By José Gandue @Gandour Photo by Simona Malaika
The District Institute of the Arts (Idartes) released the results of the call for special shows for the 2019 edition a few hours ago Rock al Parque, which invited musical groups and projects based in Bogotá, currently valid and with a total of more than twelve years of experience. The final selection has identified seven award winners who will be present, most likely at prime times, during the event's programming., which will take place in Simón Bolívar Park on June 29 and 30 and July 1 of this year. Upon seeing the results and finding out the selection criteria, we have been forced to ask questions, hoping for an effective response, that do not fit within what is presented at the festival and within the rules established by the institution that organizes the event.
(Please forgive me for the technical and administrative details I'm about to discuss. I know they're rather tedious and boring.).
Due to a decision recently made by the Music Management of Idartes, The festival curator no longer has the power to directly invite district artists, as was customary in previous editions. In a way, this privilege was abolished due to complaints from some members of the local scene, who questioned the motivations behind these selections. Since 2019 marks the twenty-fifth edition of Rock al Parque, in addition to the general call for submissions that is always open to Bogota-based musical projects with more than two years of professional development, Another competition was opened in which the presence of long-established bands was considered.
So far, so good…
The questions begin when one looks at who the jurors were. The minutes, published within the documentation of the Bogotá Mayor's Office of Culture, the superior body to which Idartes reports, It records that there were 2 people chosen for that task who were going to receive payment for their work and a third who participated on a pro bono basis. The reason for this is that the person was already working within the festival organization and cannot receive double pay from the state. Who is this person? The same curator of Rock al Parque. This had never happened before in the history of the festival.
Let me clarify one point at this moment: To be a juror for any of the calls made by Idartes, there is a pool of candidates who apply to be considered for this role. In theory, this prevents the organization from falling into bad habits during the application process. Here's the first question: Why wasn't this pool of candidates used to complete the jury panel for this competition? Second question: If the festival curator was stripped of the privilege of choosing the district guests on his own, what then?Why do they fall into the contradiction of including him in this selection? This decision was endorsed by his superiors, as recorded in the minutes.
Now, let's remember one detail: The call invited participation from projects that were active and older than twelve years. Don't be mistaken: It wasn't simply musicians with that level of experience in the art world who were invited. If that had been the case, the number of candidates would have justifiably increased exponentially. Therefore, the offer was supposedly restricted. But, curiously, among the candidates for these slots was Pedrina, a prominent local pop artist, known for her time with the band Hotel Mama (which disbanded several years ago), then with the duo Pedrina y Río and, , since last year, Developing his solo career, he has garnered millions of streams on digital platforms and toured extensively throughout the Spanish-speaking world. His career is remarkable, but How can their participation and subsequent success in the festival competition be justified? Someone, surely to refute this point, might say that he's a prominent figure in the Bogotá music scene, that he deserves great recognition from the city's public, that he's one of the hottest acts right now, and so on. Others, including several musicians, will say (and have already said) that Rock al Parque has accustomed us to this kind of situation and that it's best to leave it at that. Others will add up his entire career and demand to know why there's so much fuss about it. In any case, we stand by one thing: If the competition rules were established this way, for the sake of a healthy competition, no one, least of all the Rock al Parque organizers themselves, can disregard them. In short, for me, it's a mistake that must be corrected for the sake of the event's reputation.
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Let's remember: Rock al Parque is an event that has been run from its inception by a state entity and funded with public money. Personally, I believe many of the rules established by the legal representatives of the organizing entity are ridiculous, as they don't reflect the reality of the Bogotá music scene. Requiring a group to have at least two years of experience to be considered for the festival's competitions prevents many interesting acts from having the opportunity to participate. Completing a series of absurdly long and expensive bureaucratic requirements due to the ignorant whim of an official is another obstacle preventing many artists from being present. But, since these rules exist and there's no way to discuss them face-to-face, The least one would expect from those in charge of Rock al Parque is that they be the first to enforce them.
Discontent is growing among Bogotá's musicians, and that's not good for the festival. This event has already reached its 25th edition. and that it was created to enhance the local scene. We cannot allow the impression that these kinds of problems are common and easy to ignore. There is mistrust, but perhaps we still have time to reconsider some decisions, especially if they are violating the very principles established from the beginning.