Delightful strains of traditional Mexican music will fill the air when musicians from near and far congregate Wednesday, June 6, at Chapala’s Centro Cultural González Gallo for the 16th Encuentro de Arpas, Salterios y Mas.
The outdoor terrace and grassy grounds of the former railway station will be the setting for the off-beat music fest, running non-stop from 2 p.m. until midnight unless evening rain interrupts the program.
Admission is free of charge, although voluntary donations and purchases of commemorative t-shirts and other souvenirs are welcomed to help defray festival operating expenses handled by members of the Orquesta Típica de Chapala. Food and beverages, assorted acoustic instruments and CDs recorded by various performers will be sold on site.
Spectators are welcome to come and go as they please throughout the musical marathon. There will be seating available under a large tent and ample space for people bringing their own portable chairs, blankets, picnic gear, snacks and drinks.
This year’s program will showcase Mexican folk harp virtuoso William Faulkner from California and Grupo Linaje from Columbia. The Xochipitzahautl String Ensemble from Mexico State and the harp and psaltery players of the Orquesta Típica de Guadalajara are lined up for debut appearances at the event.
Regular participants on the bill include the father-son harp duo Los Centenarios, psaltery master Daniel Torres, troubadour Luis Ku, Mariachi Tradicional Los Pitayeros, Grupo Amate, Son de Coamil and Los Tecuexesa, all from Jalisco, along with the University of Veracruz Grupo Nematatlín and Mariachi El Carrizo from Michoacán, among others.
Once all the performers have taken turns on stage, the concert format shifts to a more relaxed mode as the musicians mix it up during the final hours to interpret favorite tunes in a kind of jam session known as the palomazo.
On subsequent dates, guest musicians extending their visits to lakeside will likely appear at pop-events taking place at other local venues.