By José Gandue @spinning zone
Cover art by Zonagirante Studio
Let's look at the background, before anyone feels insulted. The title of this article comes from the phrase «"It's the economy, stupid!", coined by James Carville, Carville, strategist for Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign, used it as one of the key messages within the campaign team to maintain focus on the most important issues. The expression became popular because it highlighted the importance of the economy in Clinton's victory over George HW Bush. The exclamation, used in this and other more up-to-date political variants, is not intended to insult the honor or intellect of an opponent, but rather, on the contrary, to refocus the actions of peers, people with whom we might agree, to achieve the desired results.
All of this stems from a fact that I cannot help but describe as quaint and unnecessary. The Colombian public media system RTVC, which brings together the state's radio and television channels, announced a few days ago a major concert in Bogotá, to be held in the central Plaza de Bolívar on March 2nd., with the Puerto Rican artist Residente as the sole protagonist of the day (or, at least, the advertising never showed us other names). The event cost over 3 billion pesos (a little over seven hundred thousand dollars), all covered with the support of the presidential palace. Obviously, within three seconds, the complaints and denunciations from detractors began, some with valid arguments and others with opportunistic speeches from those who, whenever they can, They behave like the famous screaming lady in The Simpsons «"Doesn't anyone want to think about the children?"». And, as if to distance himself from such controversy, Residente, the star of the event, canceled everything moments after the announcement of his show, arguing that «"Instead of using the money on an event like this, we feel it is much more productive to use it to support Colombian artists and their local culture.".
Once the cancellation occurred, the Secretary General of the Mayor's Office of Bogotá, Miguel Silva, For a reason I haven't been able to understand, he stated that this eventuality would not affect the holding of other free public concerts, such as Rock al Parque. As an unsolicited response, Gustavo Petro, the nation's president, immediately took to social media to criticize. a kind of rant stuck in the hippie era, in which he expressed his personal musical tastes, firing off striking hallelujahs into the air like «"the revolutionary potential of classic, symphonic and Latin rock"» And, to announce his contempt for what he called Miami culture, he proclaimed that anything related to that city in the State of Florida «"It's not culture, it's just a supermarket.", Petro concluded this whole tirade by asserting that he was the one who proposed to the Spanish band Mago de Oz for Bogota's main festival (Good heavens!). Then, in another unexpected twist in the controversy, the Secretary of Culture of Bogotá, entity of the Mayor's Office of the Colombian capital, on which the District Institute of the Arts (Idartes) depends, in charge of organizing the main public events in the city, She came out to deny the president's alleged recommendation of the Hispanic group, And clarifying, with the budget for the 2024 Rock al Parque festival in hand, that the festival, which is about to turn 30, «"It is a collective achievement that transcends governments.". In short, a complete Turkish soap opera. where Petro played the role of an unexpected martyr for rock causes And others, in an impractical discussion, raised the banners of events that have undeniably been massive, but which, over the years, They are more suited to the limelight than to cultivating the expansion of the music scene.
Have you noticed that in the midst of this discussion, Everyone talks about "political achievements" and describes the concerts as elements of social motivation, but no one opens a necessary conversation about the cultural industries? Nobody takes the participation of local actors in these events seriously, or what happens once we collect the celebratory confetti from the crowds and dismantle the stage equipment. Mind you, I think massive concerts are fun., And in some way they generate a significant emotion for an audience eager for this type of show, but they barely represent the cherry on top of everything that can and should be done from the State. Here, large investments are touted in activities that merely provide occasional entertainment for the crowds, but which quickly fade away. These are events that are fleeting. and they are not enough to build solid foundations for local artists in the development of a sector of the economy that has great potential and that, unfortunately, is viewed with ignorance and contempt.
What is the purpose of bringing in Residente (a brilliant artist whom we greatly respect on this page, it's worth clarifying), spending money that, as he himself says, could be more intelligently allocated to properly engage with the present and future of contemporary expressions of Colombian sound? And, crossing to the other side of the street from the controversy, How does a festival like Rock al Parque, which cost [a lot] in its last edition, ultimately help?, According to the same data provided by the organizers, more than five billion pesos (one million two hundred thousand dollars at today's exchange rate), if the participation of district groups is decreasing each time they are called for (34% out of the total, last time), who, in turn, have to resign themselves to their role as eternal opening acts at their own city's festival, where, moreover, has diminished the effort to bring in relevant international artists, with whom exchanges with other cities around the world could also be fostered., Instead, they hire bands whose members are three times older on average than those attending these concerts, showcasing a catalog of songs that hasn't been updated in decades.
Seriously: I personally believe in the participation of the State in the development of the cultural industry and economy (and in particular, music), especially in countries like those in Latin America, where there is great aptitude and, unfortunately, limited private participation in the sector, outside of multinational monopolies. It is about creating the conditions so that cultural policy not only serves to protect the traditions and folkloric aspects that give identity to a nation. We must create the conditions for the growth of the employment rate in this sector and encourage small and medium-sized enterprises that will achieve this goal. To support and promote the dissemination of talent from our territory, breaking with the schemes imposed by the current structure of the media. To develop genuine music laws that address vital issues related to the development of artists' rights in physical and digital spaces. To create new permanent platforms in peripheral spaces, ignored by the major players in the industry. The aim is to generate a real social impact., Furthermore, it promotes the systematic export of the entire complex range of contemporary expressions to different corners of the planet. It is about investing clearly from public funds so that we can achieve levels of participation for the cultural industry in the national economy that are commensurate with our capacity.
With a clear policy from the State, and not with unnecessary diatribes from the presidential chair, we could achieve substantial changes in a few years. Everything that is done, including the massive concerts themselves, It must have a purpose, beyond the celebration that fizzles out as soon as the amplifiers are turned off and people go home. There is much to be done, and we mustn't waste time on superfluous rhetorical demands. And since we're on the subject of music, I'd like to mention, President Petro, with all due respect, that There are many more interesting and cheaper Spanish-language projects than these Hispanic pirates., Ambassadors of bad taste that you promote. To verify this, we invite you to visit our website.
We also suggest that he discuss the matter with his friend, Chilean President Gabriel Boric, And take the opportunity to ask him how independent music has grown in his country in recent years, with the necessary public investments. He's a great role model, I assure you. Oh, and while you're at it, ask him to show you his record collection, so he'll stop worshipping... Wizard of Oz, To be brutally honest, they are basically the Locomía of Heavy Metal, overweight and full of bad nostalgia.
Anyway, all joking aside, it's time to act more intelligently about this. I insist, with all due kindness and consideration: It's the culture industry, stupid! Everything else is smoke and mirrors.