12.10.24 Bands, dancing and feasting

My morning began with a walk down to the town square to see how the town was waking up as we arrive at the first day of the festival of the Virgin of Guadalupe. I found my favorite juice post and got some freshly made carrot and orange juice.

As I sat to drink my juice I observed an older lady in traditional clothing sitting on the corner with some large plastic jugs. I overcame my hesitancy and asked her about the jugs. She had arisen very early collected the nocturnal expression from the agave plant ad then traveled to this town before light to be able to sell the fresh liquid called agua miel as well as the fermented version called pulque. ( Pulque is much earlier in the process than the refined and much stronger tequila or mezcal). I had a little drink of agua miel as I did want to drink alcohol at 7am.

As I walked further into the mains square toward the church, I saw children assembling with brooms. As I walked further, it seemed that it was every child in the town! I saw a young woman who appeared to be an elementary teacher. Monica was very open to having me accomany her up the mountain to the little section of the road that her classroom was responsible for. As we arrive at the curve in the road overlooking the town, the children started sweeping and sprinkling water to keep the dust down. Cars and motorcycles approached and the children made way. The children are taught to be loyal members of a very tight community

I headed back to the hotel were I found the young trumpet player, Joseph, from CECAM hoping to have some portraits taken. Ernesto held the lighting and we took some studio shots of him.

It was time for us to get going as we needed to get to the Jimenez family’s home where they would be hosting us for breakfast and showing us their work as artisans , sewing traditional clothing and making sandals. They are also a traditional “commisioned” family, meaning that they are one of 20 or so families in the town that volunteer to host some 500 or so people during the 5 day festival for meals, perhaps 8 meals in total. It costs them about 20,000 USD to buy and make all of the food. Tomorrow morning they plan to slaughter a bull to help feed the townspeople. I don’t think I will photograph that.

We sat down to a breakfast of small pieces of chicken in broth with hand made tortillas. Men kept coming up to us offering beers and shots of mezcal I declined but Ernesto said it would be rude to completely decline everything so had some. They were kind to bring me some water prepared with cucumber.

After breakfast it was time to see the clothing workshops.

Then we walked off through the warren of steep dirt and cement paths to get to the town square , and a bit up the main road where we would meet the band from CECAM. The band arrived and we followed in processions through the street to the church. People streamed into town all in their own costumes and all carrying a flower for the Virgin of Guadalupe. Then the band played and went into the church to be blessed by the priest. The bands then marched around other bands appoached. The bands greeted each other with alternating pieces. The CECAM band mached up the hill where there was another cermony, but it seemed like it was the mayor accepting the and giving a speech. People were lined up formally and then approached each other, greeting the visiting bands from surrounding communities.

Somewhere around noon we returned to the Jimenez family home and had another meal of chicken and mole. People customarily eat the thick sauce and chicken using large tortillas as implements to pick up the chicken and as scoops to finish the mole and rice.

After lunch it was time for everyone to get on their best traditional clothing. YounngTajeew was the first to emerge

We all left the house together climbing up the hillside to the main street of the town

Then we were back out on the street, winding aorund the town, with five bands all doing the same thing. The CECAM band was much better than all of the other bands with perfect intonation and dynamics preserved even while marching up and down the mountain. The afternoon is a bit of a blur. I can’t think of what else we did other than walk in the streets and to the church. At some point, Ernesto and I saw a lull in the action and returned to the hotel in the late afternoon as the temperature dropped and I neede to change lenses for the low light I would encounter in the evening

We headed to the church to see the CECAM band and then to head down to another commissioned family’s home. It was now dark and the cement walkways steep and uneven in places. We arrived at the home that had dozens of tables set and hundreds of people being served. After we waited about 30 minutes a pair of tables cleared and we sat down to a delicious dinner of pozole ( a stew o hominy and pork, with shredded letuce, chile powder and oregano) I did allow myself to have a shot of mezcal and then had nonalocholic punch made from apples and cinnamon.

As we neared the end of our meal , tables were taken up, a band started playing, and couples started to dance a very traditional dance . It almost looked like traditional French or Spanish line dancing from the 18th Century. I was very formal with couples dancing mostly at arms length.

We headed back up the steep paths and streets and emerged at the central square where an auditorium was filled to bursting with people, ready for the five bands to converge, each to play and more dancing to take place.

By 11 pm , Ernesto and were tired and ready to turn in , with the partying going all night.