Bogota artists represented Colombia at the Sanliurfa Spring Music Festival, in Turkey

Bogotá is listed as one of the Creative Cities of Music by Unesco since 2012. The versatility, diversity of genres, cultural and social creations and the daily birth of artists allowed the city to make a presence in the Spring Music Festival in Sanliurfa, Turkey, with virtual live shows.

Bogota’s talent was reflected through musical performances by the Bogotá Philharmonic Orchestra, the Gilberto Alzate Avendaño Foundation (FUGA) with groups such as Ensamble Baquiano and Hombre de Barro.

Likewise, Capital Sistema de Comunicación Pública presented different documentary programs, plays and circuses; and from the Ministry of Culture, Recreation and Sports, the Creative Districts and the concerts of Apolo 7 and Don Tetto were announced.

“Participating in this event is very important because it continues to promote music as a tool for the socioeconomic progress of the creators of Bogotá, in addition to the cultural diversity that leads to the international positioning of music and the circulation of the groups of the town”, commented Nicolás Montero, Secretary of Culture, Recreation and Sports.

In the same way, this participation allows dynamism as the central stage of musical creation in Latin America, since music has always been an important element in the cultural structure that allows cities from all parts of the world to unite.

The participation of the Bogota artists was experienced through four categories:

Bogotá is Colombian music: During the pandemic, Bogotá did not shut up. It continued to sound at all the rhythms of Colombia. This collection presented the best of national folklore: porros, cumbias, bambucos, corridors and vallenatos produced at home and performed by the Bogotá Philharmonic Orchestra and the Curupira group.

Bogotá is living music: The spectators were carried away by other possible worlds listening to these two musical proposals: the cowboy songs and the rubbed strings. Both rhythms led to a trip to the hot savannas of eastern Colombia, while the harmonic sounds produced by local ethnic instruments made a pendulum between the magical passes of jazz and the voice of the river and the Colombian jungle.

Bogotá is urban music: Made in the streets by young people with dreams perhaps bigger than ours, this selection presented emblematic songs from Bogota rap groups. “What better way than the melodic rhythms of these true fighters to get to know the most real face of Bogotá”, explained the Secretariat.

Bogotá is art and culture: Bogotá looks better when graffiti adorn its walls, sleeps happily when its market squares are filled with fruits of all colors, and reconciles with its past when it discovers the pre-Columbian remains of its ancient inhabitants underground. This collection of documentaries had stagings and video clips that made a city known to the world that beats art and culture in its streets.

Among the participating cities are: Bogotá and Ibagué for Colombia, Kirsehir, Istanbul and Sanliurfa for Turkey, Liria for Spain, Baku and Shaki for Azerbaijan and Essaouira for Morocco.

Additionally, the event that takes place virtually until Friday June 18 will feature a panel called ‘Music industry in the context of the covid-19 pandemic’. The Bogotá Philharmonic Orchestra will participate in this talk, recounting its experience during this year and showing living examples of how, despite the circumstances, music was always present.

The discussion will take place next Friday, the day the Sanliurfa Spring Music Festival ends, in Turkey, and will be broadcast on all the district’s channels.

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