ARTS
Festival de Musica Petronio Alvarez first time in South Africa
TDS
29 September 2023
The Petronio Álvarez Afro-Colombian Music Festival, the most significant Afro culture festival in Latin America, is making its inaugural visit to WOMAD in South Africa. Over its 27 years of existence, the festival has established itself as a meeting place where Afro-Colombian heritage and its diverse expressions take center stage for six days. Held annually in Cali, Colombia, every August since 1997, the festival brings together approximately 600,000 people to celebrate music, cuisine, traditional beverages, and the ancestral knowledge of Colombian Pacific communities. This event annually attracts more than 200 exhibitors representing these traditions, hailing from 50 towns on the Pacific coast of Colombia.
In interviews with The Diplomatic Society (TDS), Brayan Hurtado, Secretary of Culture of the City of Cali, Colombia, and Ana Copete-Alvarez, Director of the Petronio Alvarez Pacific Music Festival, expressed their joy and excitement about being in South Africa after their long journey from Cali. Both Hurtado and Copete-Alvarez, highly qualified and experienced in their fields, recognize the pivotal role that arts and culture play in fostering social cohesion. They also understand the significance of the cultural industries in generating employment opportunities within the multifaceted supply chains that contribute to the creative process. The economic value of these industries has the potential to alleviate poverty, develop skills, build knowledge, and generate income and wealth.
In 2015, UNESCO declared Marimba music, traditional chants, and dances from the Colombia South Pacific region and the Esmeraldas Province of Ecuador as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This recognition stems from an initiative by the Colombian Government, framed within the Africa 2022-2026 strategy. This strategy aims to deepen Colombia's relationship with the African continent and strengthen South-South relationships with a focus on shared development goals. In the 16th century, Spanish colonialists forcibly brought slaves from mainly West African nations to Colombia, replacing the rapidly declining Indigenous population due to colonialism and genocide.
Herencia de los Ríos, a traditional chonta marimba group comprised of 11 traditional singers from the region known as ROBERTO PAYÁN in southern Colombia, embodies a culture and musical tradition that has remained intact for centuries. The group emerged as the winner at the Petronio Alvarez Festival last year, earning the title of Best Group in the Marimba category.
Básico Pero Nítido, created by Shamyr Caicedo, is a clothing brand dedicated to establishing an Afro-Colombian identity through powerful messages displayed on t-shirts. These messages also raise awareness about discriminatory practices against Afro-Colombians in Colombia. The brand's objective is to empower Afro-Colombians by highlighting the significant roles they have played in the development of Colombia and emphasizing that their dignity transcends the color of their skin.
The signing ceremony between WOMAD, the World of Music, Arts, and Dance founded by Peter Gabriel, and the Petronio Álvarez Afro-Colombian Music Festival signifies a commitment to deepen cooperation and interaction in the realms of art and culture between continents. This commitment also underscores the efforts made during the visit of Vice-President of Colombia Francia Marquez to South Africa earlier this year, further strengthening ties between these regions.