“Malagueño Varieté” by Rafael González

The Consulate General of Mexico in El Paso and Centro Cultural Mexicano Paso del Norte invited the binational community of the Paso del Norte region to the aerial dance show Malagueño Varieté”, by Mexican dancer Rafael González. “Malagueño Varieté” Based on the Mexican tradition of the "Day of the Dead", "Malagueño Varieté" tells the story of a widow who, after looking at the portrait of her deceased husband at the “altar de muertos”, takes us on a journey through her memories that include paintings, music, costumes, games, artists and the golden age of Mexican cinema. All these elements come together to create a magical tale were La Catrina is ever-present, always ready to cheerfully take the souls of our deceased love ones, whom we honor on this special day. The contrasting atmosphere created by this piece takes us through all the emotions that are part of the unique Mexican idiosyncrasy: joy, melancholy, love, regret, happiness, death, framed by Mexican traditions, artists, music, costumes, games, paintings, and the golden age of Mexican films, conveyed by acrobats and dancers performing on aerial silks, hoops, trapezes, chains and floor dance techniques, framed by a repertoire of well-known contemporary vernacular music of Mexico, which includes music by Chavela Vargas, Lila Downs, and Ximena Sariñana, among others.