Photos by Simona Malaika @simonamalaika
The 21st edition of the Rock al Parque festival will be a transitional event. It will have its own splendor, though not the brilliance of the previous year, when, amidst the political conflicts that nearly brought down Mayor Gustavo Petro, Bogotá's government institutions spared no expense. 2015, however, is a year of limited budget for the event, and with only a few months until the change of government administration, the priorities are different.
Let's start by talking about music and answering the following question: How appealing is the Rock al Parque 2015 lineup? Our answer: It has its merits, it's not bad. Among other things, we'll see the latest performance from the Mexican collective. Nortec, who is on his farewell tour. His show will surely be among the best of the festival. Also from Mexico, Celso Piña and his Ronda Bogotá The one-day event will conclude in a festive atmosphere at the La Media Torta auditorium. From Germany we will have Atara Teenage Riot, A punk revolution with an industrial edge, creating joyful anarchy in Simón Bolívar Park. From Africa, Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars It brings the party reggae. Capsule, Argentinians residing in Bilbao, worthy adopted sons of David Bowie, make the best glam rock of the moment. The Coup, funk band from Oakland, California, it may be one of the most pleasant surprises of the show.
From the local side, we highly value the invitation to what is possibly the best punk band in Colombia right now, Triple X. We are certain of the power of revival of classic rock in the hands of Tappan. Pulenta, After circling the globe, he returns to the festival and although he gets the worst time slot (a very silly injustice on the part of the festival's curators), he will get the early attendees dancing as they deserve. Schutmaat Trio He opens the day at the Media Torta, and will surely fulfill his mission of starting the day strong with the support of his audience.
Criticisms of the lineup? Well, first of all, we understand the financial limitations faced by those responsible for putting together this year's program. Rock al Parque can't expect to compete with larger-budget private events, and even if it had the money, it wouldn't be its responsibility. It's a public event, with free admission, where the idea of audience development should prevail above all other objectives. Furthermore, if the festival is meant to serve any purpose—and we've said this for several years—it's to create real connections with other countries, especially in Latin America. Therefore, we don't understand why they insist on nostalgic segments, bringing back bands like Sum41 and POD, old memories of commercial radio, instead of positioning the event as a more cutting-edge endeavor that allows the Bogotá music scene to forge deeper ties with other scenes.
We don't understand certain aspects of the lineup. They've prioritized bands representing district festivals—groups with little stage experience—during peak audience times, over more experienced local acts with a stronger connection to the public. There's no justification for this. We also don't understand certain invitations extended to bands whose talent we don't doubt, but whose excuse for bypassing the festival's regular application process is that they've opened for international acts. This argument creates resentment and disadvantages everyone, including the band itself. These are details that undermine the purpose of Rock al Parque and could have been easily avoided.
Likewise, we'll be at the festival, and Zonagirante.com will provide the coverage our audience deserves. The idea is to have fun and celebrate music properly. From August 15th to 17th, Bogotá will once again feel the roar of its favorite party, and we don't hesitate to invite you, because we are all part of it, everywhere on the continent. Rock al Parque.
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