If anyone has a good holiday playlist, it’s going to be Opera Memphis. They know how to do Christmas carols, trust me. When asked for her favorite carol, Kerriann Otaño, Opera Memphis’ marketing and public relations manager, answers, “I would say ‘I’ll Be Home for Christmas’ has really taken on a special meaning in the past couple of years.” Meanwhile, Bethania Baray, director of education and civic programs, claims “Mi Burrito Sabanero” as her favorite holiday tune, a Latin American song about traveling on a donkey to Bethlehem to see baby Jesus. Both songs have a common thread — that of searching for a place of belonging.
Following that theme, Opera Memphis and Cazateatro Bilingual Theater Group are hosting a Christmas Fiesta at the Dixon Gallery & Gardens. The event holds a dual purpose: to educate and to welcome. “The goal is for the Spanish-speaking community to see their community represented and feel at home,” Baray says. “It’ll be a full celebration of all Latin American Christmas traditions.”
Opera Memphis will sing carols in both English and Spanish, and in a special performance, Carlos Romero will sing traditional Mexican carols while other performers will sing Venezuelan, Brazilian, and Puerto Rican tunes. “There’s going to be a lot of Latin music,” Baray says. “And a lot of Latin food. Cazateatro has been in charge of all of the vendors. There’s going to be a plethora of things. Lots of artisans, crafts.
“We also have a scavenger hunt around the garden for kids to be a part of,” Baray continues. Plus, she adds, Cazateatro has arranged for the Three Magi Kings to join in the festivities and to hand out a surprise present to each child in attendance.
The two groups have also put together a panel discussion for guests to learn more about the traditions in Latin America and the Caribbean. Otaño says, “It’s just a fun opportunity for these two organizations that are so community-minded to get involved and reach new audiences and share in such an exciting time of year.” In Otaño and Baray’s point of view, every tradition is worth sharing in, from piñatas and poinsettias to parrandas and posadas.
Christmas Fiesta, Dixon Gallery & Gardens, 4339 Park, Saturday, December 18, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., free.
