NEWS
San Miguel Jazz & Blues Festival
Nov 26-Dec 5
All concerts 250-300 pesos each
Events including dinner or barbecue: 600-700 pesos
Cost without meals: 250-300 pesos
For complete program see Que Pasa
San Miguel Jazz and Blues Festival fills the open air
By Jesús Ibarra
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Bryan Gould, of Swing Fever “Blues is a melancholy melody with notes between two tones, which produces a sense of sorrow, of sadness, or even of joy. It has both effects, and it’s the root of jazz,” said Antonio Lozoya, director of the San Miguel Jazz and Blues Festival. |
“For me, jazz is a blend of three cultures: European, Latin American and African. In New Orleans one could hear the sound of European bands, or even a Mexican one, and at the same time the melancholy sound of African-American people singing their sad songs, displaced far from their original homeland. This is the origin of jazz.”
The 15th annual San Miguel Jazz and Blues Festival takes place in San Miguel de Allende from November 26 to December 5. For the first time it will not be held in the Ángela Peralta theater, but in three different venues: the Real de Minas Hotel, Bellas Artes and Santa María del Obraje. The free opening concert by the San Miguel Jazz Cats was held yesterday at the Jardín.
“This is the first time that the festival will include open-air concerts,” said Lozoya. “Because the theater is closed for restoration we had to look for other options, but it was an idea we had some time ago. The theater’s closing gave us a reason to do it.”
According to Lozoya, jazz is a type of music suited to open spaces. “Playing in the open air gives us the opportunity to generate a different dynamic. Jazz can be heard in a more free environment; its music can be amplified and does not lose its characteristics.”
The concerts at Real de Minas
| Denise Perrier The two concerts held at the Hotel Real de Minas are both special events. Lozoya said that the opening concert, by Swing Fever & Denise Perrier, today, November 27, will be accompanied by a gala dinner. |
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“This is the first time we have offered dinner and a show,” he said. “There will be a dance floor for those who wish to dance.”
The other concert at Real de Minas will be held Sunday, November 29, and will feature two groups: the Belgian group The North Sea Coyotes and Nicolas Bearde & Gabriel Hernández. “On Sunday afternoon, along with the concerts, we will have a barbecue in the hotel’s gardens. It will be a special event for families, and the only one in which two groups participate.” He said that in the past there used to be two concerts per event, but this year the format has been changed and they will have only one concert per event, but the festival will expand to ten days instead of seven.
Lozoya said that for these two events the festival will offer a special deal. “If there is a group of nine friends who want to attend these events and buy all the tickets at the same time, the tenth ticket will be free,” he said. Tickets for tonight’s gala dinner can be purchased at Real de Minas.
Free jazz workshops
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David Gilmore The festival will include three free workshops. The first, Jazz & Blues, will be given by Denise Perrier, one of the most important jazz and blues singers in San Francisco. For 30 years she has participated in major festivals in Europe, Asia and the United States. |
The second workshop, The Jazz Singer, will be by presented by Nicolas Bearde, also from San Francisco, who is a member of Bobby McFerrin’s renowned vocal ensemble Voicestra. “Nicolas Bearde will be interacting with the public, which will be mostly school children,” said Lozoya.
The third workshop will be given by Katie Thiroux. “For me, a woman who plays the contrabass and sings is unique, and that is Katie Thiroux. She will offer a workshop on forming a jazz trio. In general terms, I can say that a group of three musicians is different from a complete band of five. Three musicians form the basis of a musical style: we have the drums as the rhythm section; the bass, which is partly rhythmic and partly harmonic; and the piano, which encompasses several styles.”
Another highlight of the festival is an appearance by the Eddy Gómez Trío, who will perform at Bellas Artes on Saturday, November 28. Eddy Gómez is a renowned Puerto Rican jazz musician raised in New York. “With the Eddy Gómez Trio, we will have a Mexican drummer, Rodrigo Villanueva, who has been with us before,” said Lozoya.
Grammy winner David Gilmore (not to be confused with Pink Floyd’s Gilmour) and his quartet, performing on Monday, November 30, are another highlight. Gilmore is an internationally acclaimed guitarist who fuses jazz elements, funk and African and world music.
No government support
Every year, the local government supports the different festivals held in San Miguel, and the Jazz and Blues Festival was no exception. However, this year, according to Lozoya, no economic support came from the administration due to the current financial crisis. “We mounted the festival with the remaining funds from last year; we are expecting to get ahead from the income generated from the concerts,” said Lozoya. “The only government support we received was from the state for some print publicity.”
Antonio Lozoya and San Miguel Jazz Cats
| Antonio Lozoya and Tere Urtusuástegui Antonio Lozoya himself belongs to a jazz group called San Miguel Jazz Cats, who opened the festival yesterday at the Jardín. According to Lozoya, San Miguel Jazz Cats is a product of coincidence. |
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“We have stayed together for ten years
thanks to the common idea we have about jazz,” he said. Ken Basman (guitar), Antonio Lozoya (bass) and Víctor Monterrubio (drums) have developed an almost telepathic communication that allows them to switch gears from one style of jazz to another. They also have collaborated on many projects locally, nationally and internationally. Among these, the trio accompanied Lila Downs during her first performances in Austin, Texas. “We never imagined Lila would become such a renowned star,” said Lozoya. San Miguel Jazz Cats have recorded several discs and are about to complete a recording of original material.
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News from the District Attorney’s Office
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José Luis Álvarez González 60 years for the serial rapist After legal process of more than three years, serial rapist José Luis Álvarez González, 61, was finally sentenced. |
A judge sentenced Álvarez to the maximum penalty of 60 years imprisonment for the rape of five expat women between October 2005 and June 2006. “As it is a major crime, we hoped for more years, but the maximum sentence allowed in Mexico is 60 years,” said District Attorney César Augusto Gasca Toledo.
Álvarez González was caught on July 5, 2006, about eight days after he assaulted his last victim. From the rural community of La Talega, he was detained in the Centro during a special operation by 50 ministerial police agents, after months of investigation by the special force GERI under the direct jurisdiction of former State Attorney Daniel Chowell and ministerial police, in collaboration with the FBI.
Gasca Toledo said the five victims worked with the authorities to prove the criminal’s identity, which was supported with genetic and DNA proofs.
Anti-Drug Operations in San Miguel
District Attorney Gasca Toledo said joint anti-drug operations by the PGR (Procuraduría General de la República) PGJE (Procuraduría General de Justicia del Estado), the Army and the local police, will continue in order to detect drug possession. “The operations aim to prevent drug dealers establishing themselves in San Miguel,” said Gasca. “There are minor drug dealing incidents and isolated cases of drug dealing related deaths. We ask residents to cooperate with us in reporting any suspicious of illicit operations.”
Law reform in Mexico
Gasca Toledo announced that a complete reform of the law in Mexico has been taking place since 2008. Many states have already implemented reforms and Guanajuato is about to do it. According to Gasca Toledo, these reforms will give fairer conditions for both the victim and the accused. “Juridical and legal processes will become faster and criminal process will not go on so long,” he said.
Report crime
All reports will be anonymous. Telephones for reporting 066; 089; 01-800-368-62-42; or at the District Attorney’s office, 152-5522; 152-3606; 152-6524; you can also send an email to
the District Attorney: cgascat@guanajuato.gob.mx.
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News from the Traffic Department
Adolfo Cervantes, head of the Traffic Department, invited San Miguel residents, nationals and expats, to give him their suggestions on different traffic issues. He said all proposals will be welcomed on issues like parking, traffic, public transport, accident prevention, etc. “In this government, we want citizens to participate in the decisions, so we are inviting them to bring their suggestions. I know there might be experts in different issues among the residents; we will analyze each proposal,” said Cervantes. Residents may bring their proposals to the Traffic Department, at the administrative building, on Salida a Querétaro. Tel. 152-0538.
Cervantes also announced the helmet campaign for motorcyclists. He said riding a motorcycle without a helmet is very dangerous. If a person falls, riding at 20 kilometers per hour, the person will inevitably hit his head. “There are entire families riding motorcycles without any protection at all; mothers or fathers with kids and even babies,” said Cervantes. The campaign, in which people will be invited to wear helmets while riding, will last through January 1. After that date, it will be mandatory to wear a helmet, and there will be sanctions for those who do not wear one.
Cervantes also said sanctions will be applied to those talking by cell phone while driving, as it is established in the municipal traffic law, and it is also dangerous. Drivers must also wear seat belts while driving.
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HIV/AIDS awareness week
Nov 30–Dec 4
Biblioteca Municipal Ignacio Ramírez
Pepe Llanos 14
Biblioteca Municipal sponsors second HIV/AIDS awareness week
By Alejandro Devesa
| Adrian Diosdado, Laura Tierrablanca y Pedro Vázquez World AIDS Day is commemorated on December 1 each year and is dedicated to raising awareness about the progress against the global AIDS epidemic. |
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This day was chosen because the first case was diagnosed on December 1, 1981.
Along with information on HIV/AIDS, prevention of other transmissible diseases will be discussed during the week of presentations. The Biblioteca Municipal Ignacio Ramírez, along with the CDSyR (Collective for Dialogue and Democracy in Sexual and Reproductive Rights) has prepared a calendar with different activities for San Miguel. This is the second year that an AIDS awareness week has been held here. Last year, the event generated some controversy because frank, public discussions about sex are still not widely accepted in Mexican culture. Nonetheless, the event drew about 470 participants aged 18 or older. That number is expected to be surpassed this year.
The CDSyR is a group of young volunteers from San Miguel who have been given the task of sharing their knowledge. The group was formed in 2006 following the Festival of Sexual Diversity. The purpose of the group is to create a space where people can talk about issues related to young adults and sexuality, including HIV/AIDS. The collective works autonomously, providing free services to all those interested. Among other services they provide, members hand out vouchers for free HIV tests at the Centro de Atención Integral de Servicios Esenciales de Salud (Care Center of Essential Health Services), with whom they also have an agreement to deliver contraceptives and give informational talks. A paper on the goals and work of this group was selected to be published and presented at the Fifth Latin American Forum on HIV/AIDS in Peru.
Pedro Vazquez, the group’s general counsel, said that “one of the main objectives of this movement is to give information about reproduction and sexually transmitted diseases to others so that we can change society gradually. Young people are the present and future of Mexico.”
The Biblioteca Municipal supports this program as part of its larger mission to open up a space to discuss issues of great relevance to society. The library also supports this effort with materials that the group would otherwise not be able to provide. Laura Tierrablanca, who is in charge of the Biblioteca, mentioned that “last year we supported them with materials, and we hope this year to give the same support, and also to get permission to give talks in schools and support the lecturers.”
According to Tierrablanca, “the Biblioteca is in a period of transformation; we expect to begin next year with many changes and improvements. We want to open spaces for events outside the library to attract more people.”
The events related to the fight against AIDS begin on November 29 at 5pm with a local radio program on XESQ during which questions posed by listeners will be addressed. Formal talks and lectures run from November 30 to December 4. They are mainly targeted to middle- and high-school students, but all interested people are welcome. Members of CDSyR will give talks at different public schools in San Miguel such as Leobino Zavala Middle School during the morning and afternoon and hold activities in the Biblioteca Municipal. On December 1 there will be a walk against HIV/AIDS starting from the Portón, at the corner of Hidalgo and Calzada de la Luz, at 7pm. Some of the organizations participating are FAI, CASA, CAISES, the Biblioteca Municipal and CDSyR, among others. Last year, about 150 people participated. The coordinator of CDSyR, Adrian Diosdado, said that the organization plans to invite organizations different from those that supported the walk last year and invite students from San Miguel schools to partic
ipate in the walk and other events in the hope of interesting and informing more of the people of San Miguel.
To support the activities or for more information about the collective and the HIV/AIDS awareness week you can contact the following email addresses and telephones.
Ignacio Ramirez Municipal Library
lauratierrablanca@hotmail.com
biblioteca_el_nigromante@hotmail.com
CDSyR
Tel 415-109-7114
Email. cdsyr@hotmail.com
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