VIENTOS DE GRANDA ON NOV. 29
- Jaime Picornell
- Nov 4, 2019
- 3 min read
VIENTOS DE GRANADA is a night of Flamenco music and dance on November 29 at Salon de España, the ballroom of Casino Español de Cebu. Cocktails start serving at 6:30 PM with the performance at 7:30 PM.
This is a presentation of the Arts Council, Casino Español de Cebu and Centro Flamenco of Manila. Chairpersons of the event are Honey Loop and Maia Franco.
The group that comes from Granada consists of four males – Jose Cortes, Javier Martos, Ruben Campos and Alejandro Lujan.
The female dancers are Gia Ramos, Eda Bautista, Emma Estrada, Mercedes Soler and Dianne Francisco from Centro Flamenco in Manila,
Price of a ticket per person is P1200. Those interested may call the Arts Council at telephone 253-0452, or cellphone 0915-4453-049.
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Casino Español de Cebu just celebrated its traditional festivity of Dia de la Hispanidad with a grand affair last October 12. Guest of honor was Amaya Ruth Fuentes Milani, deputy head of mission at the Spanish Embassy in Manila.
At 6PM there was a mass celebrated by Msgr. Achilles Dakay whose homily was about the appreciation of the Virgin Mary to the Apostle St. James (Santiago Apostol) in Zaragoza.
A replica of the statue venerated in Zaragoza was on display. Msgr. Dakay said that when the apostles set forth to evangelize the world, St. James went to Iberia, what is now called Spain. He found the Spaniards “duros de cabeza” (hard headed) and despaired because he was unable to convert many to Christianity.
As he prayed by the river Ebro in Zaragoza an inner locution urged him to repeat his attempts. This second time he obtained many converts.
He returned to Zaragoza and prayed with gratitude by the same Ebro river the night of January 2 in AD 40. As he prayed the starry night seemed brighter as two angels appeared in front of him bearing a pillar of jasper where stood the Virgin Mary.
She was alive, also transported by angels from Ephesus where she lived, to deliver a special message: Christianity will prevail until the end of Time. The pillar and a statue are in Zaragoza.
Going back to the Casino Español event, cocktails and Spanish specialties, including jamon serrano, were served after the mass at Salon Granada. At 7:30 PM the reception line was formed at the entrance of Salon de España.
Greeting the numerous guests were the Casino Español officers: president Eduard Loop, vice president Eduardo Gonzalez and wife Therese, secretary Paco Jarque and wife Mona Lisa, treasurer Michael Veloso and wife Bettina, house chairman Javier Sala and wife Kaye, sports director Michael Miranda and wife Ruth, and Clementino Diez II, director of cultural and social events.
Casino Español de Cebu general manager May Ocaba announced the start of the program wherein Honorary Consul of Spain Anton Perdices formally introduced the guest of honor, Amaya Ruth Fuentes Milani.
President Eduard Loop led the toast to Dia de la Hispanidad before the buffet dinner was served at Salon Madrid. There was the Rennaisance band to play dance music for the rest of the night, so loud it was impossible to talk to the person next to you.
Now, the Casino Español de Cebu is gearing up for the New Year’s Eve ball on December 31. It will have a theme, 1920s, says sales and marketing manager Vannah Ang.
Focus is on the era as depicted by “The Great Gatsby,” the famous work of fiction by Scott Fitzgerald. You can download the film with Robert Redford in the title role, and Mia Farrow as the female lead. You’ll get an idea of what that decade was all about.
The 1920s ball will usher in the Casino Español’s centennial year, 2020. Get it? Vannah says the centennial committee will have a meeting soon to map out the year-round activities. The grand commemorative event has been set for July 25, 2020.
It evokes the early years of Casino Español de Cebu when July 25 was celebrated as Dia de Santiago. The day started with a mass either at San Agustin or the Recoletos church at 7 AM. At 11 AM there was a reception at the ballroom where the ball was held at 8 PM. That’s the time the band began to play every dance in the book until way past midnight. Those were the days!
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