Página 6
Agosto 2016
Creator of ‘Beautiful San Andres’, Cecilia Francis Hall: distinguished by MinCultura
Big up Miss Chiqui As a huge achievement for San Andres, and in general for the entire archipelago, Cecilia Francis Hall better known as ‘Miss Chiqui’, received the significant distinction with the recognition of the dedication of the ancestral culture of the Black communities, Raizals, Palenqueras and Afro-colombian”, promoted from the program Direction of Populations of the Ministry of Culture, 2016. By Janeth Raga In a timely manner, within the broad appeal of stimuli, this prize was addressed to citizens over 50 years in the areas of “ancestral rituals, ownmedicines , midwifery, creole languages and cultural management”, being in the last mentioned in which she was nominated through the Foundation Cultural House of San Andres. It was this entity - with Dilia Robinson Davis as the engine of the initiative - who managed to convince Miss Chiqui (very reluctant at first), that her career of almost 50 years in pro of folklor and culture, was worthy of being recognized and presented in the call, especially when this would be the first time that the islands would have the representation of a raizal in this postulation
gencia Hudgson ‘Miss Galgal ‘ and Delia Zapata Olivella). With the set of dance, the island for the first time participated in a National Contest of Folk Dances organised by the company ‘Polímeros Colombianos’ in the city of Medellín, where the group was declared out of contest for its unique style and precision of the movements. 1973. She creates the mixed choir of the Cultural House of the North End and together with other colleagues, she organi-
1983. She reorganizes the II Meeting of choirs of the Churches in the archipelago that at present it goes by its thirty-fifth version; she creates the program ‘National Contest of Tales’ and published the article: ‘The marine snail and some habits of San Andres Island’. 1985. She reactivates the program ‘Christmas Serenata’ in the Cultural House, and creates the programs ‘Músicos y Cantantes del Ayer’ and the ‘Festival of rounds and games’. 1989. She creates the Regional
Trajectory
She served on the labor side in different areas of the public sector of the island, integrating in 1953 the first floor of staff of the Popular Bankin San Andrés; then she served, between 1963 to 1976, as secretary and as a teacher at the Bolivariano School.
1972. She composed the song ‘Beautiful San Andres’ in Calypso rhythm , which describes the life, custom, and important places of the island. Its message is so strong that was later converted into the official anthem of the island on the initiative of the Departmental Assembly. She is linked as an active member of the Foundation Cultural House , leading and participating in the development of several projects for the rescue of the culture, the first meeting of religious choirs music and the first group of dances of San Andres (this last one with the collaboration of Ver-
2009. She published: ‘Island Humor, a collection of native jokes of San Andres and Providence’. Unpublished brochure on these popular and oral tradition. She also earned honors at the local level on the part of Fenalco seccional San Andres and Providence, the Organization ORFA ,the government of the Archipelago and several public tributes of outstanding artists of the islands. In 2010, in the framework of the Festival ‘Bill And Mary’, the Cultural House pays tribute to her as a songwriter, performer, arranger and promoter of the music receiving the Medal Bill & Mary. In November 2013, the governorship of the Archipelago gives her the Medal ‘Francisco Newball’ - maximum award granted by the local government - in the category ‘Gold’ by her cultural service to the community. She receives in 2015 the mention of the AMEN SD Organization (Self Detemination) in the framework of the emancipation Week .
She is Composer, writer, and musicalresearcher ; her entire life has revolved around the rescue, visibilization, and strengthening of the cultural identity. in the opinion of the majority of the people who know her, she is an icon of the RaizalCulture , possessing a great humanitarian spirit and service to the community.
Her cultural management initiated from an early age, when she learned of her parents to play the piano and violin, and from this artistic enrichment , she directed youth choir and music groups, which led her to start promoting culture and what has made her earn this national distinction .
2006. The cultural leader Fidel Antonio Corpus Suarez pays tribute to her through the poetry: ‘Maria Cecilia Francis Hall, A blessed answer to her father’s Prayer’.
A song that became hymn
zed the first ‘Coral Meeting of Religious Music’, with the groups already conformed in the churches. 1978. She writes “My memories of Bolivariano”, historical document about the Bolivariano School and her contribution as Secretary of the institution. 1982. She is named as the Director of the Cultural House, a post she held for 16 years until the time of her retirement; during this period programs were developed that positioned the place as the temple of the culture on the island: the School of Fine Arts was created, where she taught painting , piano, violin classes; the operation of the Intendencial Public Library was reactivated and the program of loans of books and competitions was established to encourage reading.
lounge of Plastic Arts and organizes several versions for several years. She formalizes the first reading contest in the English language. 1991. She publishes “Compendium of traditional popular culture of the islands of San Andres and Providence” and the LP “folk and popular music of the islands of San Andres and Providence”. 1993. She composed the hymn of San Luis. 1997. The Cultural House pays tribute to the musical group and folk dances ‘Sonoran Bay’ directed by Cecilia Francis, by the work of preservation of the music and the cultural traditions of the Archipelago during 25 years.
the song ‘Beautiful San Andres’ was formally adopted as the official anthem of the island of San Andres, by Ordinance 15 of November 19 of 2012. In her Own Words Miss Chiqui, expresses that it forms part of her best legacy: “I like music and to see people happy. That is my greatest satisfaction” She thinks that the culture is not deformed, but altered. “It is natural, because we have people who have come from other parts and we have not been able to stay with that purity; but there is still something of the culture of the island. The message for the youth is to try to continue with these things, do not make it be lost because it is a way of identifying the islander, San Andrés; learn the dances and the original music, not abandon it and try to pass it on to the next generations”. Miss Dilia Robinson says that the task now is to socialize from the Secretariat of local culture this type of calls to take advantage of economic stimuli that not only exalt the cultural wealth of the archipelago but that recognize in life people as ‘Miss Chiqui’ in its tireless struggle for that ancestral culture to prevails. Fotos: Guillermo Dickens