is among the world's oldest ballet companies, however it only achieved worldwide acclaim by the early 20th century, when Moscow became the...
, Sankai Juku
Sankai Juku
is an internationally known butoh dance troupe. Co-founded by Amagatsu Ushio in 1975, they are touring worldwide, performing and teaching. As of 2010, Sankai Juku had performed in 43 countries and visited more than 700 cities.- Amagatsu Ushio:...
, Theater Scena STU
Theater Scena STU
Theater Scena STU is located at 16 Krasinskiego Street in Kraków, Poland. Established in 1966 by Krzysztof Jasiński, it started as a member of a group of nonprofessional student theaters. It is considered to be one of the city's most important cultural institutions....
(Poland) and the Marionette Theatre of Hungary.
In 1989, the city became a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
which allowed most of the city’s colonial and late 19th century architecture, including its theatres to be restored.
During the 1990s, the Festival featured acts such as the Guitar Trio of Amsterdam, Voices of Change
Voices of Change
Voices of Change is the Southwest's premiere professional chamber music ensemble dedicated to the performance of music of our time. Voices of Change fills a unique niche in the music world by performing small ensemble works by 20th- and 21st–century composers.-History:Founded in 1974 by pianist Jo...
, the Vienna Quintet, Guadalupe Pineda
Guadalupe Pineda
Guadalupe Pineda is a Mexican singer who has produced twenty six albums during her career covering various styles of music. She primarily sings in Spanish but has also sung in French, Italian, English and Hebrew. She has been called the “Queen of Bolero” but has also sung ballads, mariachi, tango,...
, Krzysztof Jakowicz, Krystyna Borucinska, Kronos Quartet
Kronos Quartet
Kronos Quartet is a string quartet founded by violinist David Harrington in 1973 in Seattle, Washington. Since 1978, the quartet has been based in San Francisco, California. The longest-running combination of performers had Harrington and John Sherba on violin, Hank Dutt on viola, and Joan...
, Madredeus
Madredeus
Madredeus is a Portuguese band. Their music combines traditional Portuguese music with influences of modern folk music...
, the Open Theater of Belgrade, the Lindsay Kemp Company and the Royal Shakespeare Company
Royal Shakespeare Company
The Royal Shakespeare Company is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs 700 staff and produces around 20 productions a year from its home in Stratford-upon-Avon and plays regularly in London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and on tour across...
.
In the 2000s, the custom of having Mexican states and foreign countries/regions as “special guests” began. In 2001, the invited region was Oceania
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
along with Veracruz
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
. Acts featured during those years included Hélène Grimaud
Hélène Grimaud
Hélène Grimaud is a French pianist.-Biography:Grimaud was born in Aix-en-Provence, France. Although her autobiography Variations Sauvages suggests a...
, Eugenio Toussaint
Eugenio Toussaint
Eugenio Toussaint Uhtohff , was a Mexican composer, arranger and jazz musician.He began playing as a pianist in 1972 with the band "Odradek". In 1975, he took part in the jazz band "Blue Note" and a year later he founded the Mexican band "Sacbé", one of the most important Mexican jazz bands...
, Juan Fornell and Los Van Van, the Vienna Symphony Virtuosi, Enrique Bunbury
Enrique Bunbury
Enrique Ortiz de Landázuri Izardui , born August 11, 1967 is a Spanish rock singer-songwriter.Bunbury was born in Zaragoza, Spain. He got involved in music in the early 1980s, making his debut in a high school band called Apocalipsis, and later played along with Proceso Entrópico...
, Los Tigres del Norte
Los Tigres del Norte
Los Tigres del Norte is a norteño-band ensemble based out of San Jose, California, hailing from Rosa Morada, Sinaloa, Mexico.- History :...
, Panteón Rococó
Panteón Rococó
Panteón Rococó is a Mexican ska band from Mexico City. Despite flourishing black markets, they have sold thousands of records. While being stars in Mexico, they have been touring Europe for the last several years, especially Germany, where their European Label Übersee Records is located.- Musical...
, Meno Fortas
Meno Fortas
Meno Fortas is a theatrical production facility and theater group in Vilnius formed and directed by Lithuanian Eimuntas Nekrošius since 1998. It was specifically created for the production of works under this director, but is also active in the formation of young theater arts professionals and the...
and Les 7 doigts de la main.
The city was declared the Cervantino Capital of America in 2005, which prompted the federal government to issue a commemorative silver coin.
The 38th edition of the Festival in 2010 was dedicated to Mexico’s Bicentennial of Independence and Centennial of the Revolution
Celebration of Mexican political anniversaries in 2010
In 2010, Mexico celebrated both the 200th anniversary of its Independence and 100th anniversary of its Revolution. The entire year was proclaimed by President Felipe Calderón as "Año de la Patria", or "Year of the Nation." 16 September 1810 is the day of the "Grito de Dolores" or Miguel Hidalgo's...
. Three states, Chihuahua, Michoacán
Michoacán
Michoacán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocampo is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 113 municipalities and its capital city is Morelia...
and Querétaro
Querétaro
Querétaro officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Querétaro de Arteaga is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 18 municipalities and its capital city is Santiago de Querétaro....
along with three countries, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
and Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
were the special guests as they celebrated their bicentennials the same year. The 2010 version had 3,161 artists from 31 countries, with special emphasis on traditional Mexican music and dance.
The 2011 event
The 2011 version brings together 2,800 artists from 29 countries, in genres such as classical and folk music to technoTechno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
, open air theatre, expositions, recent plays and other works from the 20th century by well known writers. It is dedicated to the environment, with a theme of “The Gifts of Nature” and special guests Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and Nayarit
Nayarit
Nayarit officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Nayarit is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 20 municipalities and its capital city is Tepic.It is located in Western Mexico...
. Artists include The Oslo Camerata
Oslo Camerata
The Oslo Camerata is a mostly classical string orchestra based in Oslo, Norway as part of the Barratt Due Institute of Music. Established in 1998, the orchestra consists mostly of professional musicians, with selected Institute students participating in projects...
, Geir Henning Braaten
Geir Henning Braaten
Geir Henning Braaten is a Norwegian pianist. In his hometown, he studied with Nicolai Dirdal from age five, and later with Robert Riefling, both at the Oslo Conservatory of Music. He also studies in France with Yvonne Lefébure, with Bruno Seidlhofer in Vienna and some others in Spain...
, Knut Reiersrud
Knut Reiersrud
Knut Reiersrud is a Norwegian blues guitarist. His work also incorporates elements of Norwegian traditional music and African music. He lives in Oslo...
, Mari Boine
Mari Boine
Mari Boine, previously known as Mari Boine Persen, is a Norwegian Sami musician known for having added jazz and rock to the yoiks of her native people...
, a dramatization of Il Postino
Il Postino
Il Postino is a 1994 Italian film directed by Michael Radford. The film was originally released in the U.S. as The Postman, a straight translation of the Italian title...
by Pablo Neruda
Pablo Neruda
Pablo Neruda was the pen name and, later, legal name of the Chilean poet, diplomat and politician Neftalí Ricardo Reyes Basoalto. He chose his pen name after Czech poet Jan Neruda....
,the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra focusing on 19th century Russian music, especially Tchaikovsky, the DeMUG Baroque Ensemble
DeMUG Baroque Ensemble
The DeMUG Baroque Ensemble consists of twenty musicians including singers, instrumentalists and composers from the Department of Music at the University of Guanajuato in central México. The group is dedicated to the study and performance of Baroque music including the playing of period instruments...
, and an exhibition of Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
n painter Francisco Toledo
Francisco Toledo
Francisco Benjamín López Toledo is a Mexican graphic artist. He studied at the Escuela de Bellas Artes de Oaxaca and the Centro Superior de Artes Aplicadas del Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes, Mexico, where he studied graphic arts with Guillermo Silva Santamaria...
in the Museo del Pueblo. The 2011 event cost 122 million pesos to set up, with most of the money coming from CONACULTA and the rest from the state of Guanajuato
Guanajuato
Guanajuato officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Guanajuato is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 46 municipalities and its capital city is Guanajuato....
, the University of Guanajuato and the city of Guanajuato
Guanajuato, Guanajuato
Guanajuato is a city and municipality in central Mexico and the capital of the state of the same name. It is located in a narrow valley, which makes the streets of the city narrow and winding. Most are alleys that cars cannot pass through, and some are long sets of stairs up the mountainsides....
.
Sites
The events happen in the forty nine theatres, plazas and other venues in the city, with satellite events in other plazas in the state and other cities in the country. The Festival in the city of Guanajuato takes advantage of these numerous venues, indoor and outdoor which include the Teatro Juárez, the Teatro Principal, the Teatro Cervantes, the Patio of the Faculty of Industrial Relations, the State Auditorium, the Plaza San Roque, the Esplanade of the AlhondigaAlhóndiga de Granaditas
The Alhóndiga de Granaditas is an old grain storage building in Guanajuato City, Mexico. This historic building was created to replace an old granary near the city's river. Its construction lasted from 1798 to 1809, by orders of Juan Antonio de Riaño y Bárcena, a Spaniard who was the quartermaster...
, the Teatro de Minas, the Valenciana Church and the Ex-Hacienda of San Gabriel de Barrera. In addition, seven museum spaces are used for exhibitions such as those of photography.
The event represents a tourist and economic windfall for the city, which brought in 423 million pesos in 2010, a 57% increase over 2009 with hotel occupancy alone up 39%. The total number of visitors in 2010 is estimated at 179,000, with 463,000 tickets to events sold. In addition to the events in Guanajuato proper, there were another 125,000 attendees to related activities in 37 cities and seventeen states in Mexico.
Types of events
Being named after Spanish writer Miguel de CervantesMiguel de Cervantes
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra was a Spanish novelist, poet, and playwright. His magnum opus, Don Quixote, considered the first modern novel, is a classic of Western literature, and is regarded amongst the best works of fiction ever written...
, the Festival has a special emphasis on artistic creations in the Spanish language, with the original tradition of performing this writer’s “entremeses” plays upheld by the University Theater of Guanajuato. The international aspect is to create a space for discovery and exchange. The Ballet Folklorico de Mexico
Ballet Folklorico de Mexico
Ballet Folklórico de México is a folkloric ballet ensemble in Mexico City. For five decades it has presented dances in costumes that reflect the traditional culture of Mexico...
under Amalia Hernández
Amalia Hernández
Amalia Hernández Navarro was a Mexican ballet choreographer and founder of the world-renowned Ballet Folklorico de Mexico....
has performed every year since the beginning. Acts have been booked from all parts of the world of a wide variety from classical music, Mexican folk dance, Chinese acrobats
Chinese variety art
Chinese Variety Art is the name giving to the collection of performances that include a wide range of acrobatic, balancing acts and other spectacles performed by a troupe fashioned in traditional Chinese-style attire...
and more. The event attracts artists from all over the world each year in order to present typical aspects of culture from each country. Acts include those from genres such as opera, music, dance, theatre, street spectaculars, visual arts, film and literature along with various academic events. The Festival has an agreement with the MUTEK Festival of Montreal
Mutek
Founded in 2000, MUTEK is an international festival organization dedicated to the promotion of electronic music and the digital arts. Its central platform is an annual five-day event in Montreal that takes place in late May and early June...
with the aim of presenting newer acts to the audiences in Mexico especially in the field of electronic music.
Other aspects
In 2010, the Presea FIC was instituted to recognize the work of Mexican and foreign artists for their contributions to culture. The prize is symbolized by a statue designed by Vicente Rojo, which is awarded during the opening ceremonies. The first was awarded to Luis Herrera de la FuenteLuis Herrera de la Fuente
Luis Herrera de la Fuente is a Mexican conductor, pianist, violinist, composer and writer of the 20th century. De la Fuente has gained many recognitions and awards in Mexico and worldwide. He conducted the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional of Mexico for 18 years. He was also conductor of the Orquesta...
.
Prior Festival events and shows related to artists scheduled to perform in upcoming festivals are shown through the Festival’s television, radio and website. A channel called TV FIC or Canal Cervantino was created on channel 157 of Cablevision to broadcast archived footage of past festivals and performances by those scheduled to perform the upcoming year. Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
sponsors the Festival’s web page as well as a online radio station called Radio FIC which offers online archives of music, video and photographic works, as well as a various types of informative material.
To promote a link between culture and technology, the Festival and Microsoft México sponsor a Technology Pavilion at the Mesón de San Antonio. It is planned to contain an Internet café with large lounge chairs and wireless services for those with mobile devices. Microsoft sponsors a set of academic lectures about what’s new in technology and art, games and everyday life.
Much of the festival is set up to attract young people from children to university age. The Cervantino Program for Youth sponsors programs for this age group as well as other activities. It has an annual Artistic Creativity Contest for Youth put on in collaboration with the Edinburgh International Festival
Edinburgh International Festival
The Edinburgh International Festival is a festival of performing arts that takes place in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, over three weeks from around the middle of August. By invitation from the Festival Director, the International Festival brings top class performers of music , theatre, opera...
and The Anglo Mexican Foundation
The Anglo Mexican Foundation
The Anglo Mexican Foundation is a nonprofit educational organization located in Mexico. Its main activities are associated with English language teaching, examination preparation, teacher training, scholarships for teachers and cultural activities. The Foundation began as the Instituto Anglo...
. Two activities in 2010 were a contest of photos taken with cell phones and another contest of short electronic music pieces, both of which were launched over the Internet. Winners received trips to the Edinburgh International Festival
Edinburgh International Festival
The Edinburgh International Festival is a festival of performing arts that takes place in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, over three weeks from around the middle of August. By invitation from the Festival Director, the International Festival brings top class performers of music , theatre, opera...
, the first and largest international cultural event of its type in the world.
A number of performers and academic activities are scheduled with young audiences in mind. These include rock and electronic music concerts with dance and theater events. In 2011, these included German electronic music groups Moonbootica
Moonbootica
Moonbootica is the pseudonym of Hamburg DJs KoweSix und Tobitob . The band name derives from their rather large shoe sizes which quickly lead to the fitting shoes, moon boots. Their musical style is a mixture of Electro and House with little Hip Hop influences...
and Schlachthofbronx sponsored by the Goethe Institute and rock musicians Sierra León, Finde, El Otro Yo
El Otro Yo
El Otro Yo is an Argentine band of alternative rock and originally of Temperley, Buenos Aires, formed at the beginning of the decade of 1990 and influenced mainly by Nirvana, Pixies and Sonic Youth...
and Rubick . Theatre for youth include Vivarium Studio
Vivarium Studio
Vivarium Studio is a theatrical performance company which was founded by Philippe Quesne in 2003 in Paris, France. Established with the purpose of innovation, the organization includes painters, actors, dancers, musicians and animals which have created and performed their own works in theaters and...
performing L éffet de Serge, Mauricio García Lozano and Teatro Farfullero presenting La pequeña habitación al final de la escalera and Circo Aereo
Circo Aereo
Circo Aereo is a circus group based in Finland and France, under the direction of Maksim Komaro, the artistic director, and Jani Nuutinen, the artistic consultant. This group was established in 1996 as part of the “new circus” movement and travels frequently around the world...
and Les Objets Volants
Les Objets Volants
Les Objets Volants is a juggling group from France that mixes juggling with humor, movement and theatre. The group has been producing shows in France and around the world since 1999, including elements of circus, theater, visual arts and even mathematics...
, a Finnish/French group with acrobats, comedians and other circus performers. Other events for youth include DJ Frivolous and DJ Kid Koala from Canada and German artist Brandt Brauer Frick who mixes electronic and acoustic sounds. University students can get up to a 73% discount on tickets for selected acts. There is an event to bring together children and Mexican poets and a performance of A magic flute for children by the French ensamble Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord.
In 2011, the Festival scheduled its first Art Book Fair, focusing on books about the visual and theatrical arts.
External links
21°1′3.74"N 101°15′23.99"W