We live in a county that is routinely dismissed by the metropolitan media. I am told that radio station announcers sometimes refer to the people of this region as the "People of the Dirt", and I find myself mildly offended. It isn't that I give credit to these announcers, especially when they are part of the circus sideshow that is AM talk radio, but it does offend me that there seem to be no other voices to contest this view. Hot and dusty it may be, but this county in which I inhabit the westernmost portion is inhabited as well by a diverse group of people who have dreams and desires as well, and who are not as provincial as they would seem, even if this is a region that regularly sends Republicans to congress.
Today I wanted to attend a multicultural festival that was being held on the campus of the University of Redlands. I've been out there before, but only rarely, and had never been to that institution. The cities are sparsely inhabited but the views of the snow-capped hills and mountains is very beautiful. It makes me want to take a side trip to visit these peaks, which I would do if it weren't for the fact that the roads are probably very primitive and require a vehicle with four-wheel drive. The university, on the other hand, is located close to the freeway, in a quiet, suburban neighborhood.
As I arrived on campus and followed the signs for festival parking I regretted that I had not brought a sweatshirt or jacket. It has been unusually cold these past few days, and I had been unfortunately too optimistic when I left my house this morning, expecting that the sun would warm us up. This was not to be, and we were to see a constant progression of clouds that would obscure our source of light, plunging us into a chilly gloom. Festival goers were huddling, trying to preserve body warmth, and I hurried to buy a few festival T-shirts in order to wear one over my clothes.
These were less than auspicious conditions for the festival and, if I am permitted to note, the turnout seemed rather low. Of course, the event seems not to have been well promoted, although they have been organizing this event for over twenty years. It is run, however, as a student event, and as such, they may not have had an adequate budget for promotion. However, the attendees seemed to be very excited, and there was a good collection of booths and food trucks as well as stands where food and other products were being sold. I saw Middle Eastern fare, Polish hot dogs, Indian food, hamburgers and, of course, Mexican food. I also saw booths offering a collection of children's books, as well as pottery, scarves, flags and banners (Bob Marley figured prominently on one of them) and other items. It was a liberal crowd, and the products reflected this.
I arrived to see the Mariachi Divas setting up. Shortly after they started performing, and they were a wonderful group to hear. Their members come from many cultures, and I was particularly impressed with a singer and violinist named "La Che", an Argentinian woman who sang rancheras very well. They also have members from Puerto Rico, from Samoa and from other countries.
This group is part of a movement of groups that highlights mariachis composed entirely of female musicians. As noted, they were a novely at first, but then, they filled an important need which involved helping the mariachi genre evolve. After all, this form of music, as noted by others, had primarily reflected male perspectives, and thus gave a skewed view of Mexican culture. Now, with female groups, the repertoire has evolved, and not only have the traditional favorites been modified to incorporate their voices and their rhythms, but they are creating new songs that are becoming well known. As with the Mariachi Reyna, they also played a popurri of hits by Selena, the departed Tejano singer who left such a legacy and whose passing I will always associate with the conclusion of my first year of studies in the Bay Area.
The Mariachi Divas provided an enjoyable but also, unfortunately, a short set of music. The groups were only limited to half an hour each, and so they had to give way. I went to the booth and bought one of their CDs. Specifically, the one that earned them a Grammy a few years ago.
Other groups that were performing were two dance troupes dedicated to promoting the dances of India, an African gospel group, a drumming circle, a Korean drumming group and Scimitar, a troupe of dancers who specialize in Middle Eastern dance. Here are a few photos of this last group.
All in all it was a wonderful event. I had a chance to eat samosas and drink a mango shake made with yoghurt, and would have gone for a Schwarma had I not had to leave. This is a beautiful campus with a group of dedicated and welcoming students, those who would organize a festival such as this one. I hope that the weather will be more welcoming next year, but I left with a favorable impression of the energy that all the attendees as well as the performers provided.
Copyrights ORomero 2011
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