Music in Colombia: La Feria de Las Flores
A locoal Afro-Colombian band performing popular Colombian songs.
In July of 2016, I moved to Medellin Colombia to teach English for five months. During my stay, there were many festivals in the Antioquian city. I didn’t attend all of them, but I did enjoy the few that I was able to catch. The most memorable was the Feria de Las Flores, or Festival of Flowers. The festival was organized in 1957 by Arturo Uribe to celebrate the Colombian Flower Industry. It runs for two weeks and includes a concert series and a number of parades and parties. The concerts are ongoing for the entire festival leading up to the day of the Silleteros parade.
I attended the African Heritage concert night and I enjoyed all of the performances. My highlight was the Madou Zon Family, a drumming group from Burkina Faso. I was mostly inspired by the enthusiasm that Colombians, young and old, black or white, had for live African music. Everyone danced the best way they knew how to the rhythms. Near where my friends and I stood, a group of young Colombians, maybe college-aged, formed a dance circle to practice African dances that they knew. They were having so much fun that many others began to join them. Later, individuals from the same group volunteered to dance with the performers on stage. Everyone in attendance was excited and I’m quite sure that Madou Zon felt very welcomed by their Colombian audience. Below are a few videos I took of the concert.
Madou Zon Family
The concert series hosts many other music theme nights such as Classical, Jazz, Salsa and other Colombian and International music genres. Some concerts even include popular artist like Daddy Yankee and Enrique Iglesias. Most concerts (not including those of famous celebs) are usually free and there are always plenty of art and food vendors on site.
Another must-see event during la Feria is the main event, the Silleteros parade (also known as the flower parade). On this day, men and women carry silletas, which are huge, artsy and gorgeous flower arrangements, on their backs through the city of Medellin. In between the Silleteros groups, you will also see musicians and dance participants in the parade. To be honest, I saw a lot more musical performances than flowers during the festival. It is not surprising because Colombian people look for every opportunity to celebrate and party with music and dance.
The festival usually takes place between the end of July and early August. If you plan on visiting this country soon, it’s well worth it to include la Feria in your itinerary as it is a great way to experience the festive nature of Antioquia.
