San Bartolomé paid tribute on Friday night to Victoria Martín Pérez "Cristobalina", the last artisan in the municipality dedicated to the making of sombreras. The event highlighted this garment and "the importance it has due to the hours of dedication by artisan hands, whose origin is in the countryside but which today can have many more uses."
"We have to be proud of the great craftsmanship behind it. Almost all the women of this land have a sombrera or several, also made by the hands of another woman, who like no one else understands the value of these pieces,” said the mayor, Alexis Tejera.
The event began with Ricardo Reguera's voice-over talking about the sombrera, while several girls dressed in jeans and sombreras entered the stage, mixing an everyday garment of today with another traditional and artisan one.
After them, Beni Ferrer entered the stage, dressed in gala attire by Oswaldo Machín and with the sombrera as an essential element of distinction, to offer the public a lyrical performance. The event also featured the performance of Toñíin Corujo on the timple, Israel Curbelo on the piano, and Toni Cantero on the guitar.
Afterwards, the public was able to see a documentary about the making of the sombrera, from the moment of collecting the material to its completion, and later another about the honoree, with images of her parents, her daughters, and her grandchildren, as well as students from fifteen years ago dedicating precious words to her.
The night ended with the intervention of the mayor, who presented Cristobalina with a plaque, a silver pin made by an artisan, and a bouquet of flowers, with the presence of the Councilor of Crafts, Ana María Lopes, and the Councilor of Crafts of the Cabildo, Ariagona González, who also presented a recognition.
