If you are one of those (far too many) incumbents of this town who still believe all of the negative hype, who think Swindon’s claim to fame is as a punch line to a joke on Have I Got News For You, who have trouble seeing us as part of a broader, more fascinating world, then last night’s Spanish Evening at The Arts Centre would have opened your eyes.
This was a celebration of Swindon’s connections with Spanish speaking culture, for most of the event was centred around the dance, poetry, song and general bonding with our twin town. Swindon and Ocotal in Nicaragua have been twinned for 25 years and in that time close cultural connections have been forged, so it was fantastic to see people from both countries performing together.
Maria Jose Gurrero led a series of folk dancing routines joined by a number of homegrown dancers. And if at times some of the moves by the local contingent were slightly off the mark, that would be missing the whole point of the event. This was a celebration, a coming together of ordinary people (many of who were actually extraordinary people but probably didn’t realise it.) It was about joy, togetherness, shared emotions, love and having an understanding of a world beyond our own familiar surroundings.
For me the most memorable parts of the night were the two poems delivered by Jorge Gutierrez. The first, in his native language of Spanish, which I don’t speak but conveying so much heartfelt emotion as the slides behind him depicted the aftermath of Hurricane Mitch and the rhythm and beat of the words matched the question of faith that was at the heart of the poem. The second, in English was nothing short of a declaration of love for the people of Swindon, the help they provided in those difficult times and the on going cultural connections between us.
Jake the Juggler gave us a dexterous, percussion backed routine, the height of the performance space obviously providing a few problems but something he dealt with in his usual humorous style. But more than just being part of the show, Jake has visited Ocotal many times to teach underprivileged children circus skills, skills which help build confidence and give them a sense of worth and identity.
The show then moved to Spain itself with a set from the guitar and saxophone duo La Heidi Belika. Rich and fast paced Spanish-classical rhythms either backed by Cajon beats or intertwined with a saxophone which moved between sultry and soaring as the songs demanded. This was the sound of modern Spain, iconic sounds being re-worked into contemporary songs, this was making formal traditions fun celebrations, injecting new life into old sounds, just as it should be.
It was an amazing night, a mix of acts from the Spanish speaking world and local talent all coming together to celebrate diversity, friendship and to use a word that was uttered many times that night…love. Surely this evening was a small signpost to how the world moves on and becomes a better place to be in.
