By José Gandue @Gandour
Paul Westerberg, leader of the American band The Replacements, repeatedly stated in many of his interviews that The most interesting aspects of a music scene lie in its most underground spaces. The more underground sectors of any city's cultural scene offer more surprises, more risk, greater opportunities for awe-inspiring moments, and, in the best sense of the word, more danger. In a city like Bogotá, whose cultural movement at times tries too hard to satisfy mainstream media and corporate practices, fortunately there are moments of brilliance., Lights that rebel to illuminate corners that many want to ignore.
We are glad that concerts like this one take place in the Colombian capital. 21st Century Unpopular Music Festival, A celebration of contemporary sounds featuring local talent seeking recognition from the grassroots level. The very fact that this event exists is fascinating. It will be done in an industrial warehouse located in the bustling Siete de Agosto neighborhood, The neighborhood is known more for its legal (and illegal) commercial activity than for any connection to the arts. On the other hand, we celebrate that the organizers, Pola Laínez and Alicia Barón, They haven't even reached thirty years of age and are already on the third edition of their competition, to be held this Saturday, May 25, starting at 4 pm, at 66th Street # 19-45. We are glad to have found them late at night so we could interview them and learn more about their story:
What is the festival about?
Pola LaínezThe 21st Century Unpopular Music Festival is a space designed to showcase new national musical talent and launch bands and artists' careers. The idea is to connect new bands with new audiences, thereby energizing the local music scene and supporting the national music industry.
This "big" edition, held annually, also features a gallery of misunderstood artists, showcasing artwork mostly created by university students. This is also done to support art production, which we believe is linked to music.
Finally, although this event is only once a year, we have small touches called “Leitmotiv sessions”These events are thematic and have a social purpose. A theme is chosen, and based on that theme, a maximum of four musical projects are selected to perform. An illustrated campaign is then developed around the chosen theme, and finally, a foundation (aligned with the same theme) is selected to receive a donation. This is done to give back to our community.
It's a commitment to something different, a new way of experiencing live music and believing in unpopular music.
How is the festival curated?
Alicia BarónThrough an open call. From there, we sat down together to find bands with fresh ideas and very talented people. This allowed us to create a musical arc.
Pola LaínezExactly! We always try to offer a wide variety of genres so that it really is a diverse music festival that showcases various aspects of the scene.
Based on that variety, what does the festival sound like?
Pola LaínezHaha, great question… the festival sounds like a Spotify playlist you never put together, haha. I mean, it's super varied, you don't really know the order in which the music will play, but it's music you like… music for every moment… do you understand?
Can you give a brief description of the bands participating this year?
Pola LaínezOkay, let's go in order:
1. Mandrill: is a psychedelic rock band made up of musicians who have great technique on their instruments, but also have a very polished musical style.
2. The path is burningIt's reggae-ska, which also features a saxophone, making it very danceable and cheerful music!
3. ChamoIt's a project with a beautiful voice, but we also think it's one of the representatives of the new wave of Indie rock music; it's very magical!
4. The Eddies: It's a project of a kind of very punk, very Bogota-esque style, haha. Their lyrics are super fun because they talk about our daily lives, but they have something interesting because instead of one guitar they have two basses.
5. Metropolit: It's a really good electronic rock band, there are few projects of that type here (at least that we've heard of) so it's music to dance to but also to sit and listen to with your eyes closed, something very original.
6. The VenueThis band is really something fresh, it's very well-made funk and it really shows a new side of the "underground" scene, it's a band that is already starting to have a great run and we really expect a lot from them.
7. Psycho: rap-trap-dembow… this is truly an artist who is innovating in these genres and is definitely someone to keep an eye on.
8. Sonoras MilCaribbean music that only encourages dancing and having a good time; they have a very polished but also very authentic proposal, and that is always very appealing.
Finally, would you like to see any of these bands stop being unpopular and start drawing large crowds to their concerts in the future? Do you think any of these artists will ever become mainstream?
Pola LaínezHaha, of course! That's one of the festival's goals, to catapult talent... let's say "unpopular" has a double meaning: firstly, there's the literal meaning of the word, but secondly, being unpopular is a lifestyle, which always involves being original and not getting swept up in this whole current of "what should be," being different. Haha, as for the mainstream, we couldn't really say, but we definitely think that all the bands that have played and will play at the 21st Century Unpopular Music Festival are projects that deserve to be heard and are projects that can inspire future musicians, showing that there is room for this kind of "unconventional" music.“
