Exciting news for all our Colombiagers!
| New exciting links from the BBC Radio 3 website featuring among others an interview by Lucy Duran with our very own Artistic Director and Co-founder Landa Acevedo-Scott on Colombian culture in London, available here, and Jose Hernando’s wonderful developments as the 2012 World Routes Academy mentee, performing his music alongside Roberto Pla and Diego Laverde, following this link. |
José Hernando performing at the World Routes Academy in London, January 2012
BBC – Radio 3’s 2012 World Routes Academy winner José Hernando Arias Noguera travelled on March to Bogotá, Colombia, to fulfull his dream of learning Colombian accordion playing style with his renowned mentor Mr. Egidio Cuadrado, famous singer Carlos Vives’ accordioner and Leyenda Vallenata 1985. He arrived with a very special and talented team from BBC Radio 3 on the evening of the 23rd of March and embarked on this first adventure until March 31st when he came back to London after an intense and interesting 8-days practice session, learning from the master and meeting very nice people in the way.
More surprises to come!
Follow José Hernando’s daily steps and stay tuned with BBC Radio 3 World Routes Academy and Colombiage ‘bitacora of the trip’ in this very page! Don’t miss the Next radio program on Sunday, 22:30 on BBC Radio 3.
Photographies courtesy of BBC’s presenter Juan Carlos Jaramillo.
First trip
March 23rd: Arriving to Bogotá. Don Egidio Cuadrado and Colombiage welcome the team at El Dorado airport.
March 24th – March 27th: Full practice sessions with mentor Egidio Cuadrado during the weekend at a wonderful place in La Mesa, Cundinamarca, enjoying a wonderful tropical weather, the music, the landscape, nature and meeting Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto!
Finca in La Mesa, Cundinamarca, Colombia
Rehearsal with two of Carlos Vives' musicians, talented drummer and guacharaquero, Master 'Compae' Egidio and José
Gaiteros de San Jacinto
March 27th: An unforgettable session with famous Colombian artist Carlos Vives at his restaurant in Bogotá! After enjoying a delicious meal, the team records a live session with Carlos, Egidio and José Hernando playing and singing along three other talented musicians from La Provincia and Carlos Iván Medina, former keyboard player musician of Bogotá’s Rock Band ‘Distrito Especial’! Amazing, touching interviews with Carlos, Egidio and José follow the session until the evening. Stay tuned in BBC Radio 3 to be able to enjoy them. Don’t miss the Next radio program on Sunday, 22:30 on BBC Radio 3.
At Gaira Restaurant in Bogota, with Vallenato Pop star Carlos Vives, next to him a prodige former King Vallenato showing up the new double accordion 'De Colombia para el Mundo' created by master tuner and accordion fixer Don Jaime, accompanied by Master 'Compae' Egidio and José Hernando
March 28th: An insightful interview with on of the most famous accordion maker and tuner in Bogotá. A special recommendation from Don Egidio. José and the team learn about the different accordions, the special sound of Colombian accordions for Vallenato and the new double accordion made by this master.
March 28th – March 30th: The BBC Radio 3 team travels to Cartagena with one of our Colombiage members and records three interesting artistic groups of traditional music! On march 28th they meet Kumajaná, an amazing bagpipe traditional group based in San José de los Campanos neighbourhood in Cartagena de Indias, on the 29th a very interesting ‘Papayera’ band fires up the ‘parranda’ in the midst of the Old Walled City, and on March the 30th, they travel to Palenquito, one hour and a half from Cartagena to meet and record Mrs. Petrona Martínez and her group, a living legend of Bullerengue music that has been recognised with a Grammy nomination and is the undisputed ‘Queen of Bullerengue’. José Hernando remains in Bogotá under the direction of Don Egidio, preparing for the exciting challenges to come.
Kumajana, at San Jose de los Campanos neighbourhood in Cartagena, Colombia
Petrona Martínez - Queen of Bullerengue - with her grand children at her home in Palenquito, Bolívar, Colombia
March 31st: After a marvellous visit to the world-renowned Gold Museum in Bogotá downtown, famous for containing numerous gold statues, cravings, figures and treasures as old as the native indian tribes of Pre-Columbian times, the team prepares to leave Colombia for London. After a very nice time enjoying sunny weather, fresh fruit juices 100% natural, warm people and the experience of this beautiful, kind country, more often than not, it leaves in its visitors a kind, quite pleasant first-hand impression very different from the usual propaganda widely known by the media.
José will come back soon for a second dose of Colombian flavour, music, culture and warmness while having to face a wonderful, exciting challenge for his new career as a Vallenato musician, breaking old schemes and maybe setting an unprecedented step in Colombian music history! We hardly can’t wait! Don’t forget to stay tuned in BBC Radio 3 for more news, video and sound… Don’t miss the Next radio program on Sunday, 22:30 on BBC Radio 3.