Yucatán Hosts National Choral Gathering

Mérida, Yucatán — Yucatán will host a musical celebration with the second edition of the Encuentro de Coros en el Mayab (Choral Encounter in the Mayab), which from August 28 to 31 will bring together choral groups from various states across the country. The event will feature free public concerts, as well as workshops aimed at the artistic development of this sector within the state.

The event, which has the support of the Secretary of Culture and the Arts (Sedeculta), has the primary objective of highlighting and strengthening the experience of the members of the participating choirs through the presentations and the exchange of experiences during the event.

The organization of this Choral Encounter of the Mayab is managed by the Red Nacional de Directores y Coros de México (National Network of Choral Directors and Choirs of Mexico), represented in Yucatán by Maestra Nalleli González Contreras, director of the Coro Voces de La Ibérica, a group created at that cultural center belonging to Sedeculta.

La Ibérica will be the starting point for this encounter on the 28th, continuing subsequently in other Sedeculta spaces such as the Centro Cultural del Mayab and the Daniel Ayala Theatre, as well as at the Iglesia del Jesús de la Tercera Orden and the Santa Ana parish.

The closing event will feature the members of all the groups gathered for the encounter, forming a large ensemble of approximately 150 voices representing the country.

Representing Yucatán will be the Ensamble Vocal Mínimo, the Camerata Coral del Colegio de Músicos de Yucatán, the Coro Voces de Cámara del Estado de Yucatán, the Coro Voces Sonoras del Centro Cultural Ricardo López Méndez of Sedeculta, and the Coro Voces de La Ibérica.

Also performing will be the Coro Xoros de la Paz, from Baja California Sur; the Coral Metsidehu from Tepotzotlán, State of Mexico; Rincón Bohemio from Tlajomulco, Jalisco; the Coro Arte y Música from Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo; and the Coro Fulgencio Ávila Guevara from Cuernavaca, Morelos.

Among other activities of this second edition of the Choral Encounter in the Mayab is the workshop "Canto coral: movimiento, libertad y musicalidad" (Choral Singing: Movement, Freedom, and Musicality), taught by Maestro Behomar Rojas, a composer, music pedagogue, and choral director. The objective is to explore this musical expression from a physical and emotional perspective, based on a Latin American repertoire.

In addition to the above, Maestro Martín Luna, a former member of the Coro del Teatro Nacional de Bellas Artes, will participate in a "Charla-taller" (Chat-workshop) entitled "El arte de cantar en coros" (The Art of Choral Singing), where he will share his experience and tools for improving performance in choral expression.

All presentations are directed at the general public and will be completely free of charge, in accordance with the objectives of Sedeculta and the National Network of Choral Directors and Choirs of Mexico to offer alternatives for the appreciation of culture and creative expressions, as well as to promote the development of artistic groups.