The famous Festival de la Leyenda Vallenata will kick off in the city of Valledupar in the northeastern department of Cesar later this month.
According to Proexport, Colombia’s export and tourism promotion agency, Valledupar will “turn into a huge public festival, full of processions, shows, competitions and great music.”
The festival was established over 40 years ago, in 1968, by three locals who wanted to bring alive “the region’s folklore and restore the magic of a land where myth, tradition and the richness of language come together to create literature and music.”
As well as numerous concerts, the festival will host traditional dances, parades, a painting competition, street theater and the famous “piloneros”, the region’s local musicians.
However, the festival’s most important element is its main competition where musicians from all over the world compete in a number of different musical and cultural areas. One round in particular, divided into the categories, professional, amateur, youth and children, involves playing typical Vallenato music where competitors will play instruments such as the accordion, which features heavily throughout the event.
There is also a separate song-writing contest, the “piquerias” poetry competition and the Concurso de Rey de Reyes (“King of Kings”) for the festival’s top performer.
Further information about the festival, which will run for five days from April 26, and its highlights can be obtained from its official website.