By José Gandue @Gandour
Let me tell you the following, to give you some context about what I'm going to talk about: I believe in a strong and present State where the population, and especially the least fortunate, need it. I believe in the State as a vital element for balancing the social burdens of a country. I am one of those who firmly believes in that phrase of Evita Perón that says «"Where there is a need, a right is born.". I believe that the State, to the extent of its capabilities, It must ensure that economic gaps do not prevent human beings from having the opportunity to improve themselves.
Okay, now let's get down to earth and I'll explain why I'm going on about this. I'm speaking from Colombia, but many of the phrases I'll quote can be applied to a greater or lesser extent to any part of Latin America. But in this case I am talking about what has been done during the last almost 30 years by the Mayor's Office of Bogotá. As I have reiterated in previous articles, I firmly believe that, in theory, all the artistic activities sponsored by this state entity were conceived with more than just public entertainment in mind. I will always maintain that what our district government has done in this field... It must always pursue as its goal the stability of a cultural economy, which provides guarantees to the good exponents of these activities to consolidate their way of life, and that the general public can enjoy their work. I firmly believe that Bogotá is a city where artistic talent abounds, but where opportunities for expansion are very limited, especially in the lower socioeconomic strata. If, specifically, a large budget is allocated to musical events funded by the state, These should reflect a usefulness that goes beyond the momentary smile of the viewer. For me, the Festivals in the Park are the most outstanding events on the agenda of District Institute of the Arts (Idartes), They do not meet the city's needs, not by a long shot. At least not in recent years. Especially Rock al Parque.
It's ridiculous how this festival, especially in this year's edition, has become a fictitious race to accumulate attendance numbers., to alleviate the whims of its artistic director and, in general, the responsible organizers. The main problem isn't money. We already saw in 2019 the huge party that was thrown, where demagoguery was sponsored with exorbitant sums, all to show off the impressive photo of Simón Bolívar Square packed to the rafters and declare it a triumph. A "victory," yes., but the vast majority of the local scene was excluded from the final distribution of the pie. Look, many of you will understand this: If you, potential organizers of events of this type, are told «"Spend whatever it takes to get hundreds of thousands of people in front of the stage, bring in whoever you need.", The role they assume is not one of exquisite curation, with established limits, contrasted with the curator's skill and taste. No. Their work transforms into a kind of tropical version of an emperor's jester who wants to be liked by the masses, regardless of the cost. An extremely expensive party where Bogota talent is just filler, advertised in small print on the promoters' poster.
Three years pass, there is much less money, but the apathy remains the same. Only a quarter of the programming for the 2022 edition of Rock al Parque belongs to Bogota artists. On the first day, with three stages available, the Bogotá contingent only appeared at the opening of two of them. The first two days have been chaotic and have shown a lack of respect for Bogotá's musicians. And, in addition, far fewer people attended than expected, although the organizers swear otherwise on their social media. That's always been the case in the history of Rock al Parque. The important thing for them is to say that a lot of people came, nothing more. They work for their sensitive egos, not for the music scene on which the idea that generated the festival was built.
The most regrettable thing is that they will remain there, applauding each other., believing themselves to be the masters and gods of the circus, And ignoring the needs and potential of a musical community that has so much more to offer and whose needs are recklessly ignored by the government. Many of the members of this community could be positive leaders in their neighborhoods. If given the right tools, they could contribute to the well-being of their communities and to the cultural growth that we are capable of achieving in Bogotá. But nothing is achieved through courtly displays and poorly disguised petulance, and based on unreliable figures.
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It's impossible not to mention it. I know Álvaro González Villamarín, the director of the state broadcaster. RAdionics, I've known him for 28 years. I've always had a cordial relationship with him. It would be ridiculous to say otherwise, after many days of good conversation and frequent exchanges of musical information. That's why it saddens and infuriates me to learn in recent days of his inappropriate and irresponsible actions. The most despicable thing is that he abused his position, disregarding his coworkers and the audience of his radio station. He also misused data from his company, which belongs to the State. Now, with an overwhelming amount of evidence against him, he is clinging to his position by any means necessary. By doing so, he is succeeding in destroying the good name of the institution that he and so many others have strengthened over the years. The truth is, teacher, with all the affection I still have for him, I tell him that the most dignified thing he can do is resign. For your own good, for Radiónica's good, and for the Bogota music scene, which has been able to grow with the station's ongoing development.