By José Gandue @Gandour
On Saturday, September 26, at the Open Air Auditorium The Half Cake, A special meeting of the bands under consideration will be held. under the label of "alternative rock"« to show how the genre is doing in the Colombian capital. Bogotá launches a new festival with the curious name of Marciano.
It's a free event that opens its doors at noon and they expect to receive more than three thousand people. To learn more about the event, we spoke with its organizer, the Colombian artist. Alfonso Espriella, who, on this inaugural occasion, will also participate with his group and present his songs.
Let's start easy: What is the Martian Festival all about?
To showcase a portion of what alternative rock in Bogotá is currently offering. We have a legendary rock band on the bill (Pornomotor), an emerging band (Psychoactive) and four bands that have been active and visible in the last decade of Colombian rock (The Hall Effect, Alfonso Espriella, Telebit y Silver Revolver). It is also about the union between bands of the same sonic universe, and the union of the different audiences that follow these bands, in order to consolidate a larger audience for this musical genre.
Some say that rock music in Bogotá is "stagnant," that other genres are generating curiosity and excitement. What do you think about this?
I think that's changing right now. I have the impression that we have a new wave of rock bands with fresh and interesting sounds that are starting to generate new interest among the public. These bands are also beginning to gain new ground in the media, in music markets, and on both national and international circuits. It's the beginning of an awakening. Perhaps what you say was true in the first decade of the 2000s (although I wasn't in the country then to say for sure; it's just an impression).
Aside from presenting a list of Bogota bands that are quite current, what do you hope will happen with the festival?
The goal is for this event to establish itself as another important venue within the landscape of alternative culture events and festivals. This needs to happen for several consecutive years, and for that to occur, this first edition must be a success. We should leave with a positive feeling after what happens this Saturday at La Media Torta. So far, everything looks very promising; the energy among the bands is fantastic, and the organization and promotion are running smoothly.
I'm struck by the almost nonexistent female presence on the poster; are there a lack of women in Bogota's rock scene?
True. Only one band has a woman fronting it (Psicoactivo). I know some incredibly talented women in the Bogotá rock scene, but they're definitely a minority. It would be great if there were more, of course!
Finally, and although we may be getting ahead of ourselves, whatever the outcome of this first edition, is there any enthusiasm for celebrating the Martian Festival in the years to come?
Yes. As far as I'm concerned, there is. As long as we have the same kind of teamwork we had this year with La Media Torta, the brands, the bands, the press, etc., there will be more Marciano Festivals.
More information about Martian Festival, here.
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