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A few feet away from the border fence between Mexico and the United States , at one of Tijuana ’s oldest settlements, Libertad , the 15th edition of the Street Opera Festival was celebrated. The festival brought together 10,000 people who spent the day in workshops, classes, concerts, and opera fragments that were offered at the event.
The main stage was installed in the exterior of the Opera cafe . The 5th street , where the cafe owner Enrique Fuentes first came up with the idea of making the festival in 2004 , was growing more crowded by the hour. All the nearby streets were used to store the costumes, scenography, and gondolas , which were the main theme of this year’s edition. More than 600 artists participated in the festival, according to María Teresa Riqué, the director of the event.
The festival offered a selection of popular opera plays such as The Barber of Seville, bi Gioachino Rossini; Un Bel Di, by Puccini, and the rock opera Bohemian Rhapsody, based on songs by the British rock band Queen . “Street opera is entirely different from the one you see on theaters with expensive productions. Our goal is to bring this music closer to the people. More and more artists have joined this project, offering their talents for free,” María Teresa stated.
“Some people have complained about the installation of scenographies and us closing the streets for the festival, but it hasn’t stopped us from celebrating it year after year. Three years ago, we talked about cancelling, but many people took the streets to support us and, in the end, we kept doing it anyway,” commented Enrique Fuentes.
The well acclaimed pianist and director of the Young Artists Program, Inés Irawati
, also participated at the event in the streets of Tijuana.
“I firmly believe that opera, in its essence and history, speaks about common and ordinary people. The fact that we are doing this on the street, instead of some fancy theater embellished with over-the-top jewelry and dresses, is something I find very satisfying . Being so close to your audiences really helps you connect with the people in a special way,” she said.
The main soprano, Eden Tremayne
, commented that the border between Mexico and the United States was completely non-existent in terms of art.
“Music brings us together, though they might want to put a wall between us. The art shared between San Diego and Tijuana, the United States and Mexico, is what brings us together. This kind of artistic exchange between Mexican and American artists makes us brothers,” stated the artist, who believes that events such as this help young people become interested in the musical scene.
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