The Ypacaraí Festival has been held in the city of Ypacaraí

Ypacaraí

Ypacaraí is a town in the Central Department of Paraguay on Lake Ypacarai. On the road system, it is located between Asunción and Caacupé. In 2004, the village had a population of 30,150, and is 64.1 m above sea level. Notable agricultural crops of the area include tobacco and cotton...

, Paraguay

Paraguay

Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...

, since 1971, between August and September. It is a folklore festival organized with great emphasis on all kinds of cultural manifestations.

The purpose is to keep alive the memory of great people who have become icons in diverse artistic disciplines. Above all, it is to promote appreciation of art.

History

The Festival of the Lake, as it is called, started in 1971, the initiative of a group of Ypacaraí citizens who were fond of folklore, with the purpose of celebrating the anniversary of the foundation of the district. The first festival was organized in September.

It presented a valid alternative to encourage a love of the things that were authentically national, against the new musical tendencies of foreign origin that had fast acceptance among young people.

In the first festival, the organization paid homage to Demetrio Ortiz, author of the Guarania

Guarania (music)

Guarania is a style of music created in Paraguay by musician José Asunción Flores in 1925 with the purpose of expressing the character of the Paraguayan people...

 (music genre) that is representative of the city “Recuerdos de Ypacaraí” (Memories of Ypacaraí), who in spite of the hard regimen that ruled the country in those times, could make a presence at the festival.

The first festival took place in the club “24 de Mayo”, on a small stage. The very good acceptance of the population towards the event encouraged the producers to go a step further and repeat it the following year for a greater audience and with many more national talents.

Stages of the festival

The festival has come through two stages.

In the first stage, the festival was all about maintaining the traditional values of the cultural expressions of the country through the dance, poetry and craftsmanship, reaching its culminating point in the 1980s.

The second stage started when the organization decided to assume also a defense of human rights, which they considered were not being respected by the current government of President General Stroessner

Alfredo Stroessner

Alfredo Stroessner Matiauda, whose name is also spelled Strössner or Strößner , was a Paraguayan military officer and dictator from 1954 to 1989...

. This resulted in the festival being prohibited in 1986, by a resolution of the Department of the Interior.

However, the people of Ypacaraí did not abandon hope of continuing this activity. They took courage and received the support of the entire country and the festival moved to the property of the parish church, all with police custody.

In 1989 with the overthrow of the dictatorial government and the arriving of democracy

Democracy

Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...

, the festival was reborn with much more expectation.

Festival with international presence

Since its first years, the festival had a fluent exchange with other international festivals, similar in their objectives of making known and gives importance to the culture of the country.

Delegations from this festival participated in Argentina’s festivals of Santa Fe, Córdoba, the Folklore National Festival of Pirané, in Chile

Chile

Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...

 in the Folklore Festival of Yacuiba, and also in Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

 and Bolivia

Bolivia

Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...

.

The delegations from other countries also came to the festival of the Lago Ypacaraí.

International exposure or participation

Since 1973 other international groups joined the festival, they were Los del Suquia, from Argentina, Los Carabajal, Los Cantores del Alba, La Compañía Argentina de Danza, Teresa Parodi and many others.

From Brazil participated groups such as: Ballet Primitivo del Arte Negro from the state of Pernambuco

Pernambuco

Pernambuco is a state of Brazil, located in the Northeast region of the country. To the north are the states of Paraíba and Ceará, to the west is Piauí, to the south are Alagoas and Bahia, and to the east is the Atlantic Ocean. There are about of beaches, some of the most beautiful in the...

, Xaxado, from Paraíba

Paraíba

Paraíba Paraíba Paraíba (Tupi: pa'ra a'íba: "bad to navigation"; Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation: is a state of Brazil. It is located in the Brazilian Northeast, and is bordered by Rio Grande do Norte to the north, Ceará to the west, Pernambuco to the south and the Atlantic Ocean to the east...

. From Peru

Peru

Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....

 came the group of ballet Peru Negro, Aukamaru, Roberto Parra

Roberto Parra

Roberto Parra Mateo is a Spanish middle distance runner. He specialized in the 800 and 1500 metres events.-Achievements:-External links:...

 and many others. Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

 was present too with the Mariachi Los Pasajeros, Mariachi Nacional of Mexico among others.

Other groups of artists from Uruguay

Uruguay

Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...

, Chile

Chile

Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...

 and Bolivia also have participated in the festival. The list would be too long to name all the people. The festival did not stick only to the musical; from it was born the first municipal school of ballet, which allowed the diffusion of this art, and with time, other artistic manifestations also added to this festival.

Awards

In 1976, it was instituted the trophy “Recuerdos de Ypacaraí” (Memories of Ypacaraí), which was granted by a specially selected jury in every edition of the festival, it was national and international.

Nowadays it can be said that the Festival of Lago Ypacaraí is the most famous in Paraguay, of all the Latin American Folklore festivals.

Homage people in the festival

The following is a list of people that have been honored in the different editions of the festival, with the passing of time, the organization added more categories such as folkloric dancing and local craftsmanship.

In 2006, homage was made to Renée Ferrer in the festival of poetry for the second time. In 2001, the organizing commission decided to include among the list of homage the people the artisans too.

Festival of Lago Ypacaraí

• 1971, Demetrio Ortiz
• 1972, Félix de Ypacaraí / María Cristina Gómez Rabito
• 1973, Alberto de Luque
• 1974, Diosnel Chase
• 1975, Luís A. del Paraná
  Luis Alberto del Paraná
  Luis Alberto del Paraná was a Paraguayan singer and guitarist. During the fifties, sixties and early seventies, he traveled extensively around the globe with his group Los Paraguayos, popularizing Paraguayan music. He is the best-selling Paraguayan musician ever.-Family and early life:He was born...
  
  
• 1976, Teófilo Escobar
• 1977, Agustín Barboza
  Agustín Barboza
  Agustín Pío Barboza was a Paraguayan singer and composer.-Childhood and youth:Barboza was born in Asunción, Paraguay. In his adolescence , he went to Buenos Aires to work as a seaman aboard the Mixu, a ship flying the Argentine flag. Alternating his work of seaman with musical activities, he met...
  
  
• 1978, Mujer paraguaya compañera del artista
• 1979, Florentín Giménez
  Florentín Giménez
  Florentín Giménez is a prolific composer with more than 400 compositions; many of them were extraordinary hits....
  
  
• 1980, Eladio Martínez
  Eladio Martínez
  Eladio Martínez was born in Paraguarí, Paraguay, on May 19, 1912, son of Lorenzo Martínez and Nicolasa Benítez. He belonged to a family of musicians...
  
  
• 1981, Mauricio Cardozo Ocampo
  Mauricio Cardozo Ocampo
  Mauricio Cardozo Ocampo was the main reference of the so called “golden generation” of the Paraguayan popular music and a strict studious of the Paraguayan folk music.-Biography:...
  
  
• 1982, Félix Fernández
• 1983, Darío Gómez Serrato
• 1984, Teodoro S. Mongelós
• 1985, Músicos de la Epopeya del Chaco
• 1986, 1987 y 1988, PROHIBIDO
• 1989, Maneco Galeano
  Maneco Galeano
  Maneco Galeano was born in Puerto Pinasco, Paraguay; on May 13, 1945.Son of W. Antonio Galeano and Ana Mieres, his real name is Felix, after his grandfather on his father side, and Roberto , after his grandfather, on his mother side.-Childhood and youth:...
  
  
• 1990, Augusto Roa Bastos
  Augusto Roa Bastos
  Augusto Roa Bastos, was a noted Paraguayan novelist and short story writer, and one of the most important Latin American writers of the 20th century. As a teenager he fought in the Chaco War between Paraguay and Bolivia, and he later worked as a journalist, screenwriter and professor...
  
  
• 1991, Dúo Quintana-Escalante
• 1992, Alejandro Cubilla
• 1993, Juan Alfonso Ramírez y los Indios
• 1994, José Magno Soler
• 1995, Zulema de Mirkin
• 1996, Vocal Dos
• 1997, El pueblo
• 1998, Rigoberto Arévalo
• 1999, Los hermanos González
• 2000, Juan Cancio Barreto
  Juan Cancio Barreto
  He was born in Asunción, Paraguay on March 27, 1950. Son of Carmen Emategui and Rodolfo Barreto.-Beginnings:His first experiences playing the guitar, he gave them when his father, gave him a small guitar at the age of 13; since then he never stopped playing that beautiful instrument.At the age of...
  
  
• 2001, Efrén Echeverría
  Efrén Echeverría
  'Efren Echeverria is a musician guitarist, composer, and compiler Paraguay.-Self-taught of remarkable style :Efren Echeverria, artistically nicknamed "Kamba'i", is one of the most popular performers and creators of the guitar in Paraguay....
  
  
• 2002, Carlos Federico Abente
• 2003, Carlos Niz
• 2004, Neneco Norton
  Neneco Norton
  Neneco Norton is a musician, composer and orchestra director. He was born in 1923 in Asuncion, capital of the Republic of Paraguay on December 8, the day of the festival of the Virgin of Caacupé, an important date for Paraguayans...
  
  
• 2005, Ricardo Flecha
• 2006, Epifanio Méndez Fleitas
• 2007, Oscar Nelson Safuán
  Oscar Safuan
  Oscar Nelson Safuán was Paraguayan composer, creator of Avanzada, a folk music style which had its origin in the fusion of the Paraguayan polka and the Guarania, with influences of the Brazilian popular music, such as the bossa nova and the balade....
  
  

Festival of Poetry

• 1990, Elvio Romero
  Elvio Romero
  Elvio Romero was born in Yegros, Paraguay, in 1926. He straddled the decades of the 1940s and 1950s in the history of Paraguayan poetry.- Childhood and youth :...
  
  
• 1991, María Luisa Artecona de Thompson
• 1992, Félix de Guarania
• 1993, Renée Ferrer de Arréllaga
  Renée Ferrer de Arréllaga
  Renée Ferrer de Arréllaga, is a contemporary Paraguayan poet and novelist. She is Secretary General of the Board of Governors of the twenty-member Academia Paraguaya de la Lengua Española...
  
  
• 1994, Gladys Carmagnola
  Gladys Carmagnola
  Gladys Carmagnola is a poet and educationalparaguayan . She is one of the writer as best known for his country, her work is devoted to a wide audience, including works for children and adults....
  
  
• 1995, Luis María Martínez
• 1996, Ramiro Domínguez
• 1997, José Luis Appleyard
  José Luis Appleyard
  - Childhood and Youth :He was born in Asunción, capital city of Paraguay.He completed his primary studies in “la Escuela Normal de Profesores”. He attended high school in Colegio de San José de Asunción, but he finished highschool in Colegio San Martín, de Buenos Aires, Argentina.He studied law at...
  
  
• 1998, Elsa Wiezell
  Elsa Wiezell
  Elsa Wiezell is a Paraguayan poet and teacher. Her work also includes paintings that reside in art galleries and cultural centers of Asuncion...
  
  
• 1999, Oscar Ferreiro
• 2000, Teresa Servián de Sosa
• 2001, Pedro Encina Ramos
• 2002, Ramón Silva
• 2003, Mercedes Jané
• 2004, Aurelio González Canale
• 2005, Rubén Bareiro Saguier
• 2006, Renée Ferrer de Arréllaga
• 2007, Mario Rubén Álvarez

Festival of Theater

• 1982, José Arturo Alsina
• 1983, Máxima Lugo
• 1984, José L. Melgarejo
• 1985, Josefina Plá
  Josefina Pla
  Josefina Pla was a Spanish poet, playwright, art critic, painter and journalist....
  
  
• 1989, Alcibíades González Delvalle
• 1990, Ernesto Báez
• 1991, Sin datos precisos
• 1992, Rudi Torga
• 1993, Tito Chamorro
• 1994, Pedro Moliniers
• 1995, Sara Giménez
• 1996, Erenia López
• 1997, María Helena Sachero
• 1998, Edith Errecartes
• 1999, César Álvarez Blanco y Rafael Rojas Doria (Los Compadres)
• 2000, Jesús Pérez
• 2001, Victoria Figueredo
• 2002, Nizugan
• 2003, Mercedes Jané
• 2004, Luís D’Oliveira
• 2005, Humberto Gulino
• 2006, Jorge Ramos
• 2007, Compañía Roque Sánchez-Graciela Pastor

Festival of Dancing

• 1990, Celia Ruiz de Domínguez y Gilda Ruiz de Segovia
• 1991, María Magdalena Duarte Melgarejo y Emilio Barrientos
• 1992, Petronita Vinader
• 1993, María Balbina Vera
• 1994, Rosa Vera de Barúa y Dora Rabito de Sosa
• 1995, Lilian Garicoche
• 1996, Elizabeth Vinader
• 1997, Mercedes Vera
• 1998, Sussy Sacco
• 1999, Mirtha Cabañas de Bonzi
• 2000, Pamela Fretes
• 2001, Cándido Duarte y Gladys Lenguaza
• 2002, Reina Cáceres
• 2003, Natalia Ramos y Felicita Patiño de Márquez
• 2004, Mirta Lenguaza
• 2005, Katy Ortega
• 2006, Beatriz Frutos
• 2007, Zully Vinader

Festival of Craftsmanship

• 2001, Marcial Medina
• 2002, Indalecio Chávez y Del Rosario Sanabria
• 2003, Rosa Brítez
  Rosa Brítez
  Rosa Brítez is a popular Paraguayan artisan, born in Ita , city of the Central Department of Paraguay, on April 9, 1941.She has a very particular style and she dedicates to mold in clay decorative and representative figures of her country. These objects are very valued in Paraguay as well as in...
  
  
• 2004, Federico Giménez
• 2005, Benjamín Patiño y Serafín Montanía
• 2006, Alejandrino García
• 2007, Ramón Ayala Salim

External links

• Viva Paraguay
• Secretaria Nacional de Turismo