For 25 years, Bogotá has been home to one of Latin America’s most anticipated salsa festivals, Salsa al Parque. Held in the vast green expanse of Simón Bolívar Park, this two-day celebration has become the go-to event for salsa lovers, uniting aficionados, dancers, and performers from all over the world. The festival, which takes place on October 5 and 6, showcases both the rich heritage and the future of salsa while creating a vibrant space for the genre’s ever-evolving sound.
This year’s theme, “The Other ‘Barrio’ of Salsa,” reflects the diverse rhythms, cultures, and traditions that have shaped Bogotá’s salsa scene. With an eclectic lineup of musicians and performers, Salsa al Parque stands as a platform for celebrating both the classic and the contemporary, drawing thousands of fans who literally embrace rhythm.
When Salsa al Parque first kicked off in 1997, it wasn’t just another festival on the city’s packed musical calendar. It was an ambitious declaration that salsa was more than a sound imported from Colombia’s salsa capital – Cali. Bogotá clearly had its voice in the genre, and a growing salsero community to back it up. “Salsa wasn’t just something we listened to in Bogotá,” says festival veteran and historian César Pagano. “It was something we lived, danced, composed, and recorded here.”
From the outset, the festival highlighted a key point: Bogotá wasn’t just a salsa-loving city – it was a salsa-making city. The event has since grown into one of the most important public festivals in the region, drawing over 170,000 attendees in 2023, including local fans and international visitors. What began as an experiment in a city known for its rock, jazz, and hip-hop scenes has become a staple of Colombia’s cultural identity.
Salsa’s introduction to Bogotá was a slow burn. In the 1970s, radio DJ Miguel Granados Arjona, known as “El Viejo Mike,” began spinning the sounds of New York-style salsa in the Colombian capital. Around the same time, iconic clubs like El Tunjo de Oro, Mozambique and La Gaite sprang up, becoming meeting points for dancers and musicians, even though the genre was still viewed with suspicion. “In the early days, salsa was considered marginal,” says Granados. “It was associated with troublemakers and the underworld.”
But salsa’s rebellious roots in Bogotá only fueled its spread. Soon, intellectuals, leftist academics, and music enthusiasts found themselves drawn to the genre’s raw, Afro-Caribbean pulse. Venues like El Goce Pagano and Quiebra Canto became cultural hubs, uniting diverse social groups and fostering a community where salsa was more than music—it was a movement.
International Legends and Local Heroes
Over the past 25 years, Salsa al Parque has become a proving ground for local talent and a prestigious stage for international superstars. Legends like Rubén Blades, El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, Willie Colón, and Cuba’s Los Van Van have all graced the festival. “It’s important that we bring these icons to Bogotá,” says Paola Valdivieso Ruiz, the festival’s curator. “But it’s equally important that we highlight the local talent and the new voices keeping salsa alive.”
One of those voices is Karla González, from the all-female salsa band, Orquesta Son Mujeres de Cali. “Salsa al Parque has been a platform where not only salsa artists from other countries, but also Colombia, have gathered,” says González. “For us, it’s essential because it allows us to engage musically and artistically with other salsa artists and showcase what we do with such respect for music and salsa.”
The festival’s celebration of salsa classics has also been a defining feature. “We are presenting a repertoire of salsa classics. Since the festival is so important for spreading salsa in Colombia, we consider these classics essential in our set,” González explains. “We also combine them with our songs, which have a new sound but still maintain the essence of classic salsa.”
A Fusion of Sounds and Cultures
As salsa continues to evolve, so too does the soundscape of Salsa al Parque. The festival embraces not only the traditional Afro-Caribbean beats of salsa but also the genre’s fusion with contemporary styles. “Genres like pop and reggaeton have influenced the salsa we hear today because they’ve given it a new color and a different vibe,” González observes. “As long as we maintain the essence of salsa, these influences enrich the genre as a culture.”
Joshua Soruco from Radio Bembé, another featured performer, echoes this sentiment. “Cuban Timba, which emerged in the 80s, was heavily influenced by pop and funk,” he says. “And Salsa Rosa, in the late 80s and 90s, was influenced by pop as well. What’s exciting about music is the ability to explore, change sounds, and delve into this wonderful world of music.”
Radio Bembé has been making waves since its debut at Salsa al Parque in 2017, and for Soruco, the festival is a vital platform for both established and up-and-coming artists. “Salsa al Parque has significantly boosted the listening and consumption of salsa in Bogotá. What I find most enriching are the district and local acts – new talents like us who are fully committed to this challenging path of running a large musical ensemble.”
The Future of Salsa in Bogotá
Salsa al Parque is looking to the future by keeping traditions alive and breaking musical ground. New voices, fresh sounds, and innovative fusions are all part of what makes this festival so special. Soruco and Radio Bembé, for example, are working on what they call “Guaguapunk” – a bold blend of salsa and punk elements. “It’s something exclusive to Radio Bembé,” he says. “We’re presenting a repertoire never before seen in the local salsa scene.”
As the festival celebrates its 25th anniversary, the diversity of Bogotá’s salsa scene continues to be its strength. From the polished stages of Salsa al Parque to the gritty clubs and street corners where the music first took hold, salsa in Bogotá remains a powerful expression of the city’s soul. For Karla González, the festival is about more than just music – it’s about community. “Salsa al Parque has brought all of us together – all of us who love salsa – to share it in some way and give it a stage of great importance,” she says. “We invite everyone to enjoy this collective celebration. In this other barrio of salsa, every neighborhood plays a fundamental role in a story we will continue to dance, listen to, and live together.”
The 2024 edition promises to be a showstopper, headlined by some of the biggest names in salsa today. Highlights from the lineup include Guayacán Orchestra, founded by Alexis Lozano after he departed from Grupo Niche, and The Latin Brothers, known for their groundbreaking sound in the 1970s. Tito Nieves, famed for his salsa-in-English hit “I Like It Like That,” and Rey Ruiz, a Cuban icon, is also slated to perform. Homegrown favorites like Orquesta La 33, celebrating their 20th anniversary, will host the event, featuring special guests and showcasing the unique sound of Bogotá’s salsa scene.
Other notable performers include Michel El Buenón, a standout Dominican artist; Alaín Pérez with his mesmerizing Cuban sound; Orquesta Original de Manzanillo, a Cuban ensemble known for its charanga style; Salserín, a Venezuelan band that gained popularity as a children’s salsa group in the 1990s; and Son Mujeres from Colombia’s southern salsa “barrio” – Cali. The festival will also spotlight local talents like Azultrabuco, Mar Caribe Salsa Ensemble, Mao Escobar y Sus Rolos Band, El Santos, and La Guabalosa.
Within the framework of Bogotá Camina Segura, the city’s 2024-2027 Development Plan, Salsa al Parque plays a key role in transforming public spaces into venues for peaceful coexistence and social change. And like other forms of tropical music, salsa serves as a vehicle for promoting the social and cultural memory of Latin America, providing both residents and newcomers with a sense of connection.
From the bustling streets of neighborhoods like Galerías and Chapinero to the global stage, Salsa al Parque remains a testament to the power of music. And as the city looks beyond this quarter-century milestone, it’s clear that salsa will continue to play a leading role in Bogotá’s soundtrack. So don’t miss this special edition as Bogotá will be transformed into a vibrant barrio of salsa – a place where history, rhythm, and community converge in a celebration of sound and plenty of fast-paced movement.
Venue: Parque Simón Bolívar. Calle 53 with Carrera 63.
Free admission.
Doors open to the park at 11:00 am on Saturday, October 5, and Sunday, October 6.
For the complete lineup of artists and performance times visit: salsaalparque.gov.co
