The opening procession on Sunday at the 21st annual Vive Oaxaca Guelaguetza fills the Branciforte Small Schools Campus with color, spirit, community and cultural pride. The festival, a celebration of Oaxacan culture, included more than 130 dancers from Santa Cruz County who danced to the music of Los Angeles-based Filarmonica Maqueos Music. The aroma of traditional Oaxacan food filled the air as rain and clouds gave way to sunshine. Information booths from community organizations and nonprofits were included to make the festival inclusive, educational and celebratory. Hosted by Senderos, the event is modeled on traditional fiestas celebrated each summer in Oaxaca, Mexico. The word “guelaguetza†is a Zapotec word meaning “a commitment of sharing and cooperation.†Founded in 2001 by Indigenous Oaxacan sisters Fe Silva-Robles and Dr. Nereida Robles, Senderos works to keep alive Latino and Indigenous cultures and languages with pride and to share that culture with the larger community to promote harmony and break stereotypes. (Shmuel Thaler — Santa Cruz Sentinel)
