In the township of La Subida, jurisdiction of Lorica, Córdoba, Ángeles Soñadores was born, the winning band of the last Festival Vallenato en Bandas Cecilia Monsalvo Riveira, held in Valledupar.
In dialogue with EL PILÓN, its director, Alfredo Berrocal, tells a story that goes beyond the scores and chords; It is a story of transformation and, ultimately, triumph.
The decision to merge the tradition of porros with vallenato was not easy. Adapting the genres, incorporating a singer and making Mariángel’s voice resonate in Valledupar, land of Vallenato legends, was a monumental challenge. However, Berrocal and his talented group of young musicians embraced the challenge with dedication and respect for the structure of vallenato.
“It has been one of the most important achievements as a foundation and music school, because getting rid of all our traditionality such as joints and other genres that we also perform and adapting to vallenato is something quite dedicated and complex. It was something majestic, satisfying for us to have people applaud and ask us for another song the first night; For me it was something very nice, we declared ourselves winners because being accepted in Valledupar was not such an easy challenge,” Berrocal stressed.
THE SEED OF DREAMING ANGELS
Ángeles Soñadores was not conceived solely as a musical band; was the result of emotions and circumstances that converged in the life of Alfredo Berrocal. The year she lost her mother, music became her refuge.
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When Lorica moved to El Silencio to accompany her, he found himself surrounded by children eager to learn music. Thus was born the seed of what would eventually become a band that would conquer the most important stages in the country.
“I threw myself into the work of the band without even having a name, when we arrived we spoke with the rector of the school, who lent us the facilities to do classes on a day contrary to their academic activities. And many more children arrived, I bought more instruments. We did the first instruments we bought with some savings we had lying around,” says Berrocal.
THE CHALLENGE
The Vallenato en Bandas Festival was established as the stage of consecration for Ángeles Soñadores. It was not only a competition, but the opportunity to enter the pantheon of the great Vallenato minstrels: the Francisco El Hombre stage.
“It was like being on the throne of the greats, it was not something so easy since we had to take on a fairly immense challenge so we suddenly began to enter the elite group where only great minstrels of vallenato music have risen, I made a quite deep psychological work for the boys, explaining to them the importance of being on that stage,” Berrocal said.
The key to victory, according to Berrocal, was respect for the essence of vallenato. They met the challenge with careful musical arrangements, maintaining the authenticity of the genre. Every detail, from the interpretation of the merengue to the adaptation of the puya, made Ángeles Soñadores stand out.
‘Confidences’ by Gustavo Gutiérrez, ‘Esta vida’ and ‘Ay hombe’, performed by Jorge Celedón and ‘Mi piece of accordion’ by Alejo Durán were the songs chosen to convince the jury.
The night in which Ángeles Soñadores was proclaimed the winner not only marked an achievement in her career, but a milestone for vallenato music in bands. In a gesture full of meaning, Alfredo Berrocal recalled the beginnings of the band and the inspiration behind its name: the vision of a little angel who dreams and projects himself into the future.
“One afternoon I went to teach classes and a boy who was only 8 years old said to me, who looked up at the sky and a plane was passing by: teacher, can it be that when we play we can get on a plane? From there I got the idea of a little angel who dreams, a dreamer, who projects himself so far into the future and that led me to name it the Ángeles Soñadores musical training school,” recalled the 42-year-old teacher.
This group of talented young people from vulnerable families found a way to transform their lives in music. Recognition at the Vallenato en Bandas Festival not only celebrates musical talent, but also the improvement and transformative power of music.
THE FESTIVAL ROLL OF HONOR
Behind Ángeles Soñadores were the Banda San Lorenzo de Sáchica, Boyacá, and the Banda de Chochó Musical Organization, Sucre, second and third respectively.
“We congratulate the winners for their talent and dedication! We also want to thank all the participating bands for making this festival an unforgettable event. Long live Vallenato en Bandas and long live La Polla!” was the message from the organization at the end of the two-day contest.
BY: JOSÉ ALEJANDRO MARTÍNEZ/ EL PILÓN.
