Festival of Cuban Culture
Thu–Sun, Mar 12–22
Jardín, Bellas Artes
Free

Festival of Cuban Culture in San Miguel
By Jesús Ibarra

The sixth Festival of Cuban Culture in San Miguel honors Ibrahim Ferrer, a star of Buena Vista Social Club. Ferrer (1927–2005 captivated the whole world with his talent, charisma and modesty.

A main figure of the Cuban son, he began his career sharing the scenery with another legend of Cuban music, Benny Moré. He played with the groups of Chepín Choven, Pacho Alonso and Los Bocucos, among others. He became famous when he participated in Buena Vista Social Club, for which he won his first Grammy in 1998, and became a legend of Cuban music. He won two more Grammy Awards with his CDs Buena Vista Social Club presenta a Ibrahim Ferrer in 2000, and Buenos Hermanos in 2004. He sang in the zócalo and in the Auditorio Nacional of México City, and in the Alhóndiga de Granaditas in Guanajuato. 

Special guests for this year’s festival are Sonora Habanera, a Cuban orchestra formed by musicians who are the heirs of the traditional Cuban musical lineage. Renowned musician Gonzalo “Pipo” Noroña directs it. Mexican singer Ruth Julieta Lara, from Veracruz, is the female vocalist of the group. Sonora Habanera pays a tribute to Ferrer on March 14 in the Jardín at 8:30pm

The traditional CD, book and craft show will be in the Jardín March 12–22, with at least 250 new CDs produced and recorded in Cuba, with the most representative genres of Cuban music, played by young musicians, as well as renowned figures such as Ferrer, Chucho Valdés and Celina González. 


The most important editorial houses in Cuba bring us their most outstanding works, with special attention to literature for children, and the Cuban classics. 

The festival will join the festivities for the 50th anniversary of the Instituto Cubano de Arte e Industria Cinematográficas (Cuban Institute of Art and Cinematographic Industry) with four films: Viva Cuba (2005); La edad de la peseta (The Age of the Peseta) (2005), a co-production with Spain; Yo soy, del son a la salsa (1996), a documentary about Cuban music; and the recently filmed El cuerno de la abundancia (The Horn of Abundance) (2008). 



March 12

Opening, noon
Plaza Principal
Lecture, 6pm
Development of Cuban culture, 50 years after the Revolution
Vivian Martínez, Spanish
Music, 8pm
Dos gardenias
By Ibrahim Ferrer
Prudencio & Jesusa
Jardín


March 13

Lecture, 5pm
José Martí in Mexico
Alfonso Herrera Franyutti
Bellas Artes, Hernández Macías 75
Music, 7pm
Tribute to Ibrahim Ferrer
Grupo Antillanos
Jardín



March 14

Music, 8:30pm
Un son para Ibrahim Ferrer
Sonora Habanera
Jardín



March 15

Music, 6pm
Danzón for Ibrahim Ferrer
Orquesta Danzonera de Tony Sánchez
Jardín

Jazz Divas
Iraida Noriega 
Ven conmigo

Sat, Mar 7, 9pm
El Viejo Topo Café-Teatro
Stirling Dickinson 28
200 pesos


Succumb to her magic
By José Luis Ceñal

Iraida Noriega My friend considers that jazz may have formed a “boy’s club” in which few female musicians were active. Jazz is a playground where musicians challenge their talents and skills on stage. The complexity proposed by men seems evident and usually gets a little uncomfortable to listeners; and that’s why some people don’t like the genre that much. Maybe female musicians simply didn’t want to play on that court—today, they play under their own rules.

If Whitney Moore is a fresh current nurtured with the jazz music of the US, Iraida Noriega is another river that irradiates from Mexico in a different way, and uses jazz as her vehicle to explore. Iraida is not unknown to these shores having played in San Miguel a few occasions now, one of which was the International Jazz and Blues Festival last December. This time she brings her newest CD, recorded live in one of the most important jazz venues in Mexico City, Ven conmigo to share with us. And just like before it’s going to be a magical mystery night, pun intended, as we follow her into uncharted territory. 

Her compositional talents and musical taste allows her to incorporate into her jazzy background all the strangest multicultural influences and musical genres that tickle her fancy. All of this added to her marvelous voice is sure to captivate the soul of the listener. 

She is one of a few artists that make you feel privileged to share the same times with. And to hear her latest music and see her live in concert is truly special.

Here is what Antonio Malacara a Mexico City, musician, music journalist and critic says about her: “By saying Iraida Noriega is one of the best singers in Mexican jazz history we are barely stepping foot in the entrance of an expanding and self-reinventing reality: besides the impressive voice that cuddles or exploits your senses, Noriega blends impressively compositional spirals with the magic of simple words, and so, she turns then in sea.”

An imposing description of her work which hints at the adoration of fans totally surrendered and lets you weigh Iraida’s importance in modern Mexican cultural scene, she definitely will be remembered.

One thing is guaranteed: you will succumb to her magic on March 7. Judge yourself if my friend is right about his provocative thoughts.

Concert 
Yale University Concert Band
Tue, Mar 10, 8pm
Jardín esplanade, in front of the Parroquia
Free

Yale band offers gift performance
By Camie Sands

The Yale University Concert Band has put San Miguel on their first Mexican tour and chosen the “heart of San Miguel” as its preferred place for a full concert.

The prestigious band is made up of 60 brass, woodwind, keyboard and percussion players, predominantly Yale undergraduates. The band is under the direction of Thomas C. Duffy, the Director of Bands at Yale University and Professor (Adj.) of Music in the Yale Graduate School of Music. The tentative repertoire for the Mexico tour is:

Cuban Overture George Gershwin

O Magnum Mysterium Morten Lauridsen

Tournament Gallop Louis Moreau Gottschalk

La Fiesta Mexicana H. Owen Reed

In Memoriam Chano Pozo David Amram

Sensamaya Silvestre Revueltas

Danza De Los Duendes Nancy Galbraith

O Mensch Bewein Dien Sunde Gross J. S. Bach/ Percy Aldridge Grainger

Festive Overture D. Shostakovich

Amparita Roca Jaime Texidor

El Orejo De Oro Mariano San Miguel

La Virgen de la Macarena Rafael Mendez

The band has received critical acclaim for its many collaborations over the years. Its musical distinctions include commissions of both well-known and up-and-coming composers: Roberto Sierra, Sid Hodkinson, Daron Hagen, Gunther Schuller, David Diamond, Byron Adams, Alan Hovhaness, Gregory Woodward, Jonathan Berger, Frank Ticheli, David Maslanka and Steven Stucky, who won the Pulitzer Prize in Music in 2005.

Since their first European tour in 1956, the band has completed 22 concert tours to Germany, Puerto Rico, the Netherlands, France, Switzerland, England, Denmark, Bermuda, Japan, Italy, Ireland, Spain, Africa, Austria, the Czech Republic, Finland, Russia and, most recently, Brazil.

“We are very much looking forward to being in San Miguel and meeting people from what we hear is one of the friendliest towns in Mexico,” said Duffy, who is a member of American Composers Alliance, BMI, Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Bandmasters Association.

This Yale University Concert Band is presented under the auspices of the San Miguel Chamber Music Festival, the Tourism Council and Teatro Ángela Peralta as a gift for the city. Season tickets for the thirty-first Chamber Music Festival, August 1–16, are now available with early-purchase benefits. Information: 154-8722, Chamber Music Festival office inside Bellas Artes, 11am–1pm, www.festivalsanmiguel.com. 

Camie Sands is the director of the summer Chamber Music Festival.