Hispanic cultures blend at UMANI
Ayanna Ramirez sings with Mariachi Noroeste Saturday at UMANI, Moses Lake’s festival celebrating Hispanic cultures from all over.
JOEL MARTIN/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
Dancers with Los Hermanos de los Andes whirl at Sinkiuse Square Saturday in a performance at UMANI.
JOEL MARTIN/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
Passersby check out a lowrider at UMANI in downtown Moses Lake Saturday. Both sides of Third Avenue were lined with tricked-out vehicles of all kinds.
JOEL MARTIN/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
Five-year-old Elisa dances to the music while waiting in line for food at UMANI.
JOEL MARTIN/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
Mario Flores mans the Porky’s Hot Dogs grill at UMANI.
JOEL MARTIN/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
Los Hermanos de los Andes perform on traditional South American mountain instruments at UMANI in Moses Lake Saturday.
JOEL MARTIN/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
Not all lowriders have four wheels, as evidenced by these bikes and trikes on display at UMANI.
JOEL MARTIN/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
MOSES LAKE — The range of cultures represented in downtown Moses Lake was broad: Mexican, Caribbean and South American performers stood side-by-side with U.S. Chicano lowriders and West Coast rap at the annual UMANI festival, a celebration of Hispanic life.
“The streets are full, the vibes are good, the music’s great and the cars are stunning,” said Shawn Cardwell, executive director of Columbia Basin Allied Arts, which puts on UMANI every September.
The CeAtl Tonalli dancers, a traditional Aztec troupe from Seattle, opened the festival with a procession at the Sinkiuse Stage. They were followed by performances by Los Hijos de Agüeybaña, who performed Bomba music from Puerto Rico; Los Hermanos de los Andes, with traditional Andean music and dance; and Bishop Snow, whose rap mixes California Hispanic and African American influences. Under a tent set up on Division Street, artists gave classes in aesthetics, poetry and photography and some of the musicians gave attendees a more up-close look at their art. Around the corner, the Wenatchee-based Mariachi Noroeste played and a DJ spun tunes before the quinceañera parade. Both sides of Third Avenue were lined with vehicles gleaming in the sun: cars, trucks and even bicycles on display for the lowrider show.
The event brought together cultures that don’t usually overlap, said Ayanna Ramirez, a singer and violin player with Mariachi Noroeste from Wenatchee. "I love the lowriders,” she said. “I grew up watching them in movies. For (the event) to bring Chicano culture and mariachi music together is pretty cool because it’s not something you see regularly.”
Ramirez, a college sophomore, has been performing mariachi for five years, she said.
Ash Street between Third and Broadway avenues was devoted to food vendors. One was Porky’s Hot Dogs, based in Moses Lake, which advertised Mexican-style hot dogs. Where people in the U.S. serve their hot dogs with ketchup or mustard, Mexican hot dogs have more variety, said Aylin Pacheco, who was serving up dogs as fast as Mario Flores could grill them.
“We do lots of veggies, lots of condiments,” Pacheco said. “There’s grilled onions, grilled jalapeños, grilled mushrooms. We also have custom-made chipotle and nacho cheese. It’s very customizable.”
This is the fifth year of the UMANI Festival, and it’s growing, Cardwell said.
“It’s the same concepts, but bigger and better,” she said.
“We have a great turnout,” said CBAA Board Vice President Zhane Serrano. “Every year we get more people.”
Dancers with Los Hermanos de los Andes whirl at Sinkiuse Square Saturday in a performance at UMANI.
Passersby check out a lowrider at UMANI in downtown Moses Lake Saturday. Both sides of Third Avenue were lined with tricked-out vehicles of all kinds.
Five-year-old Elisa dances to the music while waiting in line for food at UMANI.
Mario Flores mans the Porky’s Hot Dogs grill at UMANI.
Los Hermanos de los Andes perform on traditional South American mountain instruments at UMANI in Moses Lake Saturday.
Not all lowriders have four wheels, as evidenced by these bikes and trikes on display at UMANI.