Classical music with a modern twist livened up the streets of Bogota on Wednesday in an effort to draw attention to the two international music festivals set for the end of March.
A 40-person strong choir belted out Handel’s “Messiah” at in front of “ Transmilenio station for unsuspecting passersby. They followed up the classic spirtiual tune with their own take on the Black Eyed Peas, “I Got a Feeling.” The choir encouraged the onlookers to dance, or bust out into a flash mob, then later tweet the photos and videos.
The hype campaign continues on Sunday, March 10th at 10:30AM in Bogota’s Teatro Mayor Julio Mario Santo Domingo when the Bogota Philharmonic Orchestra will perform their own rendition of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7. The performance is the orchestra’s gift to the library/theater as it is an important sponsor of the International Music Festival at the end of the month.
BACKGROUND: Beethoven the star of Bogota’s International Music Festival
The seventh annual America Cantat will take place from March 23 – 31. In previous years, Mexico, Cuba, Brazil, Argentina, and Venezuela have hosted the event. In addition to concerts, which will be held in parks, theaters, public squares, and the National University, the America Cantat will include “workshops on body language and song, dance, exhibitions, lectures” and the aforementioned evening concerts.