December 08, 2006, ANYÉL children’s Christmas concert, By Linnea Kullberg, Gil & Cartas in concert at Ángela Peralta, José Manuel Alcántara’s classical guitar, Knowing the Gypsies, Gypsy music by Javi

Mark your calendar now for ANYÉL’s Christmas concert, the kind of musical program that puts the joy of Christmas back in our hearts. The ANYÉL children’s choir of San Miguel, the girls from Casa Hogar Santa Julia and children from other ANYÉL music classes all gather to sing carols from around the world, joined by a parade of soloists from Mexico City, Puebla and San Miguel.

Saul Martínez, countertenor, and Esperanza Gonzales, soprano, are extraordinary young opera singers from the conservatory of music in Mexico City who will offer several favorite arias as well as special renditions of Christmas carols. Some of the best musicians in San Miguel—Jack Stillwater and Frances Zelenka, guitar duo; Camille Salamanca, accordion; Luz María García, singer of romantic music from France; Enrique Fernández, a beautiful baritone voice singing Mexican carols; and Mario Moya, piano accompanist for the children’s choir—will also perform. Give the gift of a ticket to someone special.

ANYÉL, A.C., provides high-quality music education to hundreds of young children in public preschools, kindergartens, orphanages and daycare centers.

The Department of Education and Culture in the Presidencia of San Miguel, headed by Veronica Agundis, has recently recognized the valuable work of “planting musical seeds” by giving support to the Coro ANYÉL de San Miguel, formed last June by Elsmarie Norby. “This is a very meaningful confirmation and encouragement for the program, because our leaders are paying attention to such an important aspect of early education,” says Norby. Music is a positive awakening in children, making it easier to access feelings, thoughts, opinions and, finally, expression. The good future of every community depends on members who develop the confidence to express themselves.”

The choir rehearses every Saturday morning in the Sala Quetzal of the Biblioteca Pública at 10:30am. Children between the ages of 7 and 16 are welcome to join. There is no charge.

ANYÉL is a nonprofit organization that needs increasing financial support in order to provide musical experience and exposure to more and more children. The program does not depend on teachers trained in music. It is designed so that any adult who wishes to share music with children can learn the philosophy and methods and create the space for the experience. ANYÉL is now seeking funding, not only to expand the classes in San Miguel, but also to “put the program in a box” so teachers in other places will be able to open the box and have everything available to learn for themselves and share with the children.

The potential for every child in Mexico to “be a musical instrument” can be realized.

Please consider a donation to ANYÉL as a gift to countless children. For a tax-deductible receipt, make checks out to The San Miguel Educational Foundation, with ANYÉL on the memo line, or to ANYÉL. Bring checks to La Conexión, Aldama 3, Box 445.

Help in other areas is also needed. Consider being a volunteer in the ANYÉL adventure.

No musical skills are necessary. For example, we need help with easy office work, event planning, computer skills in graphics and making music CDs, making videos of classes, fundraising, visiting classes and much more. Money matters, but an idea lives, grows and gives because of caring people who share their time and creativity from the heart.

For information about ANYÉL, contact Juanita Bautista at 152-8188 or Elsmarie Norby via email at

elsmarienorby@yahoo.com or see the website at www.anyel.com

Concert tickets are available at the Angela Peralta box office; Casa de Papel, Mesones & Relox; La Conexión, Aldama 3; and in the Jardín the week before the concert.

The much-loved local musical duo of Gil & Cartas present a concert in San Miguel de Allende next week. The two have been performing together for more than 15 years, and the music made by this collaboration is not to be missed.

The duo spent a large part of this year playing with guitarist/singer Tuey Connell in various locations around the United States, such as the Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Makor in New York City and the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington, DC, among other venues. But they are now ready to take to the San Miguel stage, accompanied by the classical string quartet from the Querétaro Philharmonic, composed of Wilson Perez on first violin, Sergio Quintero on second violin, Magdalena Sherphen on viola and Rolando Fernández on Violincello. Alex Gutiérrez, on bass, makes a special appearance. The concert will include original compositions from their CD Lagrima de Toro (Tear of the Bull), dedicated to the disappeared and murdered women of Cuidad Juaréz, featuring traditional music from Oaxaca and works by Latin American composers.

Gil Gutiérrez, guitar

Gil Gutiérrez picked up a guitar as a 14-year-old, and he never put it down. Since then, this Oaxaca native has been working to learn as many different styles of guitar playing as possible, with as many different teachers as possible. When his family kicked him out for choosing the guitar over other vocations, Gutiérrez became all the more determined to learn.

From his years of studying at a jazz music school in Mexico City and 10 years on the international road with Mexican pop stars, Gutiérrez has learned to play a wide variety of styles, including classical, jazz, flamenco, rumba and Cuban music. Even now, he continues his quest to push further and learn more.

“There are only two kinds of music,” he says. “Good and bad. You can play any style in a good or bad way.”

Pedro Cartas, violin

Originally, Cartas came to Mexico from Cuba. In 1987, he was offered a sponsorship to study in Mexico to learn how to make violins and play with the Philharmonic Orchestra in Mexico City. Although this was a great honor, it meant that he had to leave his family behind. It also meant he had to give up his Cuban citizenship, so 18 years have now passed without his seeing his father or brothers.

When Cartas came to San Miguel to escape the pollution of México City, he met Gutiérrez. “It was nice to play with just two people, but it was very hard,” he says. “You have to try more, because you are alone.”

After working on and off together for 12 years, Gil and Cartas produced a solo CD in celebration of their reunion in 2005.

“We are so much better now,” Cartas says. “When you grow up inside as a person, everything you do outside is better.”

The duo is currently recording their fourth CD.

Tickets are available at La Zandunga, Hernández Macías 129, or at the Ángela Peralta ticket office at the corner of Hernández Macías and Mesones.

Guitar concert by José Manuel Alcántara

Thursday, December 14, 7pm

Teatro Santa Ana, Reloj 50, 80 pesos

After living and studying in Europe for five years, José Manuel Alcántara has started a series of contemporary Latin-American music projects. In the first half of this concert, his fourth in San Miguel, he confronts the classical guitar world with this fresh approach, which blends influences from European and Latin American musicians. The second half of the concert is an homage to some of the greats of jazz.

Alcántara is part of Sweelinck Conservatory’s Contemporary Music Ensemble, which recently participated in the Gaudeamus International Week at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, New Zealand’s Music Festival in Ijsbreker, and the Berlin Music Festival, organized by the Goethe Institute of Amsterdam.

The program begins with the “Chacona” of the Partita II in D minor for violin of J. S. Bach (guitar arrangement by José Manuel). The guitarist continues with two pieces from Leo Brouwer, “The Eternal Spiral” and “Hika,” key pieces from the guitar repertoire of the second half of the 20th century.

The second half includes jazz music, beginning with Manuel Barrueco’s guitar adaptation of Part C II from Keith Jarrett’s concert in Colonia. “Rumba Son,” composed by Eduardo Martín, brings in popular Cuban music, and four miniatures are transformed into a path that leads us to the music of Astor Piazolla, which ends the concert.

Knowing the Gypsies
Gypsy music by Javi

Monday, December 11, 7pm

Teatro Santa Ana, Reloj 50A, 60 pesos

We know from the study of linguistics that Gypsies (Roma) were originally from north-central India. They migrated starting around 300 BCE, moving to Persia and from there to Europe. The designation “Gypsy” emerged in the 1400s when these dark-skinned strangers were thought to come from Egypt.

Over the centuries the Roma have managed to survive on their wits and their skills. Horse trading, metal working, fortune telling, begging and music are some of the traditional livelihoods of the various groups. They have adapted their skills according to the times, and those groups that were once horse traders are likely to be car salesmen now.

Today, hardly any Roma are nomadic, and in the United States there is a sophisticated network of territories and a good percentage of middle-class Roma. The situation in Europe, however, remains grim. Most Roma live well below the poverty line, particularly in Eastern Europe, where the traumatized economies are breeding grounds for old prejudices. Tickets are on sale at the theater box office..