The Petronio Álvarez Pacific Music Festival, the most significant Afro-cultural event in Latin America, launches its new edition on Saturday, June 1. The launch event will feature last year’s winning groups: Aires de mi Tierra, Matachindé, Folclor de mi Pueblo, and La Calle Manigua.
Returning to the stage of the Teatro Mayor are the best representatives of diverse musical talent that spans four departments along the Pacific coastline. The Teatro Mayor Julio Mario Santo Domingo will host just one concert that has become a tradition since 2016, when it started showcasing the previous winners of Petronio. Headlining this year at Teatro Mayor are Aires de mi Tierra with their unique sounds of the chirimía, Matachindé (Marimba and Traditional Songs), Folclor de mi Pueblo (Caucano Violin), and La Calle Manigua. This event in Bogotá tributes musicians from the departments of Cauca, Valle del Cauca, Nariño, and Chocó offering Bogotá audiences an opportunity to connect with the musical genres of Colombia’s Pacifico.
A Celebration of Pacific Music
Held annually in Cali, the Petronio Álvarez Pacific Music Festival began in 1996 and has grown into the largest Afro-culture festival in Latin America. Organized by the Secretariat of Culture and the Mayor’s Office of Santiago de Cali in collaboration with various entities, the Festival’s launch takes place at the Teatro Mayor Julio Mario Santo Domingo each year.
The Festival celebrates Afro-Colombian heritage through diverse cultural expressions. Musical groups from the Pacific region compete in four categories: Caucano Violin, Chirimía, Marimba and Traditional Songs, and Open Group.
Performing Groups at Teatro Mayor
In its 28th edition in 2024, the Festival’s launch will feature groups from Tadó (Chocó), the Yurumangui River (Valle del Cauca), Caloto (Cauca), and Cali (Valle del Cauca). Aires de mi Tierra, from Tadó (Chocó), has been promoting regional music since 1999, focusing on unique percussion sounds from the Pacific, such as abozao, bambazu, tamborito chocoano, and aguabajo.
Matachindé, winners of the Marimba and Traditional Songs category, was formed in 2010 and is named after cultural celebrations along the Yurumangui River, characterized by manacillo music and colorful costumes.
Folclor de mi Pueblo, winners of the Caucano Violin category, started in 2013 in San Nicolás, Caloto (Cauca). La Calle Manigua, winners in the Open Group category, formed in 2015 and blends Guapi’s indigenous sounds with global music styles like jazz, funk, Cuban son, soul, and afrobeat. Some members are self-taught musicians from Guapi, Tumaco, Chocó, Buenaventura, and Jamundí, while others, like director Heriberto Bonilla, attended Cali’s most prestigious music academies.
Tickets for the best of Petronio are available on the official website of Teatro Mayor www.teatromayor.org and through TuBoleta, the teatre’s official ticket vendors. Tickets start at COP$50,000. This grand festival starts at 5:00 p.m.
