Program

National Folkloric Festival of La Mejorana

Guararé, Panamá - 2019

 

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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22nd, 2019  
10:00 a.m.

Traditional Junta for building the barrera (rink) for the bullfights.

In the countryside tradition, tasks such as planting, harvest, home construction, and others, which require significant labor, are occasions when neighbors come together for a work gathering (junta) to complete the task. Music, yelling, singing, cooking, eating, and drinking are part of the routine from the beginning, but once the job is done, the party gets going at full force.

Bull fights - Once the rink is ready, you have to try it out, right?

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23rd, 2019  
7:00 p.m.

Salve (Hail Holy Queen) and Procession in Honor of Our Patron Saint, the Virgin of Mercy.

Handcrafted / artisan fireworks.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24th, 2019  
10:00 a.m.

Solemn Eucharist (Mass) in Honor of Our Lady of Mercy.

12:00 p.m.

Sung praises in honor of the Virgin of Mercy by décima singers and mejorana performers from the region, at the Mejorana Palace (the main stage).

A décima (also known as décima espinela) is the traditional, folkloric verse form used in Panama and several other Latin American countries such as Puerto Rico and México (Veracruz). It originated in Spain. Each strophe or stanza consists of ten eight-syllable lines, with the strict rhyming pattern ABBAACCDDC. It is sung in one of the many torrentes (styles) of mejorana, accompannied by the mejoranera (the small Panamanian guitar).

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25th, 2019  
8:00 p.m.

Crowning Ceremony for Her Majesty Neslie Mercedes Gutiérrez Díaz, Queen of the LXIX (69th) National Festival of la Mejorana, by Her Majesty Zaray Dionela Córdoba Leverone, Queen of the LXVIII (68th) Festival.

Homage to Her Majesty Nency Lopez, on her 50th anniversary, and to Her Majesty Arcenia Maray Espino, on her 25th Anniversary.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26th, 2019  
3:00 p.m.

Pilgrimage to the Statue of Professor Manuel Fernando Zárate (founder of the Festival).

The statue is in front of the Festival's museum, which is a traditionally-built house just two blocks away from the main stage of the festival, walking down hill beside the church. As a historical note, the house, made of wood, mud, straw, and cañaza (a bamboo like material) was built by a junta, just like the bull fighting rink is built each year.

3:00 p.m.

Traditional Bullfights. In Panama, bullfights include teasing of bulls, but not killing and normally not intentionally hurting the animals. There is usually one or more hired bullfighters, but there will always be guys who are interested in showing off, and who will become improvised bullfighters or will ride the bulls rodeo-style. This can be dangerous, but it often is quite entertaining to watch. Once in a while a bull will escape the barrera (rink), which creates another particularly thrilling situation, especially when you are too close to the place where the bull breaks away. It is usually better to find a safe place from which to watch.

Guarare features one of the only two traditional bullfighting rinks in Panama. The other one is in Parita, Province of Herrera. The barrera  (rink) is built each year immediately in front of the porches of the houses that surround the empty plaza, leaving very little space for people to move around the rink, except in the four corners, where the street intersections provide more space. In recent years, people have built a few rudimentary, elevated stands (palcos) in some areas around the rink, which provide added comfort and safety; these stands are often reserved for owners and their friends.

4:00 p.m.

Third Saloma Competition Ceferino "Fefe" López, at the Mejorana Palace (the Main Stage)

Saloma is a type of a-capella, ad-lib singing, mostly performed by men when they are working some difficult or long task. It often combines melodies with lyrics and melodies without lyrics, and it is usually sung in between some periods of traditional yelling. In the traditional popular "tipico" musical band, the woman singer also sings salomas, melodies without lyrics, in between verses.

Third Yelling Competition (at the Main Stage)

7:30 p.m.

25th Sung Décimas Competition “Bernardo Cigarruista”.

9:30 p.m.

Burlap Flag entrusted to the Flag Bearer for the Traditional Día Sereno and Great Atolladera (all of which happens the next day).

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27th, 2019

 

3:00 p.m.

Día Sereno (Serene Day). Traditional cowfights. Great Atolladera (Mud Party) inside the bullfighting rink (barrera) (atollar means to put mud on - atolladera is when that happens as a group activity).

Tuna (dancing parade) with the Burlap Flag led by Her Majesty and her court and the flag bearer for the day.

It usually rains a lot in September in Panama. The second day of official bullfights is called the Día Sereno (Serene Day). That day the flag is made of burlap, and the queen's tuna actually goes inside of the barrera, where the cowfights stop for a while, lots of fireworks of various types will be ignited, and some of the party goers will be thrown in the mud or at least partially covered with mud, for fun. The queen, her court, and others in the tuna will usually dress in white that afternoon, to make the mud on their clothes even more visible. The tradition to wear white is said to have been started by Dorindo Cárdenas, a very popular and beloved accordion musician who wrote the song "Décimo Quinto Festival en Guararé" (Fifteenth Festival in Guararé) among many other hits. That song was made popular around the world by Colombian accordion musician Alfredo Gutiérrez and in a salsa version by the Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, and it has been covered by many other musicians/bands for many years . In the seventies, Dorindo was chosen as flag bearer for the Día Sereno and Atolladera for several years. Dorindo is still one of the most renowned and sought after "típico" musicians, and usually performs for popular dances several nights at the Festival. Dorindo was chosen as the flag bearer again, for the Day of the Atolladera, in 2017. People carried him in a taburete (a chair made of wood and cowhide) during the dancing parade with the Queen inside the bullfighting rink, just like the first time many years ago when he did not want to stand up to get into the atolladera and folks forced him to participate by taking him in his chair.

7:30 p.m.

19th Female and Male Work Costume Competition Professor Dora Pérez de Zárate. Female: Festive Montuna Pollera; Male: Coleta Shirt. This takes place at the Mejorana Palace (the main stage).

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28th, 2019  
9:00 a.m.

24th Children's Drumming Competition, at the Mejorana Palace (the Main Stage)

9:00 a.m.

The children and youth delegations will perform their regional dances as part of the Victorino Fulito Córdoba Encounter, at the Youth Performaces Stage, also known as the Children's Stage (one block up hill from main stage).

10:30 a.m.

24th Youth Accordion Competition Didio Borrero, sponsored by the Didio Borrero Espino Foundation and the Ministry of Education.

12:00 p.m.

43rd Drumming Competition for Adults Gumercindo Díaz, sponsored by the Cooperative of Integrated Services José del  C. Domínguez, R.L.

1:00 p.m.

47th Written Décima Competition Manuel F. Zárate, organized by Guararé's Lions Club and sponsored by Cable & Wireless.

2:30 p.m.

Presentation of Award  Dora Pérez de Zárate.

Presentation of Award Orden Manuel Fernando Zárate.

The late Manuel Fernando Zárate and his wife Dora Pérez de Zárate were the motors behind the founding of the festival in 1949.

3:00 p.m.

32nd Mejoranera Performance Competition Aristides Gil - Esteban Rodríguez.

3:00 p.m.

Traditional Bullfights

4:30 p.m.

58th Accordion Competition Rogelio Gelo Córdoba for adults, with gold medal sponsored by Panama's Ministry of Education.

7:30 p.m.

Continuation of the Great Tournament of La Mejorana. Adult delegations will perform their regional dances as part of the 27th Folkloric Dance Competition Lorenzo "Lencho" Vergara.

The Great Tournament of La Mejorana consists of performances and competitions in diverse vernacular expressions, some of which do not relate directly to mejorana. The word mejorana currently conveys several possible meanings: (1) the singing of décimas in the Panamanian folkloric style; (2) the music that accompanies the singing of décimas in the Panamanian folkloric style; (3) the dancing of the mejorana music; (4) the small rustic guitar that accompanies the singing or dancing (also called mejoranera); and (5) the festival itself.

9:00 p.m.

Festival Flag entrusted to the Flag Bearer for the Traditional Parade of Oxcarts on Sunday.

9:30 p.m.

Homage to “Cultores del Folklore” (folklore supporters).

After completion of previous event

Performances by Folkloric and Cultural groups.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29th, 2019  
1:00 a.m.   Performances by Folkloric and Cultural groups.
9:00 a.m.

Tenth Mejoranera Performance Competition "Gabriel Villarreal" for children.

9:00 a.m.

Gathering and organization of the delegations, oxcarts, and general public, in preparation for the Oxcart Parade. This is on Carretera Nacional (National Road) in front of  Juana Vernaza Primary School.

10:30 a.m.

15th Children's Sung Décima Competition Félix Pérez.

12:00 p.m.

Beginning of the Great Oxcart Parade led by the Flag Bearer for the Day. Two competitions will take place during the parade: the 30th Tuna Competition Martina Castillo, and the 24th Oxcart Competition Tiburcio Saavedra.

A Tuna, in Spain's tradition, is a group of musicians, singers, and dancers that parade through the streets. In Panama, tunas consist of one lady singing a verse and a choir of ladies (these days men sing as well) responding. The singing is accompannied by drumming. There are three types of drum in Panama: the repicador, which provides the syncopaded , mostly ad-lib accents, the pujador, which is slightly lower in tone and provides the rythm with a few syncopation excursions, and the caja, which provides the constant beat. The repicador and pujador are played with the bare hands, while the caja is played with sticks.

In the case of the oxcart parade at this festival, a tuna accompanies each oxcart. Each oxcart is nicely decorated according to some folkloric theme and usually carries one or more people representing a particular custom from life in the country. Some of these can be quite funny. The queen, princess, and other ladies dressed in beautiful polleras (the Panamanian national female dress) also have one oxcart and one tuna each.

6:00 p.m.

Award Ceremony for the Winners of the Tunas and Oxcarts Competitions, at the Festival Main Stage.

7:30 p.m.

43rd Great Classical Night of Violins (the music is Panamanian folkloric fiddle music.), and 23rd Violin (fiddle) Competition Escolástico "Colaco" Cortez.

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Note: in addition to the folkloric events of the festival, popular dances are usually organized by the various dance "jardines" in town, all located on the single up/down street that touches the main plaza, away from the church. These presentations and dances usually feature renowned Panamanian "tipico music" bands. Most of these presentations/dances start after 9:30 p.m., but some are afternoon events. The last weekend of the festival is usually the most important in terms of events and crowds. Also, there are plenty of food stands selling traditional Panamanian food around the event locations.

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