In Colombia, the Petronio Alvarez Festival honors 2,000 peace groups

Published on November 1, 2024 at 2:30 p.m.

The first marimba notes burst from the immense stage of the Petronio Alvarez Festival, where Integracion Pacifica is performing. The immaculate white outfits of the ten members of the group echo the white scarves waved by the public as a symbol of peace and joy. This event is also a manifestation of Pacific culture, music and traditions, celebrated annually in Cali, capital of the Valle del Cauca department, Colombia. Hundreds of people, some of whom are drunk at the viche – a traditional drink made from sugar cane –, dance to the sound of with each other and jokes (see glossary page below), while the powerful voice of Elena Hinestroza Venté, better known as Dona Elena, rings out, both happy and melancholic. The rhythms of the Pacific present themselves as tireless witnesses to a painful history, rooted in slavery (abolished in 1851 in Colombia), but also bearers of political messages.

The last piece, Prayer for peace (“Prayer for Peace”) is performed a cappella, in order to “let our voices say what we want to say and rise for the protection of the earth, of life, of the life of human beings, but also of all biodiversity,” according to Dona Elena. Originally from Timbiqui, a small town in Cauca, from which many music groups emerged including Canalon de Timbiqui, one of the most emblematic, the singer now lives in the eastern part of Cali. She had to travel to the region multiple times because of the Colombian armed conflict that pitted the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the state against the state since the mid-1960s.

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