Last night was the presentation of Vocal People at Ermita de la Santa Cruz ruins, Antigua Guatemala’s concert venue, as part of the XII Festival Internacional de Cultura Paiz. Voca People brought a musical show featuring popular songs by the only means of a cappella and beatbox, sans any other musical instrument. The Saturday night … Read more
If you’re not in Antigua Guatemala right now, you don’t know what you’re missing. Well, I will help you know what you’re missing by not being in Antigua Guatemala. Let’s start with a photo festival, an orchid exposition, a haunting music nights.
Last Friday night was magical with melodic and enchanting music performed by musicians Ishto Juevez and Ixtapoch Vallenas inside the gardens of the Compañía de Jesús Building in Antigua Guatemala. The weather and temperatures were just perfect, the night was lit by a full moon and the musicians by colourful spotlights that not only highlighted the musicians but also the amazing venue that is the Cooperación Española. Below I share with you some of Ishto Juevez music and video clip for one of his most popular songs and a photo gallery of the night. Enjoy!
Have a happy Guatemalan Independence Day weekend everyone. Enjoy the multimedia material I have compiled for you! Once again, we have to thank Nelo Mijangos for sharing his photos with us. Our regular contributor and friend Guy Howard shares his gallery of civic events for September 15 in Antigua Guatemala. Free into the wind, your … Read more
Today was the day. Today Fuego Volcano stole the spot lights with the largest pyroclastic activity seen in recent times. The arrest of Antigua Guatemala’s Mayor and ten other people accused of corruption and taking public funds took a second stage. On the other hand, the Antorchas de la Independencia, Independence Torches continue arriving and … Read more
The traditions of Guatemala are kept alive by the faith and fervor of the people and that’s exactly what Nelo wanted to show with this slide show. People fully committed to their passion, believes and faith. People participating in all aspects of the Holy Week in Antigua Guatemala, the largest manifestation of its kind in … Read more
How many people can you fit inside a bus? The chicken bus Guinness World Record of how many people you can fit in a bus was broken today at Jocotenango, Sacatepéquez, Guatemala with 221 people inside the chicken bus, two chickens and lots of Gallos (beer). The previous record of 209 people was held by … Read more
On January 21, Under the name of Subida por la vida, there were over 8,000 people climbing Volcán de Agua (Water Volcano) to form the largest heart in the world at 12,335 feet as part of campaign to bring awareness and to reduce domestic violence. The event will also be a party with music and foot ball matches (the real McCoy) in different venues in Antigua Guatemala. Subida por la vida also stands as manifestation for Peace where Guatemalans want to demonstrate and let the world know that we want peace and we will not tolerate violence any longer.
I often report on the Club Fotográfico de Antigua Guatemala because I am of the funding members and because many people visiting Antigua Guatemala have interest in photography and many want to connect with other passionate photographers. Also, I report often because I am still amazed how an idea that formed back in 2009 with … Read more
Today’s theme for The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12 in Antigua Guatemala will be photographic backdrops and photo stages. In the slide show below you can find find examples of the Guatemalan kitsch at its best. As I have shared with you in previous years, in La Antigua Guatemala, religious celebrations … Read more
According to Efraín Enrique Recinos Valenzuela biography at his official website and at Wikipedia, he was born in 1928 in Xela, the informal name of Quetzaltenango City, Guatemala’s second largest city. Later on, he moved to Guatemala City to continue his studies and pretty much stayed for the remainder of his life. Efraín Recinos also worked extensively in Antigua Guatemala where you can find some his work at Santo Domingo del Cerro and at Casa Santo Domingo.
On Sunday, October 2, 2011, we said our goodbyes to Efraín Recinos, Guatemala’s most extraordinary and prolific artist. A Google search throws so much about Efraín Recinos that one may need a few days to get a glimpse of this prolific Guatemalan Picasso as described in the quoted text below.
Efrain Recinos, Guatemalan muralist, sculptor, engineer and architect, who among many other buildings designed the National Theatre in Guatemala City. On one of my first trips into the city, I saw, experienced and fell in love with his work, as it proudly embellished the many of the national buildings in Guatemala City. This was my first exposure to his work, but after much exploration throughout the city, I was surprise every time my friend Juan Pablo said, “that’s designed by Efrain Recinos too”.
Here I share with you a slide show of some of his works found in Santo Domingo del Cerro. Click the four departing arrows icon inside the presentation to get a full screen slide show.
Below there’s a guided tour through the history of art in 89 portraits by Efraín Recinos who explains why he decided to realized such portraits. This tour goes by the name of Difusores Acústicos.
Even Google celebrated Guatemala’s Independence 2011 with a Doodle. Also, President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sent their congratulatory remarks to the people of Guatemala: On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of Guatemala on the 190th anniversary of your independence this September 15. … Read more
As every year, on September 14, people from all over the Guatemala begin marathons to go to another part of the country to get the flame for the Independence Torch back in their communities. There are many places the have a torch where other people from other towns can light their torch to bring back … Read more
I don’t know if it was my imagination, but I saw a lot more people in this election than in the elections four years ago.
A finger marked with indelible ink is the proof you have voted in the Guatemalan General Elections. Above a marked finger in front of one of the voting centers in La Antigua Guatemala where elections progressed in a calm and quiet family atmosphere. It almost felt like a civic party.
The voting process was very similar to the General Elections of 2007, except for the fact that most people voted with the new counterfeit-proof new national identification card known as DPI and a few variations in the procedure. People were pointed to their voting centers by slips the were mailed a few weeks ago with the voting information or by visiting one of citizens’ registration booths made available by the Tribunal Supremo Electoral (Electoral Supreme Tribunal). At the voting centers, people were oriented by the posters with table numbers and voting registration number (número de empadronamiento in Spanish). Once the voters had the right table, they walked to the queue and waited for their voting turn. At their turn, they approached the table where they had to show their DPI or cédulas (old identification booklet). Their voting registration number was checked against the voting lists provided by Tribunal Supremo Electoral. If all checked correctly, voters were given five ballots: One for municipal mayorships, another for regional congress seats, another national congress seats, one more for Central American parliament and the last one for president and vice-president. With the five ballots and a crayon, voters walked to the voting booth and marked their election and walked back to the voting table to deposit their ballots in the urnas (ballot transparent bags). After that, DPI or cédula IDs were given back and their index finger marked with indelible ink. Basically, this was the voting process in Guatemala for 2011.
Children were also given the opportunity to simulate the election process by voting for president and vice-president. The children’s election process mimicked the adult voting process with similar ballot and erasable purple ink. Children between 5 and 17 years of age could participate. Children voting centers were located at different locations throughout La Antigua Guatemala.
I prepared a Flickr Slideshow of the Guatemalan Elections 2011 with keyframes showing the election process described above.
Please, let me know what you think of it and if you believe I have done my job at giving you a feeling for the election process in La Antigua Guatemala. I will be waiting for your feedback.
One more thing; I also grabbed a Storify chronicle of the elections prepared by selecting from the vast amounts of Twitter updates using one of the following hash tags: #EleccionesGT and #eVoto. Enjoy!
Once again Leonel “Nelo” Mijangos is sharing his photographs with us. Yesterday Nelo showed us some his photos for the student parades serpentining around La Antigua Guatemala on September 14. Today he continues with another slide show of the vistas for the 189th Independence Day. Let’s thank Nelo for getting early and chasing down the parades for our benefit. 😉
Here’s Guatemala’s National Anthem in English and Español
Today I am happy to present my very good friend Leonel “Nelo” Mijangos photographs. Even though he has appeared twice in AntiguaDailyPhoto, this is the first time we get a chance to appreciate his photography. Nelo was kind enough to share with us some his photos to help us understand the Independence school parades.
Most people in Guatemala often say that Guatemalans are not very “patriotic” and immediately mention how patriotic the Mexicans really are: “that’s really patriotism!” Heck I even heard an hour long radio show today discussing it.
Having said that, one can see the first glances of the Independence Day preparations back in July, or earlier, with student bands practices (#1). Of course, there is plenty of Independence Day bunting everywhere since the first days of September and a lot of street vendors selling flags in all shades of blue, even though only one blue is the official (#2). One week before September 15, there are student parades from pre-primary to high school on the streets of every town in the country (#3). Don’t forget the marathons with their patriotic torches(#4). In every school, government building and town’s main plaza there are Pledges of Alliance to the Flag, although here we call it Juramiento a la bandera, and the singing of Guatemala’s National Anthem recitals; check out last year’s Libre al viento tu hermosa bandera to read Guatemala’s National Anthem in English (#5). In some towns, there are enactments of the Signing of Independence Act (#6). On September 15th, at 6 p.m. all over main squares and central parks of Guatemala there is a civic act known as La arriada de la bandera, Haul down of the flag (#7). There are, of course, speeches remembering the signing of the Independence Act and how many years has been thus far (188) since 1821 (#8). Last but not least, the burning of firecracker bombs, firecrackers and fireworks, which may include Torito firecracker burnings (#9).
That’s what Guatemalans, who are not very “patriotic”, do to celebrate their Independence.
