If you like music festivals in cities that aren’t always part of the usual tourist beat, then the Bandola Music Festival in Sevilla, Valle del Cauca, offers visitors four full days of music while enjoying the views and cups of locally harvested coffee. of a city located in the foothills of the Central Cordillera and an easy three-hour drive northeast of Cali or 1 hour south of Armenia, Quindío.
The bandola festival honors the curved wooden chordophone derived from Arabic musical instruments that arrived in the Americas and similar to the European mandolin.
After two years in which the festival went virtual and live-streamed, and several outdoor events held in the city’s Casa de la Cultura (House of Culture) and local parks, this year’s edition returns with a full range of performances by locals and the best. – popular groups. The city’s Plaza de la Concordia is the site for Carlos Arboleda’s main stage, as well as Parque Uribe for events that run parallel to this festival, including his much-loved Countryside Concert, Women’s Song and the Santa Cecilia Retreat by San Pedro Valle.
Starting on Friday, August 12, with concerts at the Alcázar Theater and the Óscar Toro Echeverri Hall of the House of Culture, the same afternoon, the Departmental Band of Valle del Cauca debuts with a selected repertoire of Colombian music and on Saturday afternoon, in The Alcázar Theater is the celebration of the 15th Anniversary of Bandolitis with the plucked string orchestra “EnPúa” of the University of Antioquia.
On Sunday morning EnPúa will hold the second concert accompanied by the OTE student group of the Casa de la Cultura Foundation in the Casa auditorium. An example of the country’s musical diversity can be enjoyed with this year’s guest list, among them the folkloric duets Dueto Nocturno and Dueto Primavera from Boyacá, and the carranga ensemble Rumbambuquiando, also from Boyacá, and a territory known for interweaving narratives lyrical with traditional ones. the instruments.
Salsa group Toño Barrio from Bogotá and Latin Grammy winners Puerto Candelaria will be joined by groups from different musical regions of the country, such as Tolima represented by Ensemble Cantaima and fusion group Son de Pueblo. The Coffee Triangle will be represented by Café Urbano (Armenia) and all-female percussionists Tambor Hembra with their eclectic Caribbean sounds. The Musical Workshop from the North of Kauka (TIMCCA) presents Kaukano violins.
Bands from Valle del Cauca – Rumberto, Mr.Klaje, Ustedes, Pentandra, Mambata – are a showcase of current proposals with different genres. The party music for this year’s event also comes from the coffee region with the bands Los Chamico (Salento, Quindío) and Los Caciques del Ritmo and El Abejorro (Sevilla, Valle del Cauca). And defying regional stereotypes in terms of musical identity, vallenateros Xpresion Vallenata is a new sound in these windswept highlands.
List of Latin American Andean music includes Semilla (Cali); Huari-runa (Yumbo, Valley) and Mestizo Stick (Tuluá). These concerts will be accompanied by colorful dances. Festival founding bands Miller Santanilla and Cantar del Llano, Julian Rodriguez and the Bandola Group will also take to the festival’s center stage.
The Bandola Festival this year honors two women, Dora Carolina Rojas “Corita”, a prominent Colombian artist who founded Encuentro Bandolitis 15 years ago, and Marta Elena Hoyos, who is celebrating the 30th anniversary of her artistic career.
On Saturday, August 13, Parque Uribe hosts the Cantorío de Mujeres 19 years ago and a gathering of renowned vocalists who will lead the audience on a journey of love through music. The performers in this category are Tambor Hembra; Martha Toledo (Oaxaca, Mexico); and Mathilda Haynes and Analú with their unique repertoire of Colombian-French jazz. Singer María Vanedi (Neiva, Huila) will also perform, as well as Son Pacífico who will accompany Cantorío founder Martha Elena Hoyos.
One of the highlights of this festival is the Carnival of Hugs and the lively parade ritual with the participation of artists, visitors and the local community. By hugging your favorite musician, artisan, coffee farmer or stranger on the street, you show respect for others and the community at large. Sunday afternoon is marathon hug fest.
La Ñapa on Monday the 15th is the farewell concert and exhibition of traditional and alternative/rock music. The acts are all from Sevilla and include Pentatónica, Jhon Guapacha, Rock de mi Tierra and Viento y Alma. Since Sevilla is a coffee-growing city, many concerts take place inside cafes and express the kindness and warmth of its inhabitants, who appreciate their role as superior hosts.
After four days in Sevilla at a festival that has the stamp of recognition from the National Program of Cultural Concerts of the Ministry of Culture; The Mayor of Seville; and the Government of Valle del Cauca; you will keep the festival promise to return. A promise, like many over 27 years, that will preserve the longevity of this festival in the heart of a city that gives wires to the wind and the world.
