After 2 years of hard work, the people of Guanacaste and the rest of the country can now see the documentary “A Feast in Liberia”, a production that emerged as a response to respect for the heritage and traditions of the eternal Guanacaste.
Miguel Fajardo Korea, participant of the project emphasized to Newspaper Message that in the back cover that contains the documentary, it is affirmed that the Spanish conquerors described to this territory like “The paradise of Muhammad”, due to its natural beauty.
The production narrates the Tope de Toros, one of the oldest traditions of Liberia. It was declared intangible cultural heritage in February 2013. Its origins date back to the 1800s, on the cattle ranches that gave rise to Liberia, capital of the province of Guanacaste.
The parade of horsemen, musicians, and masquerades are part of the living culture of the Liberians, although it has undergone changes with the passage of time, like the harness of meek animals, instead of the bravíos, and the route of the musical band in a vehicle, and not on foot.
During the Liberia civic festivities in February, the scene is repeated: at noon, hundreds of people go to the rhythm of the typical music and the dance of the clowns to accompany the meek gained in a journey of approximately two kilometers, from the Bridge Real to the Camilo Reyes Bullring.
It also includes photographs and scenes of the bullrings that recall the centenary festival. In addition, interviews and artistic performances songs, typical dances, masquerades, native shouts.
“It is very valuable the participation of the National Band of Guanacaste, in the recovery of the musical record, with specific explanations, little known to date. Also, it counted on the support of historians, habaneros, assemblers, singers. In my case, I participated in an interview, where I discuss the work of two composers, who were responsible for compiling and editing their competitive fund of the Ministry of Culture and Youth of Costa Rica“.
“With this production, we intend to protect the intangible heritage of the Bull Stop, which is accompanied by festive attractions and the local gastronomic endeavor. Also, the main objective was to unify criteria and establish guidelines to safeguard the tradition of Tope de Toros de Liberia, which is unique in the country”, said Fajardo.
The documentary has a duration of 98 minutes. It was presented to the Liberian community on Saturday, August 19 at 7 p.m. at the Edgardo Baltodano Briceño Stadium, before a thousand people. It can be purchased at state university libraries across the country. The documentary contains a DVD and the version to be projected in Blu-ray-disc.
Why is it titled “A Fiesta in Liberia“?
On October 10, 1956, Maestro Jesús Bonilla Chavarría (1911-1999), premiered at the National Theater, the Guanacaste folk fantasy entitled “A Party in Liberia”. It is a tribute to the extraordinary composer of “Liberian Moon”.
The documentary is a production of the Audiovisual Office of the State Distance University (UNED). The team of 13 people traveled to Liberia several times for the recordings and interview sessions contained in the documentary as primary sources. He had the support of the Association for Culture of Liberia (1986-2017), which received a scholarship from a competitive fund of the Ministry of Culture and Youth of Costa Rica.
“With this production, we intend to protect the intangible heritage of the Bull Stop, which is accompanied by festive attractions and the local gastronomic endeavor. Also, the main objective was to unify criteria and establish guidelines to safeguard the tradition of Tope de Toros de Liberia, which is unique in the country, “said Fajardo.
The documentary has a duration of 98 minutes. It was presented to the Liberian community on Saturday, August 19 at 7 p.m. at the Edgardo Baltodano Briceño Stadium, before a thousand people. It can be purchased at state university libraries across the country. The documentary contains a DVD and the version to be projected in Blu-ray-disc.
