Spanish envoy: ‘Fiesta’ will fortify RP-Spanish relations

Spanish Ambassador Ignacio Sagaz, who assumed his post here last February, says: "Culture is not a by-product that embellishes Spanish politics in the Philippines but is, in fact, the very basis of it." He adds: "To my mind, the preservation of Spanish culture, one of Spain’s great contributions to the Philippines through almost 400 years, and our continuing effort to have the Filipinos value that significant legacy in the light of their own history, will help them face the challenges of the future."

Manifestations of Spanish culture will be very much in evidence this October through a fascinatingly diverse program in both the performing and visual arts, and Mr. Sagaz finds it highly gratifying that Fiesta is being celebrated in the same year the Senate approved a bill declaring June 30 Fil-Spanish Friendship Day.

"Fiesta will avoid the commonplace and the prosaic to deepen and strengthen relationship between the Philippines and the Hispanic world with more imaginative programs," says Javier Galvan, director of the Instituto Cervantes (the Spanish Cultural Center) which is co-sponsoring the event.

Interest and fascination will peak with the performance of the spectacular Nuevo Ballet Español, named the Best Flamenco Dance Company in Cadiz in 2000. Its frenetic, furious rhythms, the sinuous, voluptuous movements of the women and the fiery, thunderous taconeos (footwork) of the men will send pulses beating. Led by Angel Rojas and Carlos Rodriguez, Concierto Flamenco, blending its traditional Gypsy origins with the innovative, may show touches of jazz, salsa and bossa nova.

Wizard Jorge Orozco, classic guitarist, and Ana Luisa Espinosa, a leading Spanish zarzuela singer, will be on a return engagement, and this reviewer hereby claims they are superb! A guitar quartet from Barcelona, with a pretty señorita among the four, will entertain guitar aficionados.

Inter-action between Spanish and Filipino artists will characterize Fiesta. For instance, Instituto Cervantes will mark the birth centenary of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda with a reading of his love poems in Spanish, English and Tagalog by Filipino hispanistas to the guitar accompaniment of Jorge Orozco who will doubtless deepen the "romantic" mood of the occasion.

Further, the Dulaang UP will present an adaptation of Federico Garcia Lorca’s El Maleficio de la Mariposa (The Butterfly’s Evil Spirit or Ang Malupit na Engkanto ng Mariposa). Theater buffs will thus be re-introduced to the great Spanish poet-dramatist one of whose tragedies, "The House of Bernarda Alba," was staged in Spanish by the Manila Theater Guild decades ago.

In the visual arts, exhibits of digital (computer) art will take the place of oil, pastel and water color on canvas. "Letras y Figuras," contemporary idioms on idea and identity — a Filipino painting genre that originated in the Spanish era — continues to flourish in the Letras y Figuras IC-sponsored contest, with the dozen finalists displaying their works. The winner will be chosen by a jury and by visitors who will drop their choices in a ballot box.

Eight of the choicest award-winning films will be on view, with director Bruno Lazaro coming over for the Manila premiere of his film "It’s for You." El Bola, winner of four Goya awards, including Best Picture, will be shown on opening night.

With culture, in its broadest sense, encompassing the culinary arts, Chef Luis Martinez will prepare some of the best regional cuisine. Complementing the "Gastronomic Tour of Spain" will be heady wine festivals.

The Street Party Verbena is expected to exude the festive spirit and total abandon of our own Ati-atihan and, quite possibly, the South American Mardi Gras while a Latin band and our own flamenco dancers led by Guillermo Gomez get into their act at the Puerta Real Gardens. A giant paella — the biggest imaginable! — will be brought in to be gawked at, raved about and later, eaten by the revelers.