ALFONSO ORTIZ TIRADO FESTIVAL
“We will play in the forest while the wolf comes”
For a few weeks, opinions have been emerging about austerity and the essence of Alfonso Ortiz Tirado Cultural Festivalin its thirty-eighth edition, which took place from January 20 to 28, in addition to the effect caused by the quality of the artistic proposals.
Dr. Alfonso Durazo Montaño, Governor of the state of sonorousdeclared the participation of 713 local and international artists and close to 100 artists from indigenous peoples, 91 concerts, 12 stages and an investment of 20 million pesos, generating an impact of more than 71,000 visitors to the magical town of Álamos and 40,000 spectators. who enjoyed the different scenarios, in addition to an economic benefit of 50 million pesos.
In numerical terms, the Festival has been singled out for the budget cuts to culture in Sonora, and consequently, to the FAOT; In addition, we have to understand the effects on the world, derived from the COVID-19 pandemic. Other voices and pens have criticized the broad participation of local artists as a bad omen of the loss in the artistic quality of the programming offer.
However, a sociocultural activity as large as the Festival should not only consider numerical indicators, nor should a greater investment of financial resources represent the presence of higher quality events in its programming. Despite the mentioned budget adjustments, this edition with its 91 concerts captivated the spectators with the high-quality artistic proposals that caused healthy social coexistence.
However, as the Festival drew closer, the defenders of what they call “the essence” arose, the exalted purists, who yearn for a complete program of concert music, bel canto and opera, or else, those who seek the popular, commercial and its diversification to generate economic benefits in the magical town of Álamos, in the latter, as the great teacher Ángel Mestres mentions, “there will be no economic development without cultural development”. Therefore, they must understand that development is a priority, emphasizing investment in the cultural dimension and later, generating the longed-for economic spillovers, which, by the way, in the history of pragmatism in Sonoran politics, development is conceived as the greatest number of tangible works, but what feeds the spirit is almost nil.
And what are the Festivals? When do they arise? The idea of the festival arose around 4500 BC to celebrate the gods. The Egyptians were the first to perform these acts which were accompanied by music and dance. Later came the Greeks and Romans, especially the first are remembered for the Pythian Games in Delphi, which contained musical performances and are considered the first recognizable festivals.
We can understand then that a Festival is a celebration that is carried out, generally, by a community or a municipality (or several), which focuses on some theme or unique aspect of the community that reflects a sense of belonging.
It can be designed for an artistic expression, a character, economic production, traditions or customs of a community among other events. Currently, there are festivals of arts, native peoples, traditions and customs, culinary festivals in the world and in Mexico, among others.
It is decisive that, in the design of a festival, we know the planning phases that include the definition of the vocation, the human and economic resources, the objective and of course the establishment of clear goals and indicators, the public to which directs and with the forums and spaces that are available for its realization. The methodology is essential for the successful implementation, as well as the capabilities of the team that contributes to the operation of the phases of: planning, organization, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the results.
For this reason, the vocation is fundamental in the development of a festival, since it guides the trend or focus, and all the activities of the program or artistic-cultural, ethnic or academic offer must attend to this vocation. All of this ensures that you are following the correct paths. Those who dare to organize a Festival, at least previously, must have known other festivals, participate in a staff, collaborate in a cultural agency or have minimal experience in the design of cultural events. For this reason, the political class has to learn to attend cultural events, shows of theatre, dance or music so that they make intelligent and not abrupt decisions.
A music lover will always live in festivals like a cult, they will look for massive events where thousands of ecstatic people gather to enjoy the best artists of the genre to which the Festival refers.
The Museo Costumbrista de Sonora was inaugurated on November 10, 1984, for the month of December Antonio Estrada Cantúa in a meeting with the governor, Dr. Ocaña at the Government Palace in Hermosillo, exposed the need to implement a development plan of the great cultural project, which implied guaranteeing strategies for the safeguarding, conservation and preservation of this new space, and of the historical heritage and tangible and intangible cultural heritage of Álamos.
That same December of 1984, Antonio Estrada Cantúa, as Director of the Museo Costumbrista de Sonora, prepared his work plan for the following year, there it was scheduled to celebrate, in January 1985, the 92nd Anniversary of the birth of Dr. Alfonso Ortiz Tirado, which which later led to the Alfonso Ortiz Tirado Cultural Festival.
At first, it was a very popular musical event, from the beginning it showed signs of success, the evening was wonderful, warmed by the voice of the singer Elsa Limón and the pianist Rito Emilio Salazar. Later, a performance by the ITSON Yoreme Al-Leiya Folkloric Ballet was enjoyed at the municipal palace. Of course, families with very notable surnames attended the first tributes to the American tenor.
He Alfonso Ortiz Tirado Cultural Festival born from inspiration, with the vocation and longing for an idea that emanates from within, from the spirit and the need to give for the soul of being. Over time the Festival has become an avalanche of music with national and international prestige, the contribution of the mayors, governors and directors of the Sonoran Institute of Culture, have made possible the consolidation of this great tribute to the human voice and music.
In each edition, it is also necessary to celebrate each one of the people who thought of the preeminence of honoring the figure of a great artist, of a generous human being like few others.
With the passage of time through an arduous process, the inhabitants of the magical town of Álamos identified and appropriated the Festival as an opportunity to develop local enterprises and the provision of services, which are reflected immediately in their pockets, this It has made it possible for them to assimilate the strengths to promote and exalt the historical-cultural values of the municipality, to boost tourism and promote natural attractions, as well as the cultural diversity of the original towns.
Although it was not always accepted and there was resistance at the local level due to the excesses of the visitors with their tributes to the gods Bacchus, Aphrodite and Venus in the alleys of the magical city of portals.
In this thirty-eighth edition of the FAOT, the soprano María de Jesús Li Ferrales was recognized as Young Talent in Operatic Singing, her concert was accompanied by the great Cuban panist Ángel Rodríguez, the attendees enjoyed her wonderful voice, she has her mother’s DNA the great teacher Marybel Ferrales, who by the way we Sonorans owe the formation of generations to, being the precursor of a movement that has transcended in the formation of great interpreters of operatic singing. Ángel Rodríguez’s accompaniment was majestic, beautiful, enveloping and magical. The repertoire of the young soprano with her powerful, charismatic, expressive and dramatic voice flowed with arias, zarzuela and popular song, it was a concert that engulfed all of us.
The Mtro was recognized. Horacio Lagarda Burgos, for his outstanding artistic and academic career in Sonora, who for decades has dedicated his life to music and, above all, to training artists and performers. That same night, the Sonora Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Mr. Héctor Acosta, gave a concert where the Mtro was honored. Arturo Márquez, with the cantata Sueños, and the voices of the mezzo-soprano Alejandra Gómez, the baritone Juan Carlos Heredia and the chamber choir of the Music Degree from the University of Sonora.
The Master Arturo Márquez is one of the most prolific composers in Mexico and the world, at the gala we enjoyed the Conga de Fuego Nuevo and Alas a Malala, it was a night that enveloped us and covered us with sensitivity, a dialogue between the spectator and the artist to reflect With a social conscience, we explore an artist inspired by justice, peace and spiritual evolution. The Sonora Philharmonic Orchestra is one of the most extraordinary Sonora cultural assets, it is very proud of its development and artistic quality, it is one of the best in Mexico.
A quite interesting concert was that of Sudoxe: New Mexican music for wind quintet, there as interpreter was the great Everardo Gastélum, the first bassoonist to graduate and graduate from the Conservatorio de las Rosas in Morelia Michoacán, as well as principal bassoonist of the Michoacán Symphony Orchestra, That afternoon at the Museo Costumbrista de Sonora, the work of Mtro. Arturo Márquez, who was a spectator, it was very gratifying to meet a young artist like Everardo Gastélum and the great Márquez, both with roots in poplars.
By the way, an interesting contribution that Everardo Gastélum has made is writing the Music of the Tamborón Band (Traditional Music of the Mayo region) for the Symphony Orchestra, it would be interesting if Mtro. Héctor Acosta, will integrate into his repertoire the music of the tamborón in the Sonora Philharmonic Orchestra, as a tribute to the Mayo region in a kind of suite.
The soprano Lourdes Ambriz received the Alfonso Ortiz Tirado medal for her sublime and fruitful career in operatic singing. The 38th edition of the Alfonso Ortiz Tirado Cultural Festival concluded with this exciting gala, with a repertoire of opera arias and popular Mexican songs, accompanied by mezzo-soprano Verónica Alexanderson and the Sonora Philharmonic Orchestra.
Channeling the Alfonso Ortiz Tirado Cultural Festival as an alternative that makes it possible to train audiences for art, attending to the diversification in the cultural offer, allows raising awareness of the appreciation of the different manifestations of art; from operatic singing, concert music, theater, street entertainment, plastic work, indigenous and popular music, this in order to guide different social groups to interact interculturally appreciating differences through art.
It is the job of governments at all levels, institutions, managers and cultural promoters to propose proposals that form audiences for art and culture, it is necessary to value the diversification of the cultural offer and respect the differences in art trends.
It is extremely important that we Sonorans take advantage of the FAOT, to train ourselves to get closer to all the demonstrations that are present these days in Álamos and some sub-venues in Sonora.
Breaking schemes and daring to know different expressions forms us to recognize diversity and multiculturalism without establishing judgments a priori, art humanizes us to develop culturally in a social logic of full coexistence and communication with our environment. Let’s enjoy and value our Festival! In good time for all the efforts and vocations of those who make up the Sonoran Institute of Culture, its director Mtra. Beatriz Aldaco for her vocation and her social awareness for culture. In the historical development of Sonora there are paths to be opened and gaps to be closed in the culture.
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