THE DAILY IF
article 02

More than one National Anthem?
(story contributed by Her Excellentie Mrs Melba Pria, Ambassador of the Embassy of Mexico, Jakarta)

• Mexico displays beauty and National pride in an extraordinary concert.

Mexico’s National Symphony Orchestra is so grateful that Indonesian public was able to attend to their very first concert. It is a good example on what diplomacy should be: to make peoples closer, to know each other better and enjoy together.

Mexico and Indonesia’s young musicians shared the stage and knowledge of each other’s culture.

The orchestra played the Mexican and Indonesian National Anthems, which we all listened in a very solemn moment.

The program then led us to the piece “Encuentros”, by Mexican Samuel Zyman which, in a very creative way, mixing Indonesian and Mexican sounds, revived the public with its surprising effects, and gave us the opportunity to listen to the soloist, a young Mexican who had recently won an international gamelan contest. This young lady benefited from a scholarship for artists in Yogyakarta, while the violinist had benefited from a scholarship in Mexico.

The orchestra played so well, incorporating European and Indonesian instruments that the public was moved indeed, which immediately requested, very soundly for an encore. The conductor, agreed to it, explaining that Mexico has formally one National Anthem, which he had already conducted, but that Mexicans have a second, informal, National Anthem, which is the happy notes of the “March of Zacatecas”, and also explained that Mexicans have a third, informal, National Anthem, which is the “Huapango”, by Moncayo.

Many Mexicans among the public started weeping by listening the first notes, and for those of us living far from our land for so long, it became a really emotional moment that we will cherish for as long as we live.

Thanks to the Mexican National Symphonic for bringing the culture of our country to places so distant geographically, but no so distant when we crave for the beautiful music of our country, and thanks to the Indonesian promoters that have done so much to make this concert possible. It was a totally unforgettable evening!

The Mexican National Symphonic Orchestra will also play in Yogyakarta as part of a series of concerts in South East Asia.