The different costumes in which the Mar Menor Choirs and Dances group performs, treasured throughout its more than 50 years of existence, can be seen these days in the exhibition “The art of dress. Tradition and history of the regional costume of Murcia” which opened last night at the Museum of San Javier. The exhibition, which includes several costumes, displays with accessories of the huerta costume and a set of photographs, is part of the I Semana Cultural Coros y Danzas Mar Menor which will run until Saturday 9 October, organised by the local folklore group with the collaboration of the Department of Culture of the City Council of San Javier.
The Councillor for Culture, David Martínez and the president and vice-president of Coros y Danzas Mar Menor, Antonio Pérez and Marisol Fernández respectively, inaugurated the exhibition in which the history of the Huerta costume can be appreciated through the costumes on display which belong to the dancers of the group and which are replicas of the originals, made with the advice of experts in the Murcian folk costume. Marisol Fernández explained that the vertically striped refajos are among the oldest of those on display, as are the refajo rodado, which they wear in maroon, the colour of the regional flag, although they are also used in other colours.
In the exhibition you can also see the luxury costume, embroidered with rhinestones, the traditional woollen embroidery of Lorca and Murcia, and the velvet embroidery. The men’s costume is reduced to two possibilities: the working suit with zaragüelles and the luxury suit with breeches, waistcoat and jacket, which was used for special occasions. The exhibition also includes an exact replica of an 18th century huertana costume, provided by its owner José Dimas, of Cano & Cánovas, from Murcia, which is now also part of the group’s wardrobe, explained Marisol Fernández.
The event ended with a short performance, the first that the group has given without two of its musicians who have died in recent months, Tomás and Pablo, for whom they had a special remembrance. The first night of the Week, which is celebrated with the intention of maintaining and transmitting the values and knowledge of Murcian folklore to society, ended with a traditional ‘café de puchero’, recalled the Councillor for Culture, David Martínez. The activities will continue on Thursday 8, at 18:h with a workshop-demonstration of regional embroidery with the embroiderer Juana Abril in the Museum of San Javier. On Friday there will be an afternoon of games, workshops and regional dances for children at 18:00h in the “Príncipe de Asturias” cultural centre in Santiago de la Ribera. On Saturday 9th October the “El Ciezazo” group from Torreagüera will perform in the Plaza de España, in San Javier at 12:00h and in the evening at the closing gala of the 1st Cultural Week, which will be held in the cultural centre, in Santiago de la Ribera at 21:30h, the group “Coros y Danzas Mar Menor” from San Javier and the “Rondalla y Coro Santiago Apóstol” from Santiago de la Ribera will perform.