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Culture Mexico has a rich cultural heritage – from vibrant Pre-Hispanic folk-art to the works of the great muralists of the 20th century, there is a colourful art tradition as well a thriving music and literature scene. Tiempo Libre (www.tiempolibre.com.mx), a comprehensive listings guide to all cultural events taking place in the city, comes out every Thursday and costs M$10. The monthly programme, Guía de Programación, is available free from the Bellas Artes bookshop and tourist offices. Ticketmaster (tel: (55) 5325 9000; website: www.ticketmaster.com.mx) sells tickets for most major events in Mexico City and publishes the monthly entertainment guide, ¿Qué hacemos? (‘What shall we do?’). Music: The Orquesta Filarmónica de la Ciudad de México (OFCM) (Mexico City Philharmonic Orchestra) has its own concert hall, the Sala Silvestre Revueltas, Periferico Sur 5141 (tel: (55) 5606 8191 or 6089; website: www.ofcm.com.mx). The state-owned Auditorio Nacional, Paseo de la Reforma 50 (tel: (55) 5280 9250; e-mail: auditorionacional@com.mx; website: www.auditorio.com.mx), is the biggest music and entertainment venue in Mexico City. Perhaps the most typical Mexican music is the mariachi, where roaming groups of trumpeters, violinists, guitarists and a singer peddle their tunes (see Live Music in Nightlife for venues). Theatre: There are plenty of theatres to choose from, although virtually every play staged in Mexico City is in Spanish. Alternatively, there are a number of Teatro-Bars, which offer a more informal environment and content for the non-Spanish speaker, as they stage lively variety shows and cabarets with singers, dancers, comedians, ventriloquists and magicians. La Planta de Luz, Plaza Loreto, in San Angel (tel: (55) 5616 4761), has such shows from Monday to Thursday, complemented by La Bodega, Popocatépetl 25, in Condesa (tel: (55) 5511 7390), on Fridays and Saturdays. The avant-garde El Hábito, Madrid 13, in Coyoacán (tel: (55) 5554 6414), has Thursday and Friday shows, while at Teatro La Blanquita, Avenida Lázaro Cárdenas Sur 16 (tel: (55) 5512 0855), they perform nightly. Worth looking out for are the Lebanese-born cabaret artist Astrid Haddad, who packs in the crowds, and the irreverent satirist Jesusa Rodriguez, who makes for an entertaining night out. Dance: Colourful traditional indigenous dances are an important part of many Mexican regional fiesta. The Palacio de Bellas Artes is home to the Ballet Folclórico de México, a bright and spectacular performance of Mexican music and dance from all over the country, which takes place every Wednesday and Sunday. The box office opens at 1100, where tickets can be purchased for M$320, M$250 and M$180 for the balcony (these are not recommended as some of the set is obscured). Film: American and other foreign films (with the exception of animations) are shown in their original language with Spanish subtitles. Cineteca Nacional, Avenida México, Coyoacán (tel: (55) 5422 1100; website: http://cineteca.conaculta.gob.mx), Cinemanía, Plaza Loreto in San Angel (tel: (55) 5616 4836), and Centro Cultural Universitario, Avenida Insurgentes Sur 3000 (tel: (55) 5665 0709), all screen classic and art-house films. For art blockbusters, Cinemex Casa de Arte, Avenida Presidente Masaryk 393 (website: www.cinepolis.com.mx) is a modern multi-screen cinema in the Plaza Masaryk; tickets are usually about M$20 and half price on Wednesdays. Mexican cinema has recently experienced a revival, with Amores Perros, directed by Iturbide Gonzalez, nominated for an Oscar for best foreign film in 2001, while Y Tu Mama Tambien, directed by Alfonso Cuaron, became the Mexican hit of 2002. Cultural events: The Festival del Centro Histórico takes place in March and is a three-week festival of classical and popular music, dance, exhibitions and other cultural events. The festival attracts performers from all over Mexico and events are staged in the plazas and theatres throughout the Centro Histórico. Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is celebrated on November 2 and is a day when the souls of the dead are believed to return to the earth. It is a fabulously colourful and cheerful celebration. Families build altars in their homes and lay decorous garlands on the graves of their loved ones. The Zócalo becomes the focus of the national celebration. Literary Notes Pre-Hispanic poems and history have survived in the form of codices, colourful inscriptions painted on skin or bark paper, but History of the Conquest of New Spain is considered to be the first work of Mexican literature. Written by Bernal Díaz del Castillo, one of Cortés’ lieutenants, it is an eyewitness account of the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire. Mexico boasts a number of internationally acclaimed writers including the late Octavio Paz, a Nobel Prize winner and essayist who wrote an in-depth examination of Mexican myths and the Mexican character, The Labyrinth of the Solitude (1950). Carlos Fuentes is Mexico’s most famous writer – his book, Where the Air is Clear (1958), is set in Mexico City and follows the lives of a number of its inhabitants through the decades after the Mexican Revolution. Laura Esquivel is the author of a more contemporary hit, Como Agua para Chocolate (Like Water for Chocolate, 1990); the film based on the novel also became an instant international success. |
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