Diego Rivera Birthday on December 8
«Diego Rivera was one of the great Latin American muralists of the 20th century. He was a Mexican painter, born in Guanajuato in 1886 and died in Mexico City in 1957. Together with José Clemente Orozco and David Alfaro Siqueiros, he formed the great Mexican muralist triad of the 20th century. Mexican culture was always present in his work, even when he was ‘contaminated’ by Europe during his trips to avant-garde Paris. His work influenced hundreds of artists, and his life continues to fascinate today because of his political irreverence, his legendary hedonism, and an inexplicable attraction for women. Perhaps the woman of his life was Frida Khalo, whom he married (twice).» Historia Arte (HA!)
Minimum Wage Increase for 2023
Businessmen, workers, and the Mexican government agreed to a 20% increase in the minimum wage to benefit more than six million workers, while authorities ruled out that the increase could have an impact on inflation. The agreement was announced by Secretary of Labor Luisa María Alcalde, who indicated that the increase, which will take effect on January 1, 2023, will bring the minimum wage from 172 pesos (US$8) to 207 pesos (US$10) per day. The increase will also be applied in Mexico’s northern border-free zone, where the minimum wage will increase from 260 pesos (US$13) to 312 pesos (US$15.6) per day.
The Sidewalk of Discord
After the controversy that arose last August over the extension of a sidewalk between the National Institute of Anthropology and History and the Municipal Government, a federal judge finally issued an order for municipal authorities to remove partially the sidewalk extension built on Juarez Street in the historic center of San Miguel. In the same document, the judge requested that local authorities guarantee the operation of the tourist buses. The extension of the sidewalk has been executed, and full operation of the tourist buses is currently suspended.
«Da Vinci Experience and His Real Machines»
This traveling exhibition arrives at the Altacia shopping center, in the city of León. «The exhibition is divided into four parts: an informative one and a physical one where people will be able to interact with replicas of the work. The third section is an immersive room, which is the heart of the experience, with these projections in high HD format where you can appreciate the smallest detail of the most famous works, all accompanied by music. Finally, we have a section that incorporates more the technological part; it is a virtual reality experience, where we can get on ships or helicopters invented by the mind of a genius who 500 years ago thought about things that nobody believed were possible,» said Filippo Pandolfini, CEO of Sensea Immersive.
Pro Musica Choir «Our Christmas»
Pro Música is the best amateur choir in Mexico, made up of polyphonic singing enthusiasts who follow the path of choirs with a European amateur tradition. It was founded in 1985 at the initiative of Xavier Torresarpi and is currently directed by Samuel Pascoe Aguilar, director emeritus, and by Countertenor Edwin Calderón, principal conductor. Its motto sums up its philosophy. It has accompanied outstanding orchestras such as OFUNAM, Minería en IPN, under the baton of great national and foreign conductors, who have performed three times at Carnegie Hall in New York. For this concert, the Pro Música choir joins their voices with the children and youth choir of the Biblioteca Pública to perform at the Templo de San Francisco on December 16 at 7pm.
The Guadalupe-Reyes Marathon Kicks Off
The Guadalupe-Reyes Marathon is a typical locution of Mexican culture. This designation began in the 1990s. Informally, it refers to the festive, intermittent period between December 12 (day of the Virgin of Guadalupe) and January 6 (day of the Three Kings). But where does the concept come from? In 1990, in the former Federal District (now CDMX), the term «Guadalupe-Reyes» began to be used as a code to refer to the surveillance and protection operations in the streets of the city to watch over the pilgrims going to the Basilica of Guadalupe, and for the people making their massive purchases, on the occasion of Three Kings Day, on January 6.
