Australia will be the invited country at this year’s 22nd Festival Cultural de Mayo, set for May 7-31 in metro area Guadalajara.
David Engel, the Australian ambassador in Mexico, joined local culture representatives to unveil the upcoming program this week.
One of the most intriguing performers will be William Barton, an Aboriginal didgeridoo player from Mount Isa, Queensland who learned to play the instrument from his uncle, an elder of the Wannyi, Lardil and Kalkadunga tribes. He is widely recognized as one of Australia’s finest didgeridoo players and the leading player in the classical world. He will perform in two concerts, on May 29 and 31, with members of the Jalisco Philharmonic Orchestra (OFJ).
Also coming to the festival is Australian saxophonist Amy Dickson, who will perform with the OFJ on May 26, in a program featuring the compositions of Philip Glass, Edward Elgar and Cristina García Islas.
The inauguration of the festival, on May 9 and 11 at the Teatro Degollado, will feature the modern dance show “Attractor”, which brings together Indonesian music duo, Senyawa, and two of Australia’s leading dance companies, Dancenorth and Lucy Guerin Inc., to create a unique music/dance ritual.
The Festival de Mayo will feature 71 artists taking part in 55 events, with all but 11 of them free of charge. Performances in public spaces, including the Plaza de la Liberacion and Tren Ligero stations, will continue to be a feature of the festival.
As in past years, the festival is co-funded by the Jalisco state government (seven million pesos) and municipality of Guadalajara (two million pesos).