Colombia’s “Festival Francisco el Hombre” of Riohacha will take place between January 27 and 30, with a competition to celebrate some of the best contemporary vallenato musicians.
The festival is organized by the Guajira Culture Foundation and the competition, which is in its second year, will only admit twelve contesting groups and will take place in the Caribbean town of Riohacha, La Guajira.
Among the participants will be a Venezuelan group called Tecupae and various Colombian musicians such as Fawel Solano, Kiko Ramos, Gilberto Mejia and “Pillao” Rodriguez, reported news site Bogota.Vive.In.
“Groups that are selected are good enough to perform at a festival,” said Jaime de la Hoz, the director of the Guajira Culture Foundation, “we are seeking professionals … who have not produced more than five albums.”
In order to improve his chances, vallenato musician “Pillao” Rodriguez, who has already released three albums, will be striving to produce a particularly special song. “It needs to be loved from the moment it is first heard, with that alone we will have it 50 percent won,” he declared.
Simply participating ensures some economic reward, as the four groups which are eliminated in the first round (January 28) will receive COP4 million each. The following four to be knocked out will receive COP6 million each, while the finalists will get COP8 million.
“It is an incentive to compete … We are encouraging them because this selection was made involving criteria based on quality,” said De la Hoz.
For more information about the festival, click here.