Costa Rica culture

NICOYA, Guanacaste – Thousands gathered here Friday, including President Luis Guillermo Solís, to celebrate the culture of Guanacaste and the 190th anniversary of the annexation of the Partido de Nicoya to Costa Rica.

To celebrate this year's 190th anniversary of the annexation of the Partido de Nicoya, bilingual community newspaper La Voz de Guanacaste (The Voice of Guanacaste) has put together a musical video tribute based on Guadalupe Urbina's song, "Vengo de una Tierra" ("I Come from a Land").

It is a cold and stormy night. We children are starving, and dinner is almost ready. The meat is cooked, the rice is done....

Dedicated to Costa Rica's Calypso hero Walter "Gavitt" Ferguson, the second International Calypso Festival was held over the weekend at the Alfredo Gonzales Flores park...

Let’s cut to the chase: Contemporary art is generally odd and uncomfortable, and the people who visit an art gallery feel compelled to “understand” it. The best way to approach a group show like “Day” is to seek out that one thing you particularly like.

Body art isn’t for wusses, and the vibe last Friday was distinctly punk rock: Loud music pumped through speakers, tough-looking women sauntered down the aisles, and broad-shouldered men loomed over their patrons and applied ink with authority. Yet the hardened veneer gave way to general friendliness, and the artists spoke glowingly about their work.

SO TO SPEAK: A deeper look at self-indulgence, cynicism and tribalism.