Mazatlán may not be big enough to support its own symphony orchestra like the Culiacán-based 78-piece Sinaloa Symphony Orchestra of the Arts, but we are about to have our very own camerata. While a camerata, or chamber orchestra, is normally comprised of 10 or 12 musicians, the Camerata Mazatlán begins with just five and expects to grow over time. The resident musicians, three violinists, a cellist and a bassist, are all members of the Sinaloa Symphony but they live here and teach at the Municipal Center for the Arts. Four of them are Russian émigrés. The Camerata Mazatlán will give its inaugural concert at the Angela Peralta Theater at 8:00 p.m. April 29, playing a program that’s not finalized at the Pacific Pearl’s deadline, but probably will include some Mozart, Schubert and Dvorak. Ticket prices for this milestone event in the cultural life of our city will run 120, 80 and 60 pesos. Also worth noting is the availability of a new CD titled “Mi Gusto Es,” a compilation of very Sinaloa music that was recorded during a closed session last year in the Angela Peralta Theater and introduced to the audience at the Juegos Florales coronation pageant during Carnaval Mazatlán 2006. The Sinaloa Symphony, directed by Mazatlán-born internationally famous conductor Enrique Patron De Rueda, performs with the Angela Peralta Chorale and soloists Jose Adan Perez and Jose Manuel Chu. If you have spent much time over the years in Mazatlán, it’s worth adding to your collection because it includes the favorites you’ve heard from local musical groups, including not only the title song but the lovely waltz “Alejandra,” the ballad “Mazatlán” and other familiar melodies. The CD costs 125 pesos, and proceeds go to cultural projects and scholarships of its sponsors, the Colegio de Sinaloa and the Mazatlán Institute of Culture, Tourism and Art (CULTURA). It ison sale at the Angela Peralta Theater ticket booth and at the offices of CULTURA, Calle Miguel Aleman almost at the corner of

Belisario Dominguez. Please be reminded that many times events get penciled in (or erased) on the arts calendar after the Pacific Pearl deadline, so it’s a good idea to check with the website for the very latest developments: www.culturamazatlan.com.mx With Holy Week and Easter dominating the middle of the month, the arts scene starts getting busier towards the end. Dance lovers will especially want to check the performance schedule for the annual Jose Limon International Dance Festival starting on April 27 and continuing on into May. All events on the Limon schedule take place at 8:00pm in the Angela Peralta Theater unless otherwise noted. Ticket prices had not been announced when the Pearl went to press. APRIL 8: Mexicanissimo, the highly touted montage of Mexican folk dance choreographed by Rebeca Llamas for the Ballet Folklorico Sinaloense, will give an encore performance at 8:00pm in the Angela Peralta Theater. General admission: 60 pesos 26: “Poets in Olas Altas,” a presentation of new material by Elisa Perez Meza, performing with voice and music as well as poetry. 8:30pm at the Angela Peralta Theater. General admission: 100 pesos 27: The Jose Limon Festival opens with a performance by Mazatlán’s own Professional School of the Dance performing on its home stage. 28: Drift, a dance company from Switzerland, performs its subtle and humorous interpretations of the silliness of daily life 29: Grand inaugural concert of the Camerata Mazatlan. 8:00pm Prices: 120, 80 and 60 pesos 30: Limon Dance Company (USA) makes its Limon Festival appearance. Acclaimed for its dramatic expressiveness, the company founded in 1946 by Limon (a native son of Culiacán) and Doris Humph-rey is now directed by Carla Maxwell who worked closely with the late Limon. The company personifies the idea that its founder could survive his own death, since he set the example for the entire field of contemporary dance as expressed in the dance festival named for him jackie@pacificpearl.com