by Jeremy Hunt
Daily Lobo
Artists will gather in the Old Town Plaza to perform dances and music every Saturday until Oct. 14.
They perform music and dances outside of Old Town shops and in the gazebo in the center of the plaza. The program is called Cultural Treasures Day.
Lenore Armijo, a guitarist and singer, said the program fits with the traditions of the area.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
"People came to sell, produce and buy stuff in the market, and musicians played there to be heard, so they could get their break," she said. "And that's what we're doing with our music - perpetuating the old traditions of gathering as a community in the market."
Chuy Martinez, the program's organizer, said he rotates the performances in the gazebo so everyone gets a chance to use the space.
The musical performances vary from jazz and blues to mariachi and American-Indian concerts. Different groups perform dances, including flamenco, salsa and folklorico.
Grupo Folklorico Lumbre, a UNM dance group, uses the gazebo for practice, recruitment and exposure, Martinez said.
Martinez said the goal of Cultural Treasures is to bring the community together and give local artists a place to perform.
The gazebo is not the only stage for performers. Many musicians, including Armijo, play in front of stores and restaurants.
The performances are not limited to music and dancing.
In front of the store Schelu, a small space has been dedicated to poetry recitation and has come to be known as Poetry Plaza, Martinez said. The floor is open to poets of all levels to perform either original work or poems by other authors, he said.
The Old Town Plaza was not always the best place for business or performers, said Marie Coleman, owner of Church Street Cafe.
Before the city began changing ordinances in the H-1 zone where Old Town is, musicians could not play music in the plaza with a hat in front of them to collect donations, she said.
"I applaud the mayor and the city for making changes in zoning laws - I'm very excited for the changes," Coleman said.
The only problem is the city does not promote it enough, Martinez said.
Jensi Kessler, Schelu's owner, agreed.
"It's a real shame, because I think the only thing they didn't spend money on was advertising," she said.
Otherwise, Kessler is very pleased with the program, she said.
"This has been the best thing the city has done," she said. "It hasn't done much for sales, but it's bringing people to Old Town, and they're saying, 'Wow, this is really cool.'"
