By José Gandue @Gandour
Those were hectic days in the music scene in Bogotá. They brought together all possible activities—concerts, conferences, business meetings—and everything exploded in a few days, to the delight and despair of everyone involved in the music scene. (artists, representatives, businesspeople, spectators… everyone). There were dozens of presentations aimed at almost the same audience, and everyone fought for the audience's attention and, incidentally, to have the international buyers on their side who were looking for the best of Bogota's talent. Anyone at that point could feel proud of what happened in the Colombian capital. And the truth is that, in general, what we've experienced these past few days shows us that we're growing, that the city is among the most culturally vibrant in Latin America, and so on. I congratulate those responsible for all this activity., But there are still many things to comment on and discuss so that this movement really progresses and is not partly an illusion.
My congratulations to the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce for organizing each year in a better way the Bogotá Music Market (Bomm). This meeting between players in the music scene and national and international guests willing to book shows for their events around the world is a commendable and intelligent endeavor. The Chamber is the only entity in Colombia that truly understands this. the need to promote cultural industries, To meet the need to boost new economic sectors, create jobs, and—it must be said at this particular moment for the country—foster peaceful opportunities for prosperity. Other institutions, both public and private, still talk a big game about this, but in the end They are uncomfortable putting Economy and Culture in the same sentence. But I must tell you something you haven't yet focused enough on in developing this topic. You haven't yet tackled the real crux of the matter: Not enough work is being done to strengthen the internal market. We are not creating circuits that extend throughout the urban geography and we continue to concentrate the activities of contemporary music in Bogota in ten percent of the capital territory.
The Chamber of Commerce, which so brilliantly develops all its economic development strategies in its area of influence, He is listening too much to current music businessmen who only focus their activities on the wealthiest segment of the population. of the population that consumes concerts and performances and that, incomprehensibly, does not accept that a large sector of the city could be a potential clientele for the new rhythms that Colombia generates. It seems as if we consider the rest of the city lost and cursed territory where only the genres most played by the worst radio programmers will prosper forever and ever. of the city. That, besides being far too convenient, has a whiff of discrimination about it. And I seriously doubt the Chamber of Commerce wants to accept such contempt. Because, I repeat, in this case, it has very bad advisors working simply for their own interests.
In Bogotá there are too many abandoned and poorly managed venues, largely due to the negligence of local mayors and, on the other hand, due to the non-existent funding that new cultural entrepreneurs could receive in middle and lower class sectors. There is a large audience eager for activities that does not receive any kind of entertainment in their area And we're cynically waiting for him to show up at the venues in the north of the city and pay the prices they charge there. This is a city of nine million inhabitants, and they make us think that, when it comes to the music business, We can only reach a few tens of thousands, trusting, moreover, that they will always have the money to buy tickets.
My proposal, members of the House, is that through the upcoming editions of Bomm And of all their activities aimed at stimulating the music industry, they should take on, with the good judgment that characterizes them and the good relations they have with all sectors of the capital's economy, the channeling of cultural investments in all the forgotten neighborhoods of the city. Create a soft loan program for potential entrepreneurs. Don't do it out of charity, do it because, over time, it will be a good deal for everyone.
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I was telling you how concerts in Bogotá are concentrated in a small part of the city. This week was the most evident example of this situation. Two of the city's main festivals, Yaveria and Hermoso Ruido, decided to hold all their activities at the same time. And that, although it might look very beautiful in the romantic mind of more than one person, I believe a clash of interests confused the attendees and resulted in financial losses for the organizers. A sad example: Organizing a concert with the very good Chilean band Planet No Having twenty people attend is useless to anyone. There were several such cases. There were instances at both events that experienced extremely low ticket sales, and in some cases, this was compounded by a lack of diligence on the part of the producers in providing the necessary equipment for the shows. In their eagerness to make it seem Bogotá becomes a kind of Austin (Texas) during SXSW, Many important factors were arrogantly ignored. Dozens of functions, all concentrated within fifty surrounding streets, Some of these events, while costing a significant amount for the average Bogota resident, didn't achieve all the intended results. However, the lineup of artists who performed in Bogota during these days was wonderful. It's a shame they were all there at the same time.
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I had the opportunity to see quite a few groups this weekend. I regret not having had the patience or the energy to attend everything I wanted, but the truth is I just enjoyed what I was able to observe. I enjoyed Collector, A fun and current party like no other, in a house in the La Merced neighborhood, in a showcase organized by Tambora Records. I regretted the closure of a classic Bogota place called Latora 4 Arms, on the very day they were scheduled to appear under the same roof Blond, Zyderal y Mr. Pauer. Typical of our beloved mayor and his dearest police entourage (Please note the sarcasmI saw the Chilean band Planeta No overcome the challenge of playing to a small audience and present their wonderful pop repertoire with a raw, almost brutal elegance. I was thrilled to see the Ecuadorian band live. Da Pawn, A group of songs with measured psychedelia and fine guitar work. But the best part of the weekend was observing the poise, the unbridled energy, and the pride of The Makenzys. As his show went on, he occasionally thought about the Americans. MC5, and then feel some spirit close to Jerry Lee Lewis, and then the nonchalance of Joe Strummer. This trio, with their rock and roll essence, draws on garage music, then evokes the sixties, before finally singing their beautiful ballad. Aura, And then going back to the explosion made me think they have a lot to offer in the future, and Their current status makes them stand out as one of the best options Bogotá has to offer right now.
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To wrap things up quickly: The accolades received by a great band like this Ohlaville during the Bomm events they are more than deserved. Congratulations.
