Opera in/en Guatemala

Ok, lots of Opera all of the sudden, great. Do we really want to see it? (at least this many times?)

Ok, mucha Opera de repente, magnífico. De verdad queremos verla? (al menos verla tantas veces?)

"L'Elisir d'Amore" last night gave me the impression that the market is saturated. Too much offer, not that much demand. Less that half of the seats were filled. I'm not sure many people will come tonight either (the second and last show).

"El Elixir de Amor" anoche me dió la impresión que el mercado está saturado. Mucha oferta y la demanda no es tanta. Menos de la mitad de las sillas estaban llenas. No creo que mucha gente vaya a ir hoy tampoco (la segunda y última presentación)

On top of everything (and everyone show face it): La Ermita is not a concert venue, much less an Opera venue. Sound sucks and it will always do, no matter what you do. Plus it is far, and cold, and damp. The novelty of its charm is gone. We know how it looks, but no matter what Opera they present, it will always be La Ermita on the background of Verdi, Puccini or Donizetti. Get over it people!!!

Encima de todo (y todo el mundo debería aceptarlo): La Ermita de la Santa Cruz no es un buen escenario para conciertos, mucho menos para Operas. El sonido es una mierda, y siempre lo será, no importa lo que hagan. Además queda lejos, hace frio, cae el sereno. La novedad del encanto de La Ermita ya pasó. Ya sabemos como se ve, y no importa que Opera se presente, siempre va a ser la Ermita de telón de fondo para Verdi, Puccini o Donizetti. ¡¡Ya déjenlo ir, gente!!

I believe in market economy. So soon we should have enough Operas to satisfy the demand. Unless some presenters keep using it to get tax benefits, using a phony mission of benefiting the arts in Guatemala, presenting expensive shows with houses less than half full (ridiculous!) People have to remember that presenting arts is not only to benefit the artists and the producers, but the audience, too.

Yo creo en la economía de mercado. Así que pronto debería haber Operas para satisfacer la demanda, nada más. A menos que algunos productores las sigan usando para obtener beneficios fiscales, apoyándose en una misión de a mentiritas de ofrecer apoyo a las artes en Guatemala, presentando espectáculos caros con la mitad de capacidad de público (¡ridículo!) Hay que recordar que presentar arte no es nada más un beneficio para los artistas y los productores, sino tambien para el público.

"Atol con el dedo", or "Feeding Tomato Soup with the Finger"

"The Soprano is Russian, and the violins are electric": This is the type of sound bites I heard for promoting the biennial IX Paiz Arts Festival, in Antigua Guatemala (don't bother trying their website's english version, it's empty).

Well, it is understandable that artistic integrity is compromised in one of the major arts festivals in Guatemala, where your social status is measured by the size of the brand label on the clothes you wear (as in "How big is you Banana Republic?"). Many arts events are still organized as oportunities to show off (even by presenters, in this case: the Paiz Foundation).

Needless to say: the soprano turned out to be 3rd class-ish, the conductor got lost more than once very obviously. But because he talked to the audience in English (he is British) and she is Russian, they got a standing ovation (Bravi to the people that walked out in the middle of that concert!!)

I'm not going anywhere near the electric violins. Hopefully in two years, the Paiz Foundation will go back to the idea that is more about the arts and less about social status or getting tax breaks for a supermarket chain.

This is it, Kids...

GONE! FOREVER...

Holidays/Fiestas

Parade Day/Dia del Desfile

For Thanksgiving Day, I went to the Macy's Parade (Grandstand, baby!) (Thanks Dan & Bill!)

Para Accion de Gracias, fui al Desfile de Macy's (Palco especial, no mas!) (Gracias a Dan & Bill)



I sat right on the stands at the "backdrop" of the NBC telecast of the parade, so I could go back home and replay the parade that was programmed on the digital TV recorder. And there I was, just behind Julie Andrews!!!

Estuve sentado en los graderias que eran el telon de fondo de la transmision del desfile en NBC, asi que al regresar a casa, puse el desfile en la grabadora de TV digital que se quedo programada para grabarlo. Y ahi estaba yo, justo atras de Julie Andrews!!!


I realized that this is the second time I have "been" in U.S. National television, and the first time, of all things was also in a parade: the 1995 Hollywood Christmas Parade. Back then, digital cameras were not that usual, I guess...so the only picture I found, from the web, was the official group photo of the band I co-directed with my bud Luis. (I am the one on the right, without the uniform)

Me di cuenta que esta es la segunda vez que "aparezco" en la TV nacional de los Estados Unidos, y la primera vez, paradogicamente, tambien fue en un desfile: el Desfile de navidad de Hollywood de 1995. En ese entonces, las camaras digitales no eran tan comunes, creo yo...asi que la unica foto que encontre en la web fue esta, la foto oficual de la banda que co-dirigi con mi cuatazo Luis. (Yo soy el que esta sin uniforme a la derecha)