Festivals: Until Carnaval!

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Parade along the Calle 40 in Barranquilla.

The year gets off to a roaring start with a string of festivals, some Hay for thought, and a world-class carnival in March. So mark these key days on your calendar, as they will keep you in tune (and in touch) with Colombia’s cultural beat.

Centro

The first important music festival of the year is ‘Centro’ by the cultural Foundation Gilberto Alzate Avendaño (FGAA). Starting January 7th until running until the 12th festival Centro is all about turning Bogotá’s lively downtown into a cultural venue for up and coming bands and soloists. Calling itself the ‘First Music Festival of Bogotá’, Centro for its 5th edition brings to the capital 10 international bands to accompany a line up of 27 Colombian bands. Head out to hear on the FGAA’s open-air stage bands such as Revolver Plateado, Porter, Frankie Ha Muerto, Natalia Bedoya, Mitu, Chango, and Sidestep- per among many others. Check the FGAA website for concert times and cover prices: www.festivalcentro.org

Hay

For nine years Cartagena has become a literary home away from home for the highly-publicized HAY Festival. The 2014 edition of HAY Cartagena starts January 30th and welcomes to the colonial city a long line up of names from the worlds of literature, journalism and music. For five days, renovated cultural spaces open their Perrier-sparkling courtyards to informal conversations with authors. Then there’s the “après Lit” on the ramparts.

The 2014 line up includes novelists Chad Harbach (USA), Irvine Welsh (U.K), John Boyne (Ireland), Rosa Montero (Spain), Juan Gabriel Vasquez (Colombia), among others. Mexican actor Gael García Bernal will be on hand to discuss his life in film and Colombian hip hop band ChoQuibTown will perform for guests in Cartagena’s Plaza de la Aduana. www.hayfestival.com/cartagena

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Art Cartagena

A boutique art fair makes it debut January 9th in the Hotel Bóvedas Santa Clara, Cartagena. Under the title ‘Art Cartagena’ 18 galleries from the U.S, Mexico, Argentina, Cuba and Venezuela will present their various art projects/ installations from well-known artists working with mediums such as photography, sculpture and paint on canvas. The rooms of the Bóvedas Santa Clara also act as breezy “stands” allowing the accredited guests to move from floor to floor.

‘Carnaval de Barranquilla’

The city that puts on Colombia’s biggest party with its legendary Carnaval de Barranquilla is ready to receive visitors from around the world starting March 1st and running sleepless for 4 days until ‘Joselito’ is put to rest in hometown of Barranquilla.

Decked in bling and bright masks, all attendees must dance under a gor- geous sun, and as homage to all Colombian festivals, there are theatrical parades based on the mythical stories of the coast. The festival is also a true celebration of Colombian beats, with musical styles boomed out on speakers and street parades sprouting up in neighborhoods all over the city. Carnaval 2014: A festival to enjoy and the best Colombia has to offer.

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