The famous Festival de la Leyenda Vallenata will celebrate traditional Colombian music later this month in the northern Cesar department.
The festival was founded over 40 years ago by three Colombians who wanted to bring alive “the [Caribbean] 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.” The event is meant to protect and preserve the expression and dissemination of traditional Colombian vallenato music which originates from the Colombian form of traveling minstrels who spread news and information through the countryside with their songs.
Preceding this year’s festival will be a number of events honoring of the prolific vallenato composer Calixto Ochao who won the festival’s highest title the King of King’s in 1970. On April 21 there will be a parade in Ochao’s hometown Valencia de Jesus. On April 23 and 24 there will be a forum on the life and history of the vallenato maestro.
The festival officially opens on April 26 with the traditional Pilonero parade, a beautiful performance of one of the oldest and most traditional types of vallenato. The next three days will be filled with musical and cultural performances and competitions from musicians from all over the world. The vallenato competitions are divided into four levels: professional, amateur, youth, and children. The events will test challengers’ mastery over vallenato’s musical categories (merengue, paseo, puya, and son) as well as the accordion, which plays a large role in the traditional Colombian music.
Colombian superstar Juanes will close this year’s festival with a performance at 8PM on Monday April 30 in the Leyenda Vallenata Park “Consuelo Araujongogera.”
The 2012 Festival de la Leyenda Vallenata will take place in Valledupar from April 26 to April 30, for more information refer to the website.
Friday April 27
- Silvestre Dangond & Rolando Ochoa
- Peter Manjarrés & Sergio Luis Rodríguez
- Martín Elías & Juancho de la Espriella
- Felipe Peláez & Manuel Julián
- Farid Ortiz & Anuar García
- ChocQuibTown
- Grupo Kvrass
- Omar Geles
- Rafael Santos Diaz & Franco Arguelles
- Mono Zabaleta & Elías Mendoza
- Elkin Uribe & Javier Matta
- Orlando Acosta & Ponchito Monsalvo
Saturday April 28
- Wisin & Yandel
- Diomedes Díaz & Álvaro López
- Iván Villazón & Saúl Lallemand
- Jorge Oñate & Fernando Rangel
- Poncho Zuleta & Cocha Molina
- Los Betos
- Binomio de Oro
- Nelson Velázquez & Morre Romero
- Iván Ovalle
- Churo Díaz & Lucas Dangond
- Diomedes Dionisio & Mono Cotes
- Luis Mario Oñate & Coco Zuleta
- Kbeto Zuleta & Luchito Daza
Sunday April 29
- Final Children’s Accordion Competition
- Jorge Celedón & Jimmy Zambrano
- Peter Manjarrés & Sergio Luis Rodríguez
- Martín Elías & Juancho de la Espriella
- J Balvin
- J Alvarez
Monday April 30
- Final Professional Accordion Competition
- Juanes
- Silvestre Dangond & Rolando Ochoa