The Festival of the Vallenato Legend 

Lina Espinosa

Culture is a unique, authentic hallmark that characterizes a social group and makes it visible and different from other groups in the world. In my case, I can say that I had the privilege of being born in a place with a vast group of traditions and customs  I was born in Valledupar is a Colombian municipality, also this city is known as one of the main musicals, cultural and folkloric epicenters of Colombia for being the cradle of vallenato, the most popular musical genre in the country and currently a symbol of Colombian music, here is held one of the most popular festivals in Colombia and it is called ́ ́the Festival of the Vallenato Legend. ”

In the city talk about the idea came from a group of friends who sought to institutionalize and recreate the feast of Our Virgin of the Rosary. It gradually became an event of national significance. According to Diaz-Mendoza, Mar, et al “The traditional Colombian vallenato was declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO on 1 December 2015 ” So it’s noteworthy that This festival, in honor of one of the most representative musical genres of Colombia, Vallenato is a source of inspiration and homage for those great minstrels and precursors who intend to exalt the folklore and the airs that make up vallenato: paseo, merengue, son and puya,  For all the above reasons, this event makes our territory unique and provides a characteristic stamp of our region, so to talk about the festival of the vallenato legend anywhere in the world is to refer to Colombia, it is to identify a geographical point and it is the city of Valledupar . In addition, there is the piqueria, the parranda, the peasant poetry, tales, legends, myths, oral tradition, literary, cultural partner, and artistic expressions associated with vallenato. Just as in other parts of the world they celebrate festivals and enjoy a whole diversity of activities typical of their culture as for example in Russia, Festivals in Russia as well as in Colombia are characterized by showing their culture, attendees enjoy their favorite music and food, in these festivals, people take advantage of their opportunity to show their talents while the rest of the people admire these skills, locals meet and share experiences with family and friends., according to Russia Society & Culture. 2nd ed., ” A summer festival showcasing Russian art and music in St. Petersburg. St. Petersburg is far enough north that its summer nights are long, and the sun still casts a glow when it dips below the horizon. These are called the “White Nights.” The City of St. Petersburg organizes a festival of concerts, theater, dance, opera, street parties, fireworks, and other forms of entertainment, cementing its reputation as a center of Russian culture. Russians enjoy opera, ballet, and classical music at established theaters, as well as smaller performances in outdoor venues such as parks and courtyards”. However, cultural differences can come to light, for example, the culture of Colombia reflects a mixture of Spanish, African and indigenous influences and this is reflected in its festivals demonstrating an atmosphere full of native melodies that involves various rhythms such as salsa, cumbia, merengue, among others  while the Russian culture is a mixture generated from the customs of so many civilizations in Russia there are up to 190 different ethnic groups, this makes its The culture is diverse and of all kinds, but more influenced by the white culture where it is very common to hear opera and classical music.

In conclusion, I say that festivals are events where people give themselves the opportunity to share, know, learn, and have unforgettable cultural experiences, considering that each one is unique and unrepeatable. But I can emphasize of the Vallenato legend festival, that these lyrics or melodies for any person may seem normal or simply a good song, but for the Valduparense in a melody that reaches the soul, and brings out emotions and feelings, remembering our friends, neighbors, and family.

Works Cited

Diaz-Mendoza, Mar, et al. “An Ontological Model for the Representation of Vallenato as Cultural Heritage in a Context-Aware System.” Heritage, vol. 6, no. 8, 2023, pp. 5648. ProQuest, http://168.156.198.98:2048/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/ontological-modelrepresentationvallenatoas/docview/2857066686/se2,doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage6080297.

Russia Society & Culture. 2nd ed., World Trade Press, 2010.

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The Festival of the Vallenato Legend  Copyright © 2024 by Lina Espinosa is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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