Generous Autumn III

Precisely today some of the Kolibrí makers gathered and we were telling each other on how we became part of this festival and what is our motivation. How inspiring! This is now the last part of the chronicle that Zoila Forss wrote for us. Enjoy!

Vuotalo was the venue of the great autumn festival and farewell of Kolibrí. The morning workshops were gradually filling up with entire families and grandparents with their grandchildren. About 300 children toured Vuotalo on that beautiful afternoon. The cardboard toys workshop with Ina was packed with more than forty families from the very beginning. The workshop Ponchito Andean Music filled the available space, on two occasions, and a pleasant conversation with children and the chance to try the instruments was a success. Amazon Joy was full of tiny dancers moving like jungle animals. The costumes of the teachers were captivating. The songs were brightened with sweet babies babbling, and the older ones enchanted by the sound of Fabio’s guitar. Brazilian rhythms filled the room with tasty tunes. The tales told by Paco Laguna and later by Jaime managed to gather many attentive families with curious children, as well as the great event of the shadow theater with the story of Napo in the jungle of Amazon, in the theater hall Vuosali.
The magical party of Kolibrí gathered families around the courageous spirit of this wonderful and colorful bird. The fairy of culture, personified by Maria Luisa Lozano Letelier, gave her enigmatic multilingual gift to connect with the audience and got their full attention and enjoyment. The wonderful children’s choir led by Tristana Ferreyra enchanted young and old alike. The music of the harp and the cello by Sergio and Natalia Castrillón took us to a lovely journey. Families responded with active participation. The finishing touch was the dance group Askelten Palo, with their traditional dances and colorful choreography. They plucked emotional applause from the audience.

This trip of generosity and joy did not end; all families were crowned and rewarded with books in Spanish donated by the Embassy of Mexico. The final dance was happy, full of children dressed in traditional costumes and disguises. This huge party was the corollary of Kolibri autumn. New friends and lots of hugs were the most precious gift.

From there on we started working to keep warm and illuminated for the return of Kolibrí for spring 2016. Heartfelt Thanks for joining us on our opening journey!

Photo by Ingrid Berlanga