Kopalli: El espíritu astral
You can’t spend time in Mexico without being confronted by the Feathered Serpent, Quetzalcóatl, or Kukulkán in the Mayan regions of Mexico (like Yucatán). Quetzalcóatl is the creator god of wind, rain, and life, worshiped across Mesoamerica from places like Chichén Itzá to central Mexico. The serpent remains important in Mexico today as a powerful symbol of Indigenous heritage and cosmology, appearing in major archaeological sites, art, and national cultural narratives
You also can’t be in the country very long without knowing about The Tlatoani, the title for the hereditary ruler or king of an Aztec city‑state (altepetl), who held political, military, and religious authority. The supreme emperor of the Triple Alliance, ruling from the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan (now Mexico City), over the wider Aztec Empire. Master storytellers/theatrical creators/artists Betsaida Pardo and Jairo Heli brought together two historical figures, added Hernan Cortes, and created a fictional goddess, Kopalli, to tell the story of the ancient and ongoing conflict between humans and nature, and among humans. The story is told in music, dance, acrobatics, multimedia special effects, and narration by the goddess in a multimedia musical spectacle Kopalli: the Astral Spirit.
It is awe-inspiring and awesome.
In fact, it is a multimedia spectacle titled Kopalli: El espíritu astral (The Astral Spirit) and it brings a contemporary edge to pre-Hispanic tradition, blending folkloric dance, live music, circus arts and immersive projections in a tightly paced stage show that has been running for a year in Guadalajara and was in Ajijic’s Centro de Cultura y Artes de Ribera (CCAR) auditorium Sunday.
Created with an original score by multi-instrumentalist Topiltzin Borsegui, the production features more than 30 performers to explore themes of peace and collective resilience in the face of violence, especially in conflicts between humanity and the natural world. The result is an acoustic, visual, and narrative experience that positions ancestral culture squarely in the present tense.
I was able to tour the show backstage with Executive Producer Fernanda Romo and Artistic Director Betsaida Pardo before the lights went on and music started, watching the dancers warm up, get their make-up painted on, and try on the 90 costumes the play uses. Romo took me on the almost stage (the bands were set up, and the lead dancer was blocking her moves) to meet the musicians playing several dozen indigenous instruments, and photograph the tables full of masks, props, and feathers that the actors use throughout the 1-hour+ show.
The music is drum-heavy – native drums – with flutes, conch shells, and many instruments I can’t name. As of now, there is no music available online, only YouTube videos, but at some point, they will record a live show and release the soundtrack. In the meantime, here is a selection of my photos of the backstage tour and the actual performance. Check out the videos on YouTube.
Patrick O’Heffernan
