Colombiage ‘09
17-18 October
Riverside Studios
Crisp Rd, London,
W6 9RL
020 82371000
www.riversidestudios.co.uk

Music: La Mojarra Electrica
Literature: Carolina Sanín, Ramón Chao
Cinema: The Actors In The Conflict (Director: Lisandro Duque);
Others (Director: Oscar Campo). There will be a Q&A with the directors after the
screening.
Discussion: Three Colombian Filmmakers In Conversation with Sergio Cabrera, Lisandro Duque and Oscar Campo
Education: Making Colombia – a fun, arty Colombian workshop for children between 5 and 14 years old.

Colombia is approximately the same size as France, Portugal and Spain combined, with a population of 37 million. Its borders are shared with Venezuela, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru and Panama, and defined by the shores of both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Geographically and culturally Colombia is in the centre of things with influences coming from everywhere – as well as having its own unique cultural history – and it’s the range, depth and history of the country’s arts which is being highlighted by Colombiage.

This October will see an array of Colombian arts presented in London by Colombiage ’09, all designed to promote contemporary art and culture from Colombia in the UK. For the weekend of 17/18 October Colombia comes to Hammersmith’s Riverside Studios. On offer will be a taste of Colombia as potent as their local firewater, aguardiente. The fragrances, tastes, images, rhythms and thoughts of modern Colombia will be represented by a hand-picked group of artists, musicians, authors and filmmakers.

Colombiage is a multi-disciplinary festival (now in its 3rd year) showcasing the best of art and culture currently being created in Colombia. Besides the outstanding talent premiered since its inception, Colombiage ’07 and ’08 succeeded in attracting diverse audiences and reviving interest in Colombia as a place with a wealth, and considerable history, of cultural diversity which remains unknown to many outside of the country. Colombiage ’09 promises to surpass previous events encouraging many more people to see past the headlines and focus on the innate vibrancy of Colombian culture.

Colombiage ’09 highlights:

· Music: with La Mojarra Electrica straight out of 19th Street in Bogotá with their new Afro-Colombian urban sound which melds folkloric Colombian rhythms with the Afro-American jazz of Miles Davis and Coltrane by way of Cuban songo and timba and Jamaican reggae and raggamuffin;

· Literature: with author Carolina Sanín, who was born in Bogotá, holds a Ph.D. in Spanish literature from Yale University and teaches at Purchase College-State University of New York. Her novel Todo en otra parte (Seix-Barral) was published in 2005 and she writes a weekly column for the Colombian newspaper El Espectador;

and Ramón Chao is a distinguished writer and journalist. He was chief editor for the Latin American service of Radio France Internationale, and worked for Le Monde and Le Monde Diplomatique. His book The Train of Ice and Fire tells the story of the infamous tour of Colombia made by legendary mestizo band, Mano Negra, in 1993, which ultimately led to their break-up and set (Ramón’s son) Manu Chao on his new musical path to becoming one of the best known and most popular musicians on the planet;

· Cinema: with screenings of Lisandro Duque’s “The Actors In The Conflict”, an engaging satire about three mime actors suddenly hauled into deep political conflict and “Others”, a remarkable sci-fi / thriller about the dark forces of the modern times, directed by Oscar Campo.
As well as what promises to be a fascinating discussion: “Three Colombian Filmmakers In Conversation” This rare discussion will focus on the state of creativity, production and international potential of Colombian cinema today through the eyes of three of the nation’s most accomplished directors: Sergio Cabrera, Lisandro Duque and Oscar Campo.

Education: “Making Colombia” is a fun, arty Colombian workshop for children between the ages of 5 and 14 in which they embark on a journey in 4 categories:

1. Music (ages: 8 to 14)
2. Poetry & short stories (ages: 8 to14)
3. Dance (ages: 5 to 10)
4. Handcraft (ages 5 to 10)
www.colombiage.com