May Cross - Cruz de Mayo 2010. Press Release

The Lopinot Tourism Action Committee


PRESS RELEASE


The Festivity “Velorio de la Cruz de Mayo” (May Cross Festivity) will be celebrated on Monday 31st May, 2008 from 3:30 p.m. at the Lopinot Historical Complex in Lopinot. This is a joint celebration hosted by the LTAC, the IVCC of the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and YTEPP’s Tour Guide Classes of Arima and Belmont.

The celebration of the May Cross Festivity is symbolic of life and devotion as its rites aim to enrich the harvest and bring rain, and each region of Venezuela and Trinidad expresses its particular way of celebrating it. The crosses shown during the festivity are adorned with flowers and colourful papers, sometimes small fruits like grapes! Fruits and crops are also placed at the base of the altar. People invoke the cross followed by sung rosaries and verses announcing the chants. It’s an incredible story of the transformation of a culture emanating from Spain and undergoing profound change as it comes into contact with indigenous rites.

There will be GALERON performances by the Institute and Parang performances by local Parang legends such as Los Alumnos de San Juan and San Jose Serenaders.

Parang music in the middle of the year! That’s something to look forward to.

The general public and the various Latin American and Hispanic communities are cordially invited to the “ May Cross Festivity “

Admission is free. We also have Craft and Hispanic and indigenous cuisine on sale.

See you there.

Ricardo Rambally
Co-ordinator
Lopinot Events 2010

Friends & Family Singing Parang with the Curator at The Lopinot Historical Complex

Dear Friends,

It occurred to me that even after the explication of the May Cross in detail I still didn't tell you why you should come to the celebration.

I think I figured out the best answer today.

You see, a film crew came today to do some footage of Lopinot and a few interviews. That didn't really capture my attention. I took my two year old son behind the Historical Complex down to the river. As any child would , he insisted on going in. By the time I was soaking wet, I got a message that someone from the crew wanted to speak with me.
She was fascinated by the fact that Parang music was emanating from a building on the site of the Complex just like that! In the Middle of May. ( incidentally, it's the Jailhouse ) What really made the cut for her was that the performers were not really Parranderos at all. They were just members of an ordinary family paying a visit to the site. The museum's long standing curator inveigled them into joining him in a Parang and that was it. It took off quite naturally.

And then there it was! I figured it out.

The Parang took off quite naturally. This IS the reason YOU should come. The music belongs here. It is at home in Lopinot. Even someone with next to no musical talent falls in NATURALLY. That's the astonishimg thing that exists nowhere else but here.
I often wondered why so many Parranderos pay homage to the area in the first place. It is because Lopinot IS Parang.

There is no other explanation. YOU can come here and sing to your heart's delight and no matter what, it just feels right! That's extraordinary.

Los Alumnos de San Juan- 8 times National Parang Champs, The legendary San Jose Serenaders, Maracas Serenaders, La Bendicion and many more bands will be there. Not for the money, not for the fame, but simply because it's Lopinot.

Any place that can have that kind of drawing power is simply magical. I know, I was drawn there today.

You can find out too. Come to May Cross on the 31st May.
You will never forget Lopinot after that.