The 50th Edition of Festival Cervantino finally takes place in its full glory after two years, with South Korea being the invitee country, dazzling crowds with their performances.
Festival Cervatino 2022, which was scheduled to run from 12th to 30th October, has encountered a massive spectatorship as people thronged to Mexico for the showcasing of the 50th edition of the Festival. This year the Festival was special since after the virtual event held in 2020 and the hybrid one held last year, this is the first time that the event was held in full after the pandemic hit. The Festival has its roots in the street performances of short stories written by Spaniard Miguel de Cervantes, but the current form of the Festival took shape in 1972.
This year, the grand festival took place in the city of Guanajuato and was adorned with power-packed performances- both indoor and outdoor.
Here are some of the most note-worthy attractions of the festival:
- The opening concert on Wednesday
The concert began on Wednesday with mind-blowing performances by Hera Hyesang Park, a soprano from South Korea, and María Katzarava of Mexico City, along with Mexico City Philharmonic Orchestra, at the esplanade of the Alhóndiga, a venue that holds a historical significance related to the Mexican War of Independence.
- Portuguese singer Carminho’s second Fado, O Começo (The Beginning)
The Portuguese singer Carminho performed her second Fado, O Começo (The Beginning) at the Teatro Juarez in Guanajuato on a Saturday night. The performance was accompanied by an arrow of instruments including bass, electric and acoustic guitars, and the 12-steel string Portuguese guitar, which is the emblematic instrument used in the performing of Fado. In an interview, Carminho confessed that the “intensity from the audience” made the performance an “unforgettable” event for her.
- The grand outdoor performance by Coreyah
Coreyah is a world-renowned psychedelic Korean band consisting of six members who have enthralled audiences with their mastery of traditional Korean instruments. The band’s performance in Guanajuato, at the festival’s biggest outdoor venue, won the hearts of more than 4000 audience members.
- Flash mob at the Plaza del Baratillo
A large group of more than 40 performers including an opera singer and a mini-orchestra at the Festival Cervantino 2022 did a flash mob at the Plaza del Baratillo, in which they re-created a pierce from their famous show Tururú, Los Jóvenes También Viajan en Metro (The Youth Also Travels on the Subway).
- Performances by KARD and Sumi Jo
It is the tradition of the Festival Cervantio to invite a country every year to the Festival and one of the states of Mexico. This year, the invited country was Korea and they marked their presence with various enchanting numbers from K-Pop bands like KARD, performances by the renowned opera singer Sumi Jo and dance numbers by the Korean National Contemporary Dance Company.
- Concert by the rock group Caifanes
The closing of the 50th edition of the Cervantino International Festival, which took place on Sunday, October 30, was marked by a rocking performance by the music group Caifanes, which was held at Alhóndiga de Granaditas. Their music and their moving lyrics emerged as proof of their quality and reaffirmed why this musical group has stood the test of time for three generations.
- Racial and Cultural Diversity
The general director of Cervantino, Mariana Aymerich Ordóñez, while speaking about the Festival Cervantino, was reportedly quoted as saying, “ “Peace, sustainability, inclusion, collective rights, recognition of diversity, decentralization, as well as the defense of cultural heritage, are the issues and values that motivate us.” Every year the festival invites a different country, this year it being South Korea. The event is sponsored by the federal government and focuses on bridging together the local community, public and private institutions, artists, and visitors from different parts of the world where they can celebrate the universality, cultural richness and diversity of art.
Martha Delgado Zárate, secretary of the City Council, said that they recorded a total of 285,565 attendees at the festival from October 12 to October 29. In terms of security and the economy, during the Festival, the hotel option went up to 86 percent from 70 percent. On the closing day of the Festival on October 30, the city was reported to be completely overcrowded.
Hotels at and around Guanajuato reportedly showed 100 percent occupancy, while an immensely increased influx of people was recorded at streets, squares, restaurants, and stores. In terms of security, Zarate reported 403 arrests based on crimes like violence, robbery, drug dealing, breaking and entering, and even property damage.
There was also a greater influx of federal forces into the city of Guanajuato during the Festival, for the security of not only the hosts and the performers but also the visitors. Reports also conveyed that compared to 2021 with a record of 552 arrests, the rate of arrests in 2022 has decreased by almost 30 percent. In light of the post-pandemic scenario, visitors were recommended to wear masks in enclosed spaces but it wasn’t mandatory.
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