04. 04. culture CulturE Millions of voices, colors and expressions colors Millions of voices, Colombia: a must-see destination Colombia: 04 09 contents Page 04 Medellin: Music and Urban Art Spray paint, Beats and Reggaeton Text by Andrea Uribe Yepes Photos by Santiago Marzola Page 10 Cosmopolitan Bogota Art and Fashion Capital Text by Nicolás Rocha Page 16 Cultural Cali Graphics and Salsa in Caliwood Text by Ángel Unfried Photos by Stephanie Montes and Mateo G. Rivas Page 22 Farmers’ Markets Gastronomy and Meeting Places Text and photos by Mateo G. Rivas Page 30 Heritage Façades Illustrations by Andrés Felfle Page 32 Religious Tourism Page 34 Other Cultural Experiences introduction 04 Culture In many countries of the world, it is not uncommon bia expresses itself and shares its heritage with the for the world “Colombia” to immediately bring the world. As for the accordion music and the bagpi- concept of music to people’s minds. We are still pes of the Caribbean coast, the proximity of these identified with coffee in many latitudes, but one of expressions and literary genius is organic; it seems the most dynamic export products of our country is that from these winds urgent voices emerge. the result of that mixture of cultures condensed into powerful and festive sounds: we are both drums and The nation’s capital is also a cultural hub. In accordion, but also Marimba and Sampler, we are visual arts, growth has been notorious over the harp and bagpipe, but also beats and loud voices. last decades. With the core dynamics of ARTBO, Our territory is home to the world capitals of art fairs occupy an increasingly prominent place in cumbia, salsa, vallenato, champeta and reggaeton. the agendas and in the growing cultural industries The nuanced Colombian geography goes beyond of Colombia. The national artistic movement inte- spectacular landscapes and also boosts a creative grates consecrated firms with an emerging line of economy with a common identity: music. managers, curators, artists, agents and collectors. As if musical pride was not enough, “music As for innovation and fashion, both Bogota and culture” in our country goes beyond imagination. Medellin propose new paths for entrepreneurship With rhythms such as hip-hop and reggaeton, an and become hubs of creativity, business and that intense urban art movement represents an alterna- multicultural input that make Colombian creative tive with the potential to change the lives of young projects unique in the world. people and also the appearance of cities. Along The cultural horizon expands day after day with the musical movement of a Salsa city like Cali, and Colombia is brimming with new voices that are a whole generation of filmmakers emerged giving increasingly heard, seen, read, commented on and the city a new name and influencing a new breed of complemented by other cultures that look towards filmmakers who now follow in their footsteps: Cali us for reference. is cinema and salsa and rock and graphics and is more alive than ever. The musical varieties of the majestic Pacific, with the jungle piano, the marimba de chonta, are interwoven with other Afro-Colombian expres- sions; gastronomy is another way that Afro Colom- introduction – 03 music Medellin: Spray paint, Beats andmusic Reggaeton and urban art The most innovative city in the country is also one of the reggaeton world capitals. The strength of these rhythms has a long history and deep roots in the city. From the communes, the center and the exclusive south, Medellin is the sum of voices that narrate the city center and colors that cover its walls in a transformative appropriation of urban space. Text: Andrea Uribe Yepes Photos: Santiago Marzola 04 – cultura Medellin: Spray paint, Beats andmusic Reggaeton and urban art 04 culture Xxxxxxx – 05 “Urban”, the surname that Medellin has adopted where the escalators end, to see that the roofs are not only responds to the obvious fact it has grown also used as canvases. Here, everything is painted into a metropolis, but rather to the forms of appro- and each line contains messages that can be sum- priation of its public spaces. The streets, which marized in one, a message of recovery by the city: were once denied to its dwellers, are being recove- this is also mine. The entrances of ice cream parlors red, acquiring new mmeaning in a process that is that sell traditional ripe mango ice cream or the bar- taking place through art. Changing silence for the ber shops where experts create intricate on custo- overpowering sounds of rap, modifying the cautious mers’ heads, are also painted steps for the perreo of reggaeton and bringing art With over 600 graffiti, this area of Medellin is out of museums and putting it outside for everyone the most intervened; however, you can’t walk many to see. blocks in the city without finding urban art mani- festations left and right. That can range from bom- Color Has Taken over the Walls bings and tags, which are the artists’ ways of signing the graffiti, to mural art and everything that fits in This means, for example, that you just have to get off between. This is due to tireless artists who set up at any subway station and walk a bit to face multico- scaffolding and use up spray paint cans to make their lored walls. However, the best option to see these art, but also to festivals, organizations and groups works of art is to ride the subway, get off at the San that have been in charge of helping their voices get Javier station and go into Commune 13. There, local heard. guides speak about the tough past of the commune, with the walls intervened in the background; walls that record the history of the different versions of Did you know that a Medellin Medellin that have inhabited, walls that appear as a radio station played the first symbol of what was and what is to come. There, have been as nowhere else, you can see that gray streets reggaeton song ever heard in are left behind to give way to diverse narratives and Colombia? voices that tell new stories. The road to Commune 13 is steep. So much that the mayor’s office built escalators for the The Living Voices of Medellin inhabitants of the sector—there used to be 400 steps they had to climb and descend to go home, Another manifestation of the urban concept that and even used sliding boards to get down. You Medellinians have found to claim ownership of their have to start climbing, and local art takes that streets has been rap. MCs that sing to those who are ascent to a very high point with extraordinary gra- alive and remember those who are no longer here ffiti and murals. and who, with clever beats, celebrate every day, while One of the first graffiti seen at the beginning telling the stories that precede them. The inspiration of the tour is a pink wall with a woman’s face on of local rap is right there, in their ownership, in the it bearing colored figures on her skin symbolizing neighborhood, in words that seem to only be said, or diversity: orange, blue, green, yellow. On her shoul- understood, in a certain way, between the mountains der sits a white dove and on her torso symbols like that enclose Medellin. hearts and shoes that speak of a new path. There Nea, parce, farra, estrén, chichipato, visaje, are also graffiti of peacocks spreading their feathers bell, sleeve, mostro, key, flag, azara, no azara. These in corners, lions and gorillas, powerful hands that words intermingled in Paisa rap can be heard on throw dice on houses, unforgettable dates for the headphones, but even better if they are heard live, area and faces of women with hair made of water. in the street. The owners of improv or freestyle every Here, the balconies of the houses are painted so often set up lyrical confrontations in skate parks, and the most daring even paint the façades of the courts, parks or houses, like fighting cocks. In these first floors. “battles” away from violence, the only possible wea- You just have to look out from some high van- pons are words turned into rhymes, concentration tage point in the neighborhood, or look down to and a tuned ear. 06 – culture Medellin and its Urban Art CAPITAL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ANTIOQUIA CITY WITH THE SECOND LARGEST POPULATION OF COLOMBIA 2,529,403 INHABITANTS 275 NEIGHBORHOODS 16 COMMUNES 5 DISTRICTS • 10 neighborhoods • Located towards the center-west • 200,000 inhabitants approximately • One metro station COMMUNE 13: • One Metro Cable line A PLACE FOR URBAN ART • Tours of the most representative graffiti in the area OTHER PLACES IN MEDELLIN TO VIEW GRAFFITI EL POBLADO BUENOS AIRES LA AMERICA AND CASTILLA NEIGHBORHOOD NEIGHBORHOOD NEIGHBORHOOD SANTA LUCIA AND THE NEIGHBORING NEIGHBORHOODS MUNICIPALITIES OF SABANETA AND ENVIGADO REGGAETTON: BRIEF HISTORY 4 reasons why Medellin is considered the OF THE GENRE world reggaeton capital • Derived from reggae and hip hop • Several international reggaeton artists are from Medellin • Began to take shape in the early 90s • Strong presence of producers of the genre in Puerto Rico • Representative scene of female reggaeton artists • Great influence of Latin American • Multiple areas with clubs dedicated to this genre artists Provenza neighborhood Las Palmas Avenue Buenos Aires Colomgia neighborhood Avenida 33 Ayacucho Street La America Santa Lucia Downtown Dance and rap are more alive than ever in the streets ofthecapital ofAntioquia. inthestreets thanever alive more are Danceandrap Photograph: Santiago Marzola Photograph: Santiago Marzola Without straying too much from what the Antio- There is almost always a bar very few tables queño troubadours do, the scenario can be anything because the space for the perreo is needed, so that at all, but the formation remains: one rapper facing the bodies of women and men can move to the Santiago Marzola the other, waiting to be attacked with rhymes aand— rhythm of the reggaeton’s own dembow, which around them, close by in absence of a stage—the can be smooth or can lead to exaggerated and wild spectators.