It's ¡Fiesta! time

It's ¡Fiesta! time
By Liza A. Escoto
The Philippine Star 10/02/2005

October is Spanish Month In The Philippines, as Instituto Cervantes Kicks
off Fiesta, the month-long Spanish Festival for Culture and the Arts.

!Fiesta¡ is meant to commemorate Spain's National Day, which is celebrated
on October 12. This year's edition promises to be a truly exceptional
affair, with a variety of cultural events, live performances, movies,
culinary delights, art and photography exhibits, all featuring the best of
Spain's very own artists.

A unique dream not to be missed! Sara Baras is not just Spain's hottest
Flamenco dancer, she is contemporary flamenco's most famous star. The
34-year-old beauty is already considered an icon. Twice honored with Spain's
most prestigious dance award, the Premio Nacional de Danza, Baras has been
hailed worldwide for her intensity, brilliant choreography, and elegant
spirit.

Known for her ability to work her audiences into a frenzy with her powerful,
passionate dances and unbelievably fast footwork, Sara Baras is set to
perform on October 11 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Sueños
(Dreams), her acclaimed traditional flamenco show that made box office
history with a record-breaking five straight months of sold out performances
in Madrid.

Ballet Flamenco Sara Baras includes eight dancers and seven musicians. The
company has toured extensively around the globe and won many awards. Sueños
sees them returning to flamenco puro, the finest and most essential form of
the art.

Ongoing until November 6, Manila will be treated to a must-see photo exhibit
at the National Museum of the Filipino People: 150 Years of Photography in
Spain. This large exhibition places Spain in a leading position in the area
of international photography. The collection of 113 photos marks the
culmination of the ambitious work of Publio López Mondéjar, one of Spain's
most respected photo-historians. It shows the development of Spanish
photography-from its birth to the latest photographic trends. It includes a
meticulous selection of most outstanding images created by Spanish
photographers over the past century and a half.

In conjunction with these exhibits, Instituto Cervantes launched Manila, My
Manila Photo Contest, open to all photographers, professionals or amateurs.
The theme "Manila, My Manila" is taken from the words of National Artist
Nick Joaquin. This competition embraces all photographs whose subject is
Manila, resulting in a photo exhibit that captures the soul of the city from
different angles and varied artistic expressions. Two hundred qualified
entries fill the Greenbelt 3 Cinema lobby and ground floor until October 30.

The literary world is celebrating the 4th centenary of the first edition of
Don Quijote de la Mancha this year. To join this commemoration, Don Quijote
was chosen as the theme for the 10th Letras y Figuras. The winning entries
will be displayed in an exhibit next October.

More than two hundred participants came to the first Paint a Nook of
Intramuros: Pintura rápida on-the-spot painting contest held last year. This
overwhelming response deserves a repeat, open to all artists, enthusiasts,
and professionals alike, at the Puerta Real Gardens in Intramuros on October
15.

In collaboration with Hyatt Regency Hotel, Instituto Cervantes invites you
to enjoy the most authentic Spanish cuisine prepared by a Spanish master
chef at the Spanish Food Festival.

Dulaang UP turns to Spanish drama with Antonio Muñoz Molina's Sepharad, a
20th century story that draws on the Sephardic diaspora, the Holocaust, and
Stalin's purges. It goes on stage at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC
Plaza, Makati at 7:30 pm on October 21.

Prepare for another set of the best and hottest Spanish language films to
fill this year´s Pelikula: 4th Spanish and Latin American Film Festival in
Manila and Cebu. This must-see event will feature an unprecedented line-up
of 26 exceptional, award-winning films carefully selected from around the
Spanish-speaking world. The series includes Oscar winners for Best Foreign
Film, Mar Adentro (The Sea Inside) by Alejandro Amenábar and Todo sobre mi
madre (All About My Mother) by Pedro Almodóvar.

Moviegoers will have the chance to vote for the best film and win a free
trip. The festival runs until October 16 at the Greenbelt 1 Cinemas.

Acclaimed Spanish guitarist Jorge Orozco makes his grand comeback to the
Philippines, performing at Cagayan de Oro on October 2, and in Cebu City on
October 4. He will also conduct a guitar masterclass for advanced guitar
students at the Instituto Cervantes on October 6.

Armando Orbón, a celebrated classical guitarist, and jazz pianist Isaac
Turienzo will be playing in Manila with a repertoire by Latin-American
composers such as Granados, Tàrrega, Ariel Ramírez, A. Lauro, Albeniz, Falla
and J. Rodrigo, among others. They perform a night of music entitled Between
Two Shores at the Carlos P. Romulo Audi-torium, RCBC Plaza, Makati at 7:30
pm on October 8.

The culmination of Fiesta takes place on October 15, when the Spanish return
to Intramuros to revel in the Verbena Street Party at the Puerta Real
Gardens. Everyone is invited to join in the festivities. The previous
Verbena set a record with the largest paella in Asia, and this year guests
can have their fill of the quintessential Spanish dish as Verbena goes
all-out with a grand paella festival. Guests may also sample other varieties
of authentic Spanish cuisine prepared by the famed chefs of top Spanish
restaurants. A combination of music, food and fireworks make for a magical
Spanish night!

In line with the Instituto's mission to promote intercultural exchange and
artistic collaboration, after the success of the Semana de las Letras (Week
of Spanish Literature) held in London and Sao Paolo, Instituto Cervantes is
proud to bring this annual activity to Manila and further strengthen the
ties between the literary worlds of Spain and the Philippines.

Ten Spanish writers are set to arrive in Manila and meet with their Filipino
counterparts to discuss aspects of literary creation through colloquies and
round table discussions. The theme of the event is La huella y el viaje
(Traces and Journeys), and it will mainly focus on travel writing. There
will also be discussions on Filipino literature in Spanish, translation
issues in literature and the literary connections between The Philippines
and Spain. This activity will be held on October 24 to 27 in various venues
around Metro Manila, including the Rizal monument, RCBC Plaza, Greenbelt 3,
and the Instituto Cervantes.

The Instituto Cervantes is a public, non-profit institution founded by the
Spanish government in 1991 to promote and teach the Spanish language and
spread the culture of Spanish-speaking countries. Established in the
Philippines in 1993, it strives to provide Filipinos with an understanding
of Spanish culture and a broader view of the Hispanic world.

Fiesta would not be possible without the support of Lufthansa and Hyatt
Regency, and the assistance of 105.1 Crossover, Aboitiz, Agencia Española
Cooperación Internacional, Soluziona, Alba's, Casa Armas, CCP, the embassies
of Argentina, Chile and Mexico, Fuego Hotels, ICAA, Intramuros
Administration, Kamayan, Master's Touch, Nikon, People Support, Program for
Cultural Cooperation, RCBC Plaza, and Mapfre.

For more information about Fiesta 2005, call Instituto Cervantes at tel
526-1482 to 85 or log on to http://manila.cervantes.es
====================
From: http://www.philstar.com/philstar/SPECIALSECTIONS200510044605.htm