When Maritza
Sevilla, an expat of long years of residence in Panama, finished the
last pages of her book, "A humming bird in Siberia," she
did not known that it would soon capture the attention of the Valentina
Ganibalova Ballet of St. Petersburg Russia. If the production of a
ballet based on the book becomes a reality, it will be a dream come
true for Sevilla, who has always wanted to visit Russia.
The book,
the English translation of which hit the shelves this month (including
a CD with musical pieces based on the story), is a tale of love, friendship
and determination in which a tiny humming bird meets interesting people
and fights incredible obstacles in order to reach a long-desired destination,
departing from the Panamanian island of Taboga –the famous "Isle
of Flowers" located in the Bay of Panama.
According
to Sevilla, the incredible journey of the tiny bird across the planet
is very unlikelly but not that impossible. With the aid of a geologist,
she was able to trace a route which takes the bird thousands of miles
across the five continents, from the tropics of Panama to the frigid
regions of northern Russia.
The release
of the book inspired Panamanian musicians Pedro Riba and Dino Nugent
to compose a number of pieces, which put together, have become the
score of the ballet. The book has been read by Russian president Vladimir
Putin, who received it from the Hon. Evgeny Voronin, Russia's Ambassador
in Panama.
A native
of Nicaragua, Sevilla has lived in Panama for over 40 years, some
of which she served as her country's Ambassador on the Isthmus. Settling
down in Panama City with her family, Mrs. Sevilla has engaged in a
number of business projects, but now spends most of her time writing
and painting. All of the book's illustrations were painted by her.
