By Santiago Rivas @rivas_santiago Photo by Rodrigo Morales @megapulse
Rock al Parque starts today. It's always good when the favorite bridge of many millennials, centennials and even decennials arrives. Just yesterday, July 1st, people were talking ad nauseam on social media about the cancellation of Lollapalooza Colombia 2016. That festival has nothing to do with public administration, but let this situation serve as a reminder that It wasn't easy to build such a large and lasting brand as Rock al Parque., which has survived large doses of neglect and clumsiness in past administrations and is still there, being a fundamental part of the spirit of Bogotá.
For that reason alone, we should all feel in the city that the festival belongs to us., demand that it is always done in the best possible way, and to understand what role it plays in our lives, beyond simply entertaining us for three days. Rock al Parque is always a big undertaking, even when their budget has been cut. We must thank in advance those who work to make it possible, but overall, it doesn't feel like the festival serves a greater purpose than what is obvious. Will anyone find a way to integrate major events into a city project that benefits us all?
There are many questions, because all that's perceived from the Peñalosa administration regarding culture is uncertainty. What, so far, is the focus of Idartes' management and its director, and what about the Secretary of Culture? Why are they destroying Idartes? Why do they say they don't know how they're going to manage the new Cinematheque?, If they have such a large budget (the largest in history, they say) for culture in the DistrictWho has any idea what Rock al Parque is for, and if they have so much money, why did they cut its budget? Why don't we have a powerful and visible cultural agenda, like we used to have?
It's possible I'm misinformed, but if I am, it's also because the media barely covers anything about the cultural activities in the District (El Tiempo doesn't count). Culture, its presence in the city, It is a positive indicator of everyone's quality of life, and that's why an invisible culture is irrelevant.; It doesn't help anyone, just as if they weren't doing anything at all. I'm not promoting any recall, especially not one proposed amidst such blind rhetoric as that of our current polarization. Except in certain special cases, we must let them work, but I believe, along those same lines, that it's important that May culture continue to be driven by passion, by conviction, and not by inertia.. And let it be felt: the mayor's efforts cannot be focused solely on events, heritage sites, and public libraries.
So The inheritances are the best thing that has happened to culture in the Peñalosa government, Despite the fact that these are precisely what the mayor's office is trying to suppress, as happened at the time with the new Cinematheque project; news of the Philharmonic, Libro al Viento, the Planetarium and, of course, Rock al Parque reaches the media, that legacy that Antanas Mockus, not without reluctance, left to all his successors, for better or for worse.
But then What the hell is Rock al Parque for, or what should it be for? If you ask me, it should serve to educate musicians, spectators, and producers equally., bring new and interesting sounds, democratize the musical offering and be a deliberate and interesting political experiment, ...bringing together young people from all social classes and musical tastes, giving us new perspectives on the meaning of the word "rock" and all that it entails. But above all, for to give us hope that institutions work towards the things that make us happy; To us, to our children, nephews, neighbors, and to people we don't know or understand, but who also deserve to be happy; to everyone.
This, of course, transcends the limits of the festival, but that is precisely the point: to find a cultural proposal that has character and that includes, in an articulated and coherent way, the existence of such a large effort as this gigantic event already is. When we have a city with a cultural offering crafted with character, full of nuances and contrasts, and not just rich in events, the city is the one that wins. Rock al Parque should serve as a barometer, but also as the laboratory in which a large part of the city's proposals and commitments in culture are built, In terms of production, but especially in terms of spirit and communication strategy, perhaps that would make more sense for them to continue doing it year after year.
The coincidence with the cancellation of Lollapalooza is not accidental. On the contrary, let it serve as a lesson for everyone, but especially for this administration, which apparently He believes in privatization as the solution to all problems.The private sector is not infallible, especially in culture, which doesn't necessarily have to be profitable, regardless of how much advertising is thrown at it or how many costs are cut. The immense wealth that comes to us through the arts cannot be monetized, capitalized, or quantified, and that's why it's always worthwhile for the District, regardless of who is in charge, Dedicate a gigantic effort to preserving what makes the city's culture relevant.
Or rather, that's a lie. If they're going to shut down Idartes, then they might as well sell it to the Santodomingo group; that's preferable to wiping it off the map. If not, at least update their website.
Happy Rock al Parque to all!, See you in the park, and over here at Zonagirante al Parque 2016. Enjoy.
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