The festival started in the city of Guanajuato more than 50 years ago. Since then it has grown to be one of the largest cultural events in Latin America, and many of the concerts and exhibitions now take place in San Miguel de Allende. This year, nine of the featured international events from the Guanajuato festival also will be performing here during the three-week period.

Some of the “must see” performances this year include:

GravityWorks: Friday, October 14, 2011, at the Jardín Principal. This local circus troupe will be performing spectacular aerial acrobatics and dance.

“Robinson at Rosewood: Jazz Two Ways”: Wednesday, October 19, 2011, at the Rosewood Hotel.  An exciting evening of Latin Jazz and Funk with two great new bands led by Doug Robinson.

The Oslo Camerata: Sunday, October 16, 2011, at the Teatro del Obraje. This Norwegian group will perform music by Karl Philipp Emmanuel Bach (Johann Sebastian’s son) and Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg.

El Quinteto Real: Saturday, October 22, 2011,at the Angela Peralta Theater.  El Quinteto Real, from Argentina, will play a tribute to tango and milonga.

La Grande Chapelle: Friday, October 28, 2011, inside the Parroquia church. This group from Spain will offer a vocal and instrumental concert of traditional Spanish music.

Forbidden City Chamber Orchestra: Saturday, October 29, 2011, at Angela Peralta Theater.  Contemporary music played with traditional Chinese instruments will be performed for the audience’s delight.

And many more…

For schedule and ticket information, check out this website: www.cervantinosanmiguelallende.com

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This year, the countdown to Semana Santa (Holy Week) begins two weeks in advance of Easter Sunday.  A schedule of the festivities is below:

Sunday, April 10, Procession of Our Lord of the Column, 6:30am:  The festivities will begin with the extraordinary procession of the miraculous image of Our Lord of the Column (Señor de la Columna), who is transported by pilgrims on foot walking overnight from the sanctuary in Atotonilco (about 12 miles north of the city) into San Miguel to an honored resting spot in the church of San Juan de Dios, where it remains throughout the Easter season.  Locals and tourists alike start gathering shortly after dawn along Calle Independencia and San Antonio Abad, the last stretch of the procession, to see the flower carpets and witness the devout procession as it nears the church of San Juan de Dios in the western part of Centro.

Friday, April 15, Our Lady of Sorrows, 7pm:  On this day San Miguel is adorned with purple, white and green to celebrate the day of Our Lady of Sorrows. Although these celebrations are not well known in all parts of the country, in Guanajuato the day is celebrated every year with great fervor. In homes, businesses and public spaces, decorated altars are on display late into the night, and their creators offer visitors cool fruit drinks and ice cream, representing the tears of Mary.  Throughout San Miguel, the old fountains are also decorated, and residents walk from fountain to fountain, admiring the altars en route.

Sunday, April 17, Palm Sunday, 11am:  The first day of Holy Week is known as Palm Sunday. In San Miguel, the celebration includes two processions representing Christ’s entry into Jerusalem, where He was received by onlookers waving palm fronds. The first procession begins at the chapel of El Calvario, located at the top of Calle San Francisco, from which a man portraying Christ rides a donkey at the head of the procession, followed by the 12 apostles. The procession ends at the church of San Francisco. The second procession leaves the Parroquia around 11am and circles the Jardin.

Wednesday, April 20, Holy Wednesday, 5pm:  A major celebration is the Via Crucis (Way of the Cross), which begins at the Oratorio church at 5pm and represents the 14 stations of Christ’s path to martyrdom, carrying the cross. The procession uses the 14 stations marked with a stone cross at certain walls of the main streets of downtown, starting at the Iglesia de la Santa Escuela and ending at the Capilla del Calvario.

Friday, April 22, Good Friday, 11am & 5pm:  Friday is the climax of the religious celebrations with two processions, the Sacred Encounter (Santo Encuentro), representing the meeting of Jesus with his mother on his way to Calvary leaving the Parroquia at 11am, and the Holy Burial, the longest and more solemn procession departing from the Oratorio church at 5pm with about 2,000 sanmiguelense dressed as uniformed Roman soldiers, angels, pallbearers and mourners to accompany statues of archangels, an 18th century life-size figure of the Virgin of Solitude, and a statue of the body of Jesus.

The Shrine of Atotonilco, now a UNESCO World Heritage site and religiously linked to San Miguel, has its own representation of the Via Crucis. It begins on Holy Thursday at 8pm with a restaging of the Last Supper and the arrest of Jesus at Gethsemane . At noon on Good Friday, it continues with the trial of Jesus before Pontius Pilate on the shrine’s esplanade. The barefoot Christ, wearing a crown of thorns, is flogged relentlessly on the back as he carries the cross to the place of crucifixion, near the entrance to the town. The procession lasts about one hour, culminating in Christ’s being tied to the cross in a simulated crucifixion.

A similar Via Crucis takes place in the working-class colonia of San Luis Rey just north of San Miguel, which begins on Thursday at 7pm with the ceremony in which Jesus washes his disciples’ feet . It continues Friday morning at 9am with the trial before Pontius Pilate. The Via Crucis with Jesus carrying the 65-kilogram wooden cross takes place over cobblestone streets for two kilometers to the place of crucifixion in the nearby colonia of Montes de Loreto.

Sunday, April 24, Destruction of Judases, noon:  Celebrations for Semana Santa end with the traditional destruction and blowing up of the papiêr-maché Judases at the Plaza Principal on the street between the Jardín and the former Presidencia building.

This year the program (which runs from Nov 10 – 14, with a special extra performance on Dec 3) will include the extraordinary Mexican singer Magos Herrera, who will be performing her new album “Mexico Azul” honoring some of the most significant eras in Mexican music.

For more information about the specific calendar of performances, please visit http://www.sanmigueljazz.com/Calendar.shtml.

The 2010/2011 ProMusica series runs from Oct 9, 2010, to April 3, 2011.  The basic schedule as of Sept 2010 is listed below, but please check the website for program specifics and any updates (http://www.promusica.com).

Sat, Oct 9 and Sun, Oct 10, 2010:  Matt Bengtson, Piano

Sat, Nov 6 and Sun, Nov 7, 2010:  Sinfonieta Potosina (14-piece orchestra from San Luis Potosi), playing Mozert, Wagner, Beethoven and Schubert

Sat, Dec 4 and Sun, Dec 5, 2010:   Timothy Fain, Violin, and Alexander Pashkov, Piano

Sat, Jan 8 and Sun, Jan 9, 2011:  M5 Mexican Brass – A Night at the Opera

Sat, Jan 22 and Sun, Jan 23, 2011:  Jose Franch-Ballester, Spanish Clarinet, and Anna Polonsky, Piano

Sat, Feb 5 and Sun, Feb 6, 2011:  Sinfonieta Potosina returns, playing Mozart, Beethoven and Hayden

Fri, Feb 11 and Sat, Feb 12, 2011:  Valentine’s Concert with Rodrigo Garciarroyo, Mexican Tenor, and Maestro Mario Alberto Hernandez, Piano

Fri, Feb 25 and Sat, Feb 26, 2011:  Ensemble Masques – Early Music Septet from Canada

Sat, Mar 5 and Sun Mar 6, 2011:  Cuarteto Latinoamericano

Fri, Mar 25, and Sat, Mar 26, 2011:  Stephen Prutsman, Piano (San Miguel Debut)

Special Concerts:

Thurs, Feb 17, 2011, 5 pm at Hotel La Aldea in Ancha de San Antonio:  Richard Dowling, Piano, playing Gershwin and Gottschalk

Fri, Feb 18, 2011, 5 pm at St.Paul’s Church:  Evan Drachman, American Cello (and grandson of the great cellist Gregor Piatigorsky), and Richard Dowling, Piano

Sat, Feb 19, 2011, 5 pm at St.Paul’s Church:  All Classical Progam with Richard Dowling, Piano

Sun, Feb 20, 2011, 5 pm at St.Paul’s Church:  Piano Trio – Qing Li, Richard Dowling, Evan Drachman

Sun, Mar 13, 2011, 5 pm in the garden at Calle Potranca #15 in Co. Guadiana:  Garden Party Concert with Sinfonieta Potosina, with champagne and canapes!

Sun, Apr 3, 2011, 5 pm at St.Paul’s Church:  Maestro Enrique Florez, 10-String Classical Guitar, and Florencia Tinoco, Soprano

A 20-min sound-and-light show displays the history of Mexico across the stone facade of San Miguel's Parroquia church on weekend nights during the bicentennial celebrations. (Photo courtesy of Ricardo Vidargas)

As September draws near, Mexico is preparing for the “fiestas patrias,” the annual celebration of the country’s independence from Spain.  This year, the celebrations will be grander than usual, as 2010 marks the bicentennial of the famous “el Grito,” the cry for independence that rang out in the city of Dolores Hidalgo, just 20 min by car northwest of San Miguel.  Festivities are already underway.

The New York Times recently featured a  good review of the sights and historic stops along the newly designated “Ruta 2010″ (probably best translated as “Mexico’s Freedom Trail”), which links San Miguel with Dolores Hidalgo and Guanajuato, three cities that all played an important role in the independence movement.  You can see the full article at the URL link included at the bottom of this blog post.

In addition, besides the parades and fireworks, a special sound-and-light show representing the history of Mexico will be displayed across the facade of San Miguel’s beloved Parroquia church every Friday and Saturday night at 9 pm for at least the next two months.

Link to NY Times article:  http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/08/22/travel/22Mexico.html

Another article about Mexico’s Freedom Trail (with mention of San Miguel) also appeared on 22 Aug 2010 in the Chicago Sun Times:  http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/travel/2621010,mexico-bicentennial-hidalgo-082210.article

http://www.festivalsanmiguel.com/

“Echoes of a Nation” brings together Mexico’s proud history of music, art, and gastronomy in an exciting week of concerts and events representing the integration of indigenous and European cultures, the valiant liberation from the Spanish monarchy, and the ever present power of the Roman Catholic Church.

This year’s Festival will be the first to examine all the elements of the Baroque musical style while demonstrating how, as European power spread to the Americas, Mexico emerged with its own distinct flare in both the sacred and the secular musical arenas.

To check the calendar of concerts, go to :

http://www.baroqueconcerts.com/festival_calendar-main.php

Jan 23/24:  Stravaganza Orchestra plays Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” by candlelight

Feb 6/7:  Carlos Chavez String Quartet, with Roberto Limon on guitar, perfroming works for classical guitar and string quartet

Feb 12/13:  In concert: Rodrigo Garciarroyo, tenor, singing great arias from the classic 19th century operatic repertoire.  This native son of San Miguel will have his New York debut as the soloist tenor in Verdi’s Requiem at Lincoln Center shortly following this concert!

Feb 19:  Richard Dowling, pianist, plays a program devoted to works of George Gershwin and ragtime.

Feb 20:  Richard Dowling plays a Chopin progam celebrating the composer’s 200th birthday (plus a free post-concert champagne reception!)

Feb 21:  Richard Dowling in a piano and cello recital with Evan Drachman, playing on his 1725 Stradivarius cello

Feb 27:  Maestro Enrique Florez, one of the greatest guitarists living in Mexico today, plays a wide range of pieces on his 10-string classical guitar

Mar 20/21:  Following his stunning concerts here last season, violinist Timothy Fain returns with a piano accompaniment to play more great set pieces for the violin, including works by Beethoven, Bach and Mendelssohn

First, a special birthday MASS at 11 a.m. in the city’s main church,
La Parroquia de San Miguel Archangel,  fronting the Jardin
 
Then, a lively STREET PROCESSION starting around noon in front of the Parroquia and winding through the streets of the Centro Historico.  
 
Next, a  CARRIAGE PROCESSION through the streets, starting around 3:30 pm from in front of the Allende House/Museum at the corner of Cuna de Allende and the Jardin, headed for the Plaza de Toros Oriente (bullring) on Calle Recreo.

Finally, a  SPECIAL BULLFIGHT, starting at 4:00 p.m., with El Pana and Enrique Fraga on horseback
Plaza de Toros Oriente, Calle Recreo
$150. pesos and up for tickets

In all, a fitting start to Mexico’s Bicentennial Year…

Tues, Jan 12:  Guadalupe Jimenez Codinach, a local historian, talking about “The Village of San Miguel and the War of Independence,” illustrated with a slideshow of historical graphics (and honoring San Miguel’s role in the upcoming Mexican bicentennial in Sept 2010).

Tues, Jan 19:  Katherine Hatch, author and longtime resident of Cuernavaca, talking about her new book Suddenly, Mexico! – a collection of essays, reflections and anecdotes of her life in the small town of Paraiso (which some will recognize as the old colonial neighborhood of Acapantzingo in Cuernavaca).  Hatch is best known for My Life in Three Acts, her definitive biography of actress Helen Hayes (also a longtime winter resident of Cuernavaca).

Tues, Jan 26:  Journalist David Lida, discussing his favorite city and new book:  Mexico City, Capital of the 21^st Century.  The Los Angeles Times called the work “a charmingly idiosyncratic, yet remarkably comprehensive portrait of one of the planet’s most misinterpreted urban spaces.”  The book includes chapters about food, sex, crime, religion, politics, and a host of other subjects – all told through the stories of Mexico City residents.

Tues, Feb 2:  Austin Briggs, San Miguel’s favorite English professor, turns from his usual focus on James Joyce to discuss another favorite author in “The Joys of Dickens: Reading Great Expectations.”

Tues, Feb 9:  Winter resident of San Miguel Joe Persico, biographer of many and former speechwriter for Nelson A. Rockefeller,  returns to the PEN series with a lecture titled:  “Writers Meet Such Interesting Characters:  People I’ve Interviewed Who Refused to be Interviewed and Other Memorable Encounters on the Way to my 11 Books.”

Tues, Feb 16:  C.M. Mayo talks about The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire, her new historical novel based on the true story of a two-year-old boy in the U.S. who came into the line of succession to the Emperor of Mexico, the Habsburg Archduke Maximilian.

All lectures take place at 6 pm in the Miguel Malo Auditorium inside Bellas Artes (located at Calle Hernandez Macias #75).  A contribution of 70 pesos is requested for each lecture.