BICENTENRAY
The year 2010 marks the Bicentenary of Colombia's Independence. As part of Colombia's 200th Independence Anniversary Celebrations, the Colombian Embassy in the United Kingdom is organising and/or promoting a series of cultural events focused on Latin America's path to Independence.
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Recommended: Viva la Libertad! Spanish American Independence 1810-1860
Exhibition
The Embassy of Colombia highly recommends "Viva la Libertad", an exhibition exploring the historical events that contributed to the formation of the Spanish American republics throughout the 19th century.
Date: Mon 24 May-Fri 20 August
Venue: Folio Society Gallery, British Library, 96 Euston Road, London NW1 2DB
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Bicentenary: the birth of a Continent known as Latin America
15 June 2010
The Embassy of Colombia, in association with the Institute for the Study of the Americas, commemorated the bicentenary of Latin America's independence last 15 June with a very interesting and informative seminar. The purpose was to understand the events leading to Latin American independence movements. The guest speakers -Colombian journalist Diana Uribe and Dr Aquiles Alencar Brayner, were fluent, passionate and provide attendees with an overview of Latin America as a geographical, historical and political group that has emerged and developed since the Wars of Independence.
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UK-Colombia Collaboration: Past, Present and Future
27 April 2010
The Director of Colombia's Scientific Research Agency (Colciencias), Juan Francisco Miranda, and the Foreign Secretary of the British Academy, Duncan Gallie, signed a memorandum of understanding intended to promote research collaboration between both organizations. The agreement between the British Academy and Colciencias (Colombia's National Department of Science, Technology and Innovation) was signed at the close of a seminar entitled UK-Colombia Collaboration Collaboration: Past, Present and Future.
This seminar, organised in joint effort by the British Academy and the Embassy of Colombia, marked the beginning of the celebration of the 200th anniversary of Colombia's Independence. Colombian speakers such as Dr Gustavo Bell and Dr Eduardo Posada-Carbo, as well as British speakers including Dr Matthew Brown, gathered to analyse the relationship between the United Kingdom and Colombia -wether political, financial or commercial in nature.
UK-Colombia partnership was sealed by the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the British Academy and Colciencias, and the promise that the ties between the United Kingdom and Colombia, which go back to the Colombian Wars of Independence, will grow stronger.
Papers given at the event are now available to view online at the British Academy's website and can be accessed via the programme. Recordings of the event are also available.
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BIODIVERSITY
Colombia: Paradise of biodiversity
Celebrating 200 years of Independence of the world's most biodiverse country
2010 was declared the International Year of Biodiversity by the United Nations. Colombia is one of the world's "hot spots" in species diversity and the Natural History Museum holds in its collections a great sample of it. Join Blanca Huertas and Thomas Donegan to find more about the country with more bird species than any other, an unrivalled butterfly fauna, and many undiscovered treasures.
There will be two brief talks, followed by a wine reception to celebrate Colombia's 200th anniversary of independence.
Date: 19 July 2010
Time: 18.30-20.30
Venue: Flett Theatre, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW45BD
Speakers: Blanca Huertas, Butterfly Curator-Natural History Museum; Thomas Donegan, Chairman-ProAves Foundation
Blanca Huertas
Blanca Huertas is an enthusiastic entomologist, born in Bogota, Colombia. Since 2005, Blanca has been the curator of the butterfly collection at the Natural History Museum in London. She graduated from Universidad Pedagógica, did a postgraduate degree at Universidad Distrital, her Masters in Science at Imperial College, University of London and is now completing a PhD at University College London on tropical butterfly conservation. Blanca has taken part in several conservation projects and field expeditions in Colombia, and international initiatives such as the Tropical Andean Butterfly Diversity Project, producing the first list of the threatened species of butterflies of the world. Blanca's work has contributed to the establishment of two national parks and five ProAves nature reserves, and the discovery of various new butterfly species in Colombia.
Thomas Donegan
Thomas Donegan is a British Naturalist, formerly at Cambridge University. Thomas is one of the directors of ProAves Foundation. He has led exploratory surveys to various unexplored mountain ranges in Colombia every year since the mid-1990s, leading to the discovery of three new bird species and various subspecies for science. He has been closely involved in the establishment of ProAves' nature reserve network and is an author of Colombia's bird checklist and its forthcoming new Field Guide
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Colombia's Biodiversity
A view from the Tayrona communities inhabiting the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
20 May 2010
In representation of the four native tribes of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Danilo Villafañe and former Environment Minister Juan Mayr shared their knowledge of the indigenous community's perception of their environment and their role as "Elder Brother".
The talk, part of the celebration of the International Year of Biodiversity and the Bicentenary of Colombia's Independence, offered a perfect space for the attendees to present their questions and comments about the Sierra Nevada, the highest isolated coastal mountain in the world, and perfect model of every type of terrain and microclimate on Earth, which was declared a Biosphere Reserve and a World Heritage by Unesco in 1979.
Danilo Villafañe also presented The Heart of the World Project, an initiative that seeks to recover ancestral territory in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta for the four indigenous groups of this region: the Kogi, Wiwa, Arhuaco and Kankuamo peoples. The project's objective is to guarantee the protection of biodiversity, the natural regeneration of the forest and vegetation, and the protection of fresh water resources by preserving the indigenous people who live in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.
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COLOMBIA 200, LIVE MUSIC IN THE UK
The Embassy of Colombia and Digame Arts are proud to present "Colombia 200, Live Music in the UK", a summer season of performances by Colombian musicians, as part of Colombia's 200th Independence Anniversary Celebrations.
For the first time in the United Kingdom more than 6 Colombian bands will play at the major UK summer festivals including Glastonbury Festival, Barbican's Blaze Festival, Colombianamente and much more.
The summer season "Colombia 200, Live Music in the UK" will start next week at the Barbican's Blaze Festival and will culminate on July 25th with the 3rd edition of Colombianamente -a festival that has become Colombia's Independence Day Celebration in London, followed by the concert of Toto la Momposina at the Barbican Hall.
Join Colombia's Bicentennial Celebration and make the summer of 2010 unforgettable!
BARBICAN BLAZE FESTIVAL
Quantic and His Combo Barbaro + Systema Solar
24 June 2010
The summer season "Colombia 200, Live Music in th UK" started last Thursday 24th June with the concert of Quantic and his Combo Barbaro, an exceptional group of multi-cultural musicians, followed by Systema Solar, an innovative band that fuses traditional Afro-Colombian rhythms with piko (sound-system culture), hip hop and breakbeat. The concert was part of Barbican's Blaze Festival and was well-received and enjoyed by the audience.
About Quantic and his Combo Barbaro
This exceptional group of multi-cultural musicians create a sonic snapshot of the ever-evolving musical landscape of the Americas. Rediscovering the psychedelic and experimental strands inside Latin music, they mix them with deep funk and soul -and of course the flavours of Cali.
Useful links:
About Systema Solar
This innovative band fuses traditional Afro-Colombian rhythms with piko (sound-system culture), hip hop and breakbeat. With turntablism and live video at the heart of their performances, Systema Solar spins invention and electric energy with cumbia, bullerengue and champeta.
Useful links:
Ceu + Bomba Estereo
Date: 15 July
Time:20.00
Venue: Hackney Empire, 291 Mare Street, London E8 1EJ
About Bomba Estereo
Bomba Estereo, from Colombia's capital, Bogota, make psychedelic cumbia. This musical project, formed by Simon Mejia and singer Liliana Saumet in 2005, is forging a new tropical sound which merges folk styles from the Colombian Caribbean coast -like cumbia, bullerengue and champeta- with electronic, reggae, and hip-hop. The result is an explosive dance sound.
Useful links:
Toto la Momposina
Date: 25 July
Time: 19.30
Venue: Barbican Hall - Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS
Choc Quib Town will perform at the Clubstage from 22.30 to 23.30
About Toto la Momposina
Toto la Momposina is the Grande Dame of Colombian roots music and dance, a Colombian singer of traditional mixed indigenous Colombian and Afro-Latin music. Toto's music takes African, Caribbean, Native Indian and Spanish traditions, resulting in an irresistible blend of rhythms.
Useful links:
About Choc Quib Town
This Afro-Colombian hip-hop trio is a response to Colombia's folklore through 3 wonderful voices that are affectionate to their roots and naturally talented to demonstrate their passion through music. The passion matches the skills and finds a new way to interpret the traditional sounds of the country's Pacific coast.
Useful links:
GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL 2010
This year Colombia will be represented at Glastonbury Festival, the Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts that annually attracts 170,000 people. Colombia will be represented by the 8-piece band Systema Solar, the circus troupe Circolombia and the exceptional group of multi-cultural musicians Quantic & His Combo Barbaro.
SHOREDITCH FESTIVAL
Bomba Estereo
Date: 18 July
Time: 15.00
Venue: Shoreditch Park, New North Road, London N1 6JB
VINOPOLIS
Gaiteros de San Jacinto
Date: 20 July
Time: 18.30-23.30
Venue: Vinopolis, 1 Bank End, London SE1 9BU
About Gaiteros de San Jacinto
Los Gaiteros de san Jacinto are a Colombian traditional folkloric cumbia group originally from the Caribbean Region of Colombia. On November 9 2007 the group won a Latin Grammy Award in the category Folkloric Music for their album "Un Fuego de Sangre Pura: Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto from Colombia"
Useful links:
FONSECA GRATITOUR
Fonseca
Date: 24 July
Time: 19.00
Venue: O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire, Shepherds Bush Green, London W128TT
About Fonseca
This Colombian artist is a remarkable tropical-pop singer and songwriter who has toured extensively in Latin American countries such as Argentina, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Mexico, Guatemala and Puerto Rico, but also in the United States and Canada. It will be his first performance in the UK.
Useful links:
COLOMBIANAMENTE
Colombianamente aims to showcase the best of Colombian arts and culture in London. This festival brings together the different Colombian communities living in the city and allows Londoners to explore the richness and variety of Colombian culture. After a very successful festival in 2009 when over 40,000 spectators enjoyed and celebrated Colombia’s rich cultural and artistic heritage, this year 2010, as Colombia celebrates the bicentenary of its independence, Colombianamente will bring new faces and leading talents from Colombia.
Date: 25 July
Time: 13.00-19.00
Venue: Coin Street Festival, Bernie Spain Gardens, South Bank SE1 9PP
Organisers: Digame Arts
Sponsors: Embassy of Colombia in the UK, RIA Money Transfer
ADMISSION FREE!
Artists will include Choc Quib Town, Martina Camargo, Robin Del Castillo and his 9 piece salsa band, circus troupe circolombia much more!
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COLOMBIA GOURMET
Colombia is gearing up to celebrate their annual gastronomy festival “Colombia Gourmet”, taking place from the 23rd September – 3rd October at the Cook Book Café, Intercontinental Park Lane, London.
Colombia is all about diversity, represented by a variety of flavours, blended from a unique mixture of cultures and ingredients sourced from the Andes to the Caribbean. During this time, visitors from all over can sample this true diversity and array of flavours for themselves.
Visitors will experience a journey of flavours from the different regions which include the CaribbeanCoast, Coffee Region, the Amazon and the PacificCoast. Latin Food lovers can come and enjoy the‘Arepas’, which is a popular corn bread from the centre of the country (but widely eaten by most Colombians!), the ‘Sancocho’soup with a traditional combination of plantain and cassava to fill the most demanding of appetites, the famous ‘Empanadas’, delightfully stuffed pastries accompanied by ‘Aji’ for those with a flavour for spice and ‘Ajiaco’, the potato based soup filled to the brim with chicken, corn and capers, originally from the capital Bogotá.
Complimentary coffee by Juan Valdez
A special exhibition of London based Colombian artists: Enrique Ruiz, Jaime Cobos, Dairo Vargas, María Perafán and Nena Geiger will be displayed during the event.
Music performances by Colombian artists playing different rhythms from our vast, mixed and beautiful musical heritage: joropos, bambucos, pasillos, guabinas, currulaos, jotas, torbellinos, cumbias, vallenato, porros and many others:
22 Sept 13.00 – 15.00
Cesar Rodriguez Duran duet - Guitar and Clarinet
Pasillos, Guabinas
23 Sept 19.00 – 21.00
Diego Laverde - Colombian Harp
Joropos
24 Sept 20.00 – 22.00
Andres Miranda duet - Guitar and Percussion
Bambucos, Porros
25 Sept 20.00 – 22.00
Eneyder Hurtado Ardila - Marimba Maestro
Currulao, Jotas
26 Sept 13.30 – 15.30
Diego Laverde - Colombian Harp
Joropos
29 Sept 13.00 – 15.00
Camilo Menjura duet - Guitar and Percussion
Bambucos, Pasillos, Guabinas
1 Oct 20.00 – 22.00
Harold Montes Trio - Colombian Singer
Bambuco, Pasillos, Boleros
2 Oct 20.00 – 22.00
Rafael Perez Duet - Accordion and Percussion
Vallenatos
3 Oct 13.30 – 15.30
Camilo Menjura - Guitar
Bambucos, Pasillos, Guabinas
1 Hamilton Place, Park Lane, London W1J 3QY
InterContinental London Park Lane
Tube: Hyde Park Corner
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COLOMBIAN ARCHITECTURE
Colombian Architecture:
A Visual Narrative of Two Cities
Colombia's entry for the London Festival of architecture 2010 generated a lot of interest. The magnificent pictures taken by photographers Sergio Gomez and Enrique Guzman offered an accurate description of the extraordinary urban and architectural transformation of Colombia's two main cities -Bogota and Medellin, over the past 20 years. The exhibition was curated by architects Lorenzo Castro and Alejandro Echeverri, who have taken part in the transformation of the cities portrayed in this exhibition; both architects were invited to London to give a lecture and a series of guided talks at the RIBA.
Sponsors:
The Embassy of Colombia in the United Kingdom
The Department of Architecture at Universidad de los Andes, Bogota-Colombia
The Centre for Urban and Environmental Studies at Universidad Eafit, Medellin-Colombia
The Bogota Chamber of Commerce
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COLOMBIANAMENTE
Back at the South Bank for its 3rd edition!
Colombianamente aims to showcase the best of Colombian arts and culture in London. This festival, which has become Colombia's Independence Day Celebration, brings together the different Colombian communities living in the city, explores Colombian contemporary identity and introduces a positive view of Colombia to the world. The 3rd edition of Colombianamente will allow Londoners to explore the richness and variety of Colombian culture and help to get rid of negative stereotypes about Colombia.
Date: 25 July
Time: 13.00-19.00
Venue: Coin Street Festival, Bernie Spain Gardens, South Bank SE1 9PP
Organisers: Digame Arts
ADMISSION FREE!
After a very successful 2nd edition in 2009 as part of the Coin Street Festival, when over 40,000 spectators enjoyed and celebrated Colombia's rich cultural and artistic heritage, Colombianamente will be back on the 25th July 2010. Moreover this year Colombianamente is of particular importance as Colombia is celebrating the 200th anniversary of its independence.
MAIN STAGE PROGRAMME
Choc Quib Town
This Afro-Colombian hip-hop trio is a response to Colombia's folklore through 3 wonderful voices that are affectionate to their roots and naturally talented to demonstrate their passion through music. The passion matches the skills and finds a new way to interpret the traditional sounds of the country's Pacific coast.
Useful links:
Gaiteros de San Jacinto
Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto are a Colombian traditional folkloric cumbia group originally from the Caribbean Region of Colombia. On November 2007 the group won a Latin Grammy Award in the category Folkloric Music for their album "Un Fuego de Sangre Pura: Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto from Colombia".
Useful links
Robin Del Castillo and his 9 piece salsa band
Robin Del Castillo is a Latin singer, based in London, specialized in Latin Tropical Music (Salsa, Merengue, Cumbia, Bachata, Reggaeton and Latin pop). Robin took part in many well known bands in Colombia such as Cali Sabor and Los Gomelos under the label of Sony music. In 2001 he decided to work in London and became Robin Del Castillo. He created his own Latin band and over the past 7 years, he has been playing and taking part in the most successful Latin events in London. In addition, he did musical accompaniment for singers like Pedro Conga and Roberto Blades among others. His success went beyond UK's frontiers, and extended to countries like Spain, Italy and France.
Useful links:
AND MANY SURPRISES!
CHILDREN AND GAMES AREA
Play and Make Colombianamente
In order to celebrate the 200 years of Spanish American Independence of Colombia El-taller workshops & events will offer an activities zone in which children will experience through play and making a variety of elements from Colombian history and culture.
Through these activities El-taller wants to address three main concepts that were as relevant for Colombians during the Spanish American Independence as they are today: Freedom, Identity and awareness of Colombian Biodiversity.
There will be large format maps of Colombia with some of the milestones of the Independence, face painting, wind-mills making, traditional games, activities for under fives and much more!
Torneo de Rana
Rana is a game of pre-Columbian origin. Legend says that the pre-Columbian community worshiped frogs because they were thought to have magical powers. On holydays, people went to the lakes to throw gold coins. They believed that if a frog jumped out of the water and ate their gold coin, the frog would not only turn into gold, but it would also make their wish come true. Later, the pre-Columbian people constructed a big golden frog as a tribute to these sacred animals and played the game which today is known as Rana.
TRADITIONAL COLOMBIAN MARKET
A Colombian market will exhibit the best from Colombia's crafts, foods and drinks.
UK LAUNCH OF JUAN VALDEZ COFFEE
The Juan Valdez brand represents more than 500,000 Colombian coffee growers. Juan valdez coffees are grown in the Colombian mountains and carefully handpicked by cafeteros who are devoted to the mastering of their craft. It is an example of an organization that has chosen to incorporate the people it represents, in this case the growers, into the commercuial chain allowing them to actively benefit. The cafeteros receive a higher price for their coffee and have the opportunity through the diverse Juan Valdez portfolio, to promote and market their products.
Colombianamente is on Facebook!
Sponsors
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La Casa Pintada by Vicky Fadul
About the artist and La Casa Pintada
Vicky Fadul is a Colombian artist who, for the last nine years, has been travelling and taking her knowledge about colour, textures and forms to remote communities in Colombia. Twenty-nine villages starting from the Guajira department in the northern tip of the country, all the way down to Nariño, bordering with Ecuador in the southwest, have experienced the magic of colour under Ms. Fadul’s supervision. With total generosity, the artist trains an average of 15 people between the ages of 18 and 40 in every village. She instructs them about basic theory of colour, and traditional techniques such as the pre-Columbian painting roll technique. In 2002 Ms. Fadul started a life-changing project by creating a bridge between the inner and outer shelter walls of extremely poor Colombian populations. Through this venture, the doors, facades, windows and pillars of the slums have acquired a new life, full of colour and art.
“Art and colour have both a great dignifying power. They generate identity, a sense of belonging, and team work within the family, all at once”. Vicky Fadul
The workshop at Maloca
Vicky Fadul will be teaching these methods to a selected group in London and imprint with symbols and colour the inner and outer walls of Maloca. In such way, Maloca would become both a permanent exhibition platform of Vicky Fadul’s oeuvre, a way of showing a piece of Colombia through colour and the painting roll technique and an opportunity for the participants to get involved in the project and learn the techniques directly from the artist. The 2 days workshop would go together with a talk about pre-Columbian symbolism and the practice done in Colombia with mothers (heads of family) and vulnerable population in places like Cartagena and Tumaco.
We are particularly interested in hearing from artists working in any range of media. However applications are sought from any interested adult living in London who would respond to this vibrant opportunity.
Applicants should send an email/letter of application with their contact details, saying briefly why they would like to come. Please send it to: maloca@me.com
Everybody is welcome on Friday 15th to an Open House Event at Maloca, where Vicky Fadul will talk about La Casa Pintada in Colombia, and how it will come to London.
Open House Event:
Friday 15th October - 19.30 hrs
MALOCA
287 Putney Bridge Road
SW15 2PT
Workshop:
Sat 16th and Sun 17th
10:00 - 18:00
MALOCA
287 Putney Bridge Road
SW15 2PT
Sponsored by:
Embassy of Colombia in the UK and Brewers (www.brewers.co.uk)
