18 Aug Uniting the SoCal and Guatemalan communities to celebrate the vibrant folklore and culture of Guatemala
FESTIVAL CHAPÍN LOS ÁNGELES 2019 – ‘RECORDANDO MIS RAÍCES’
(REMEMBERING MY ROOTS)
August 24 & 25 in Los Angeles’ Lafayette Park
Elevating of 40 ft. traditional Kite (‘Barrilete’) on August 24, at 10 am + Mayan Opening Ceremony
Vesper Public Relations. Los Angeles, CA. August 2019. The 2019 Festival Chapín Los Ángeles will take place in Los Angeles’ Lafayette Park on August 24 & 25 from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm. The free and third annual event, whose theme this year is ‘Recordando mis Raíces’ (remembering my roots), celebrates Guatemalan culture via the country’s historic folklore, music, and ‘Chapín’ gastronomy.
All members of the SoCal community are invited to enjoy live traditional marimba music, food vendors, as well as exhibitors with traditional clothing and artisanal goods from Guatemala.
The festival opening will have a performance by Ajpop – a Tecum dance group that will be conducting a Mayan ceremony.
On Saturday, August 24 at 10:00 am, a forty foot long ‘barrilete’ (decorated kite) will be elevated at the festival. A tradition during ‘Día de Muertos’ (Day of the Dead) in Guatemala is the flying of these gigantic and beautifully decorated kites, created by the people of Sumpango and Santiago Sacatepéquez, Guatemala.
YouTube
LA Times
One of the exhibitors will be displaying little dolls called ‘quitapenas’. A tradition exists in Guatemala that when people have some problem or worry, they seek out these colorful little dolls, which they place under their pillows so that while they are sleeping the ‘quitapenas’ take away all their sorrows.
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7Sv3CaICcc
Some of the talent coming from Guatemala:
Ballet Folclórico del Instituto Nacional Guatemalteco de Turismo (INGUAT)
The Guatemalan Tourism Institute (INGUAT) Ballet was created in 1990 with the aim of promoting tourism through diverse choreographic works based on the values of Guatemalan culture.
Efred ‘Chinito’ Catu
Born into a humble family from Guatemala City, singer Efred ‘Chinito’ Catu grew up in SOS children’s villages of Guatemala and graduated as a physical education teacher. In addition to performing and recording, he founded ” Se Vale Soñar”, a non-profit organization.
“Princesa” https://youtu.be/cbSG9GvPL8A
Fabiola Roudha
Fabiola Roudha is a Guatemalan singer-songwriter who specializes in the genres of pop, pop rock, blues and pop soul. She won second place on the show Código Fama Internacional (Mexico), second place on La Academia (Mexico), first place on Desafio de Estrellas (Mexico) and best Central American artist on Los40 (Spain).
IG: FabiolaRoudhaOficial
Video: “Fuera de Cristal” https://youtu.be/YaqFUKKn7Pc
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/sitiofabiola
La Katrina
Singer-songwriter Alejandra Nájera Katrina whose stage name is “The Katrina”, is a Guatemalan Pop singer-
https://lakatrinaguatemala.com//fp/index/
Marimba
The marimba is more than a simple musical instrument – it is a symbol of identity, national unity, and pride. The instrument was declared a patriotic symbol of Guatemala in 1999.
Jeimmy Aburto
Jeimmy Aburto served as Miss Guatemala (2015) and is model, actress, and television presenter at channel 7 in Guatemala.
IG: Jeimmy_aburto
Miss Universo – https://youtu.be/w2nVEP3CRxo
Toño Flow y Edwin Sánchez
Toño Flow y Edwin Sánchez are young Guatemalan singer-songwriters that we will dance to the rhythm of reggaeton and tropical sounds.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC74UE27zJHRz3x7nV_U9NFA
Yessie
Yessie is a Guatemalan artist and model. She recently released the dance friendly single “Esta Noche”. Produced by Juan Fer Herrera of 502 productions, the song includes a music video directed by Javier R. Barrascout of Mind Studios. The young artist has represented her country at the international level many times in various artistic disciplines. She was part of the World Olympics of Arts in Hollywood in 2013.
“Esta Noche”
Gastronomy:
Food will be available for purchase including these rich, traditional foods of Guatemala: ‘garnachas’ (similar to a Mexican ‘sope’), ‘shucos’ (Guatemalan-style hot dogs), chicken ‘pepian’, ‘enchiladas’, and ‘hilachas’ (stewed meat).
Crafts:
Footwear, pottery, jewelry, clothes, tablecloths, and traditional purses
History:
The Republic of Guatemala is a Central American country which historically formed the core of the Maya civilization, one of the most sophisticated and highly developed societies in the history of the Americas and the entire world. After being subjugated to Spanish rule, Guatemala gained independence in 1821 and became an independent republic in 1821. A decades-long civil war that began in the 1950s provided the impetus for generations of Guatemalans to seek a better life abroad, often in Florida, Texas, and California.
Metro Los Angeles is home to one of the largest Guatemalan populations outside of Guatemala. Communities with substantial numbers of Guatemalans include the cities of Los Angeles, Long Beach, Hawthorne, Palmdale, Inglewood, Paramount and the unincorporated communities of Lennox and Val Verde.
Metro Los Angeles is also home to several notable Guatemalans, including the prominent street artist Mauricio “Cache” Reyes, as well as a plethora of Guatemalan restaurants serving up delicious traditional dishes.
Chapín is a word that many Guatemalans use to describe their ethnicity with pride, and the history of the word chapín dates back to the 15th century. Chapines were a type of platform that was popular in Spain. The footwear for which the Guatemalan nickname gained its name eventually disappeared and at present the name is very popular and is used as an adjective for a person who comes from Guatemala.
Festival Chapín Los Ángeles is free and annually attracts a multi-cultural audience to the middle of Los Angeles. For more information, visit www.festivalchapin.com.
Sponsors:
Los Angeles City Council President Herb Wesson, Los Angeles Councilmember, District 10, Temple Recylcing Center
Avance Inmobiliario, S.A, Banrural, Guatemala Corazon del Mundo Maya, Raffallo’s Pizza, Casa Limpia, Pan Victoria
Shaddai, Ford & Mazda of Orange, La Casa de las Garnachas & Beer, Los Nuestro Television Centro Americana
Montesion Center, La Voz del Inmigrante, Hidro Colon Guatemala S A, 13 Cereales, Chapines Pro Education of Los Angeles, CHapin.com, Canal 7 /Chapin TV, Volaris & La Mega 96.3.
About Festival Chapín Los Ángeles:
Festival Chapín Los Ángeles is a non-profit organization based in California that’s committed to promoting the art and culture of Guatemala abroad. Its mission is to offer resources to educational institutions in Guatemala that help to promote the education, health and well-being for children from less-advantaged homes in the country.
Social Media
Instagram: @festivalchapin
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWtagN1r57pH7ot-KBjKkPw
Facebook: Festival Chapin De Los Angeles
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