A Cabalgata is a Horse Parade and the David Cabalgata is the biggest Horse Parade in Panama. It is one of those events I try not to miss. This was the fourth time I photographed it from the saddle, not easy when your horse has a mind of his own.

As this is Panama, the Cabalgata was scheduled to start at three and kicked off a bit after four. But no matter, the ladies were pouring rum from the back of pickup trucks and it gave us a chance to catchup with some friends.

We started out riding with Giovy and Dimetreo from Aboquete, we rented the horses from them this year. I do have one horse, Chevy, but he is out in Bugaba getting fat and it was too difficult to move him to David, so Aboquete rent a horse was easier.

We ran into a few Boquetenos before the horses marched on.
Alcalde de Boquete Panama, Mano Ruiz[/caption]

We were photographed too, the Boquete camera club was there. I did not see many others from Boquete and no other expats I knew on horses, but with thousands of horses and riders we probably missed a lot of people.

The bands and pickup trucks full of rum do make for an interesting environment and this year the parade snaked through David. Most business surrendered for the day even if they were open, cars where not making much progress. Schools and government offices were closed all day and some other businesses closed at 1pm, crowds filled the streets especially near the end of the run.

Since this is best experienced visually and with sound. I did record the background noise but here are a bunch of photos. Click on any image to see it larger.

One final auditory note.

For me the Cabalgata in David, a parade of thousands of horses, is annual event I hate to miss. This year I plan head to David after the Tuesday meeting and to be in the heart of the parade chasing pickups that hand out cups of rum and blare loud music. If you plan to ride I hope to see you there, if you plan to watch please see if I m sitting straight in the saddle or need more rum.

If you plan neither, this is a good day to avoid David since traffic will be epic as the horses dominate everything. This is the biggest horse parade of the year in Panama and is great fun. Below is a map of the route, the parade starts at 3PM Panama time and expect the streets near Dolegita to be snarled for hours before as the horses and riders assemble.

Here are some photos of previous Cabalgatas in David, 2009 and 2010. You might see a few familiar faces.

Yesterday we made it to the amphitheater in Valle Escondido here in Boquete Panama for the first of two days of Jazz and Blues in what was described as one of the most beautiful venues in the world for a Jazz and Blues festival.

 

The music was fantastic, the audience passionate and the musicians amazing. We arrived too late to here Boquete B3, but I was told they were fantastic. We did see Ron Hacker and he literally had people dancing in the aisles.

The final act for the day was the amazing Maria Rivas and her Libertango band from Venezuela.

Maria could take a Gershwin standard and turn it in to a Latin rhythm in both English and Spanish without missing a beat. WOW.

After Valle Escondido we made it to Amigos early for the after party.

The music started at 9pm and the crowd was so large and energized that we could not hear much without moving toward the front.

There were smiles all around.

This was a grand party, but we left early so others will need to describe what happened after 10pm.

In all it was an amazing day of music and energy. This festival is growing and there were a huge number of new faces, tourists here for the event this year. I hope the community can find the support for the 8th annual Boquete Jazz and Blues Festival.

I want to say thank you to Hans, Barbara and all the others who worked tirelessly to make this event happen. It is a year of work for a few days of entertainment for our community. Thank you!

It you missed yesterday there is always today starting at noon in Valle Escondidio.
The Spicy Latin Jazzband, Panama City
Bob Corritore and Taildragger and B3
Rigoberto Coba Jazz Band
Randy Oxford Band

For the past six years Boquete has hosted a Jazz Festival, last year with the involvement of Hans and Barbara it expanded into a Jazz and Blues Festival. If not for their efforts, the contributions of a handful of corporate sponsors and individual donations the festival might not exist.  If more people do not step up and help financially and physically,  the seventh might be the last.

The Festival is running on the energy and donations of too few people. There are few corporate sponsors, one of which is Panamonte Brands, not associated with the hotel of the same name.  Panamonte Brands does not sell their rum in Panama, still they have made a significant donation of rum that is helping to fuel this festival. They make some of the best rum I have ever tasted and I am not alone in my judgement.

You can help the festival continue and make it’s financial goals my donating, donate enough and you will get enjoy some rum. Panama Red made Dana smile and now her dress, hair, lips  and skin are all shades of red. Buy tickets for a raffle and you might just win a $400 bottle of rum, tickets to the 2013 festival and more; I did. Hans and Barbara will be at the Tuesday Market looking for you and your donations.

For all of you who read this blog and want to see further development of the arts in Boquete Panama please help support this event. Here is the schedule for this years festival, more details on the events, the artists and how you can help are on the Boquete Jazz and Blues Festival Website.

Festival program (preliminary, subject to change)

Friday, February 22, 2103
4pm -7pm The Art of Music, opening of a complementing artshow at the Boquete library

Saturday, February 23, 2013
5pm – 8pm Wine tasting at La Casa del Risco, Hacienda Los Molinos

Thursday, February 28, 2013
2pm – 3pm New Orleans style street parade with costumes, beads and all
3pm – 5pm Garden party at the Panamonte hotel with the Rigoberto Coba Jazz quartet, admission $5
7:pm - 9pm Presentation of Panamonte Brands rum at the Panamonte hotel. Live music by Boquete’s Fantazy Jazzband, Admission $5
9pm – ??? Jam session at Mike’s Global Grill, hosted by Ron Hacker & The Hacksaws, Admission $8

Friday, March 1, 2013
2pm - 4pm Free concert in the Boquete central park with life music, 
4pm – 5pm harp-playing instruction class in the park by master blues-harpist Bob Corritore for students of local schools. The Hohner company donated 50 harps specially for this event!

8:30pm – ??? Jam session at The Rock restaurant, hosted by master Blues harpist Bob Corritore & Chicago’s legendary Bluesman Taildragger, backed up by the Boquete Blues Band. Admission $8

Saturday, March 2, 2013
12pm  - 6pm  Open-air at the amphitheatre at Valle Esconcido
Four Jazz and Blues bands (see artists page)
Doors open at 11am

9pm – ??? Jam session at the Amigos restaurant, hosted by the Randy Oxford Band.Admission $8

Sunday, March 3, 2013
12noon – 6pm   Open-air at the amphitheatre at Valle Escondido
Four Jazz- and Blues bands (see artists page)
Doors open at 11am

 

If you missed it, the 2012 Boquete Christmas Parade was an event. Thousands of people filled the streets of Boquete. Children of all ages chased a ton of candy is it was thrown from moving cars, trucks, semis, buses and motorcycles.

The the photos below speak for themselves. For a slide show click on FS at the bottom left of the photo frame.

Boquete Panama is bracing for the end of the Mayan Calendar. Large amounts of Rum and Seco are being imported to numb the masses for the end of days.

A Celebration of fire, brimstone and lava flowing will be held at the New Fuzion Grill, located in the former pseudo Mayan Ruins of Las Ruinas and at Amigos, a little closer if you live closer to Amigos. Assuming you survive the pending post Mayan Disaster, it is also the Winter Solstice, so you can celebrate another holiday four days before the Christmas events.

“Archeologists studying Mayan artifacts have canvased the few documents that survived the destructive fury of tropical weather and the zealotry of Spanish Catholic priests and found no evidence whatsoever pointing to an end-of-the-world prophecy. For those interested in the meaning of the fragmentary text where the apocalyptic misinterpretation comes from, an in-depth analysis of the Mayan Long Count can be found over on the Naked Science Forum.” NPR

Fear not as NPR explains in their linked post this apocalypse will soon be forgotten only to be replaced by still another. This has gone on forever and will continue as long as our species of carbon based organism pretends to be intelligent.