This was the last stop of our four Oaxaca village rally: San Andrés Zautla, or Etla, as it appears on some maps, only some 40 kilometers north of Oaxaca.
On our program, organized by the Cecily Winter, President of IOHIO, we were expecting dinner and a concert. What occurred, was an unforgettable experience, after which can we really fathom the depth and warmth of the spirit of hospitality of the common natives of Oaxaca.
The Dance of the Gigantes (Giants)
and Cabezones or Cabezudos
(Big-Heads) at the atrium of
San Andrés Zautla
San Andrés Zautla is more of a village than a town. However, we had the that the whole village came out to welcome us, and organized a dance and party for our entire group.
All of a sudden, we, the spectators, became part
of the festival.
The local folks gave each one of us
a floral necklace, and a herbal branch.
These "Gigantes" are a common feature in the
feasts of the Basque region of Northern Spain,
and I suspect that this tradition was brought
over to Oaxaca by the Missionaries.
Estela dancing with the Gigantes.
Local flute player forms duet with Chirimia and
percussion instrument during dinner concert.
The local folks gave each one of us
a floral necklace, and a herbal branch.
The village band of San Andrés Zautla, serenated
us during our dinner in the back courtyard of the
parish, before our organ concert.
The retablo of the church of San
Andrés, Zautla
The main aisle of the church of San
Andrés Zautla
In the backyard of the parish, the local villagers
offered us a delicious dinner. Even the "gigantes"
were invited, which I suspect, after so much
dancing, had a "gigantic" appetite.
Estela, with our dinner guest from French Canada,
Jacques.
Theorbo concert offered by guitarist Alberto
Revilla inside the church of San Andrés Zautla
Alberto Revilla is an accomplished artist with the guitar, as he let us witness during the first part of his concert. Then he delighted us with his mastery of the Theorbo, a long string plucked instrument with a second pegboard that was developed in 16th Century Tuscany, in answer to the constant request for a deeper bass-noted string instruments to accompany the then new fashion of light operettas. Alberto fills his concerts with vibration and passion, as well as his high degree of mastery of the corded instruments.
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