It’s my first trip to Cali and I’m greeted by lines of people queuing down the main road in the centre of town.
“Let’s go in,” my friend Paula says. “We have to go in, it’s Petronio Álvarez!” she says. And what’s Petronio Álvarez? Well, it’s only the biggest celebration of Afro-Colombian and Pacific culture in the country!
We eventually find the end of the queue to get into the festival, held at Cali’s football stadium, and wait for a good 15 minutes before making it inside. We walk in and I can hear Pacific drum beats and women singing. I can smell seafood simmering away, begging to be eaten. The sounds and the smells are new and intense but I can’t wait for it all to become familiar.
A woman stands at a table with a brightly-colored scarf wrapped around her head.
“Arrechon, Arrechon, Arrechon!” she calls.
She’s selling Arrechon, an alcohol which is also supposed to be a powerful aphrodisiac, and another called Tumbacatre, which means ´Break the Bed´. I get the feeling it’s going to be a big night.
Of course, we buy a bottle of Arrechon and we’re ready to dance and get into the Petronio vibe. But Petronio Álvarez isn’t just a festival, it’s a celebration – of food, culture, music, dance and life.
Women dance in colorful dresses and flowing skirts. They tell stories with their bodies, share their pain and their pleasures and sing lyrics so simple and raw that they invite everyone in to understand their past.
More than 100 bands and musicians travel to Cali from across the country to perform at the four-day festival, which is held every August. The first Petronio was held in 1997 and began as a way for composers, musicians and other creative-folk to gather and express their love for the Pacific Coast. And it just gets bigger every year – more than 50,000 people attended this year compared to 4,000 in 2008.
Petronio, which is named after famous Colombian musician Patricio Romano Petronio Álvarez Quintero, is the place to get in touch with the Pacific Coast on a trip to Colombia – to taste the cuisine, appreciate the music, learn about the culture and, of course, pa’goza, to enjoy!
Watch a video about Petronio Álvarez Festival here.
Sarah
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