{"id":4820,"date":"2012-09-19T07:09:00","date_gmt":"2012-09-19T12:09:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/?p=4820"},"modified":"2016-05-06T11:28:53","modified_gmt":"2016-05-06T16:28:53","slug":"dance-in-cali-and-celebrate-pacific-culture-petronio-alvarez-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/2012\/09\/dance-in-cali-and-celebrate-pacific-culture-petronio-alvarez-festival\/","title":{"rendered":"Dance in Cali and Celebrate Pacific Culture – Petronio \u00c1lvarez Festival"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s my first trip to Cali<\/a> and I\u2019m greeted by lines of people queuing down the main road in the centre of town.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s go in,\u201d my friend Paula says.\u00a0\u201cWe have to go in, it\u2019s Petronio \u00c1lvarez!\u201d she says. And what\u2019s Petronio \u00c1lvarez<\/a>? Well, it’s only the biggest celebration of Afro-Colombian and Pacific culture in the country!<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
A celebration of Pacific culture, photo by Breyner Huertas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We eventually find the end of the queue to get into the festival, held at Cali\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

A woman stands at a table with a brightly-colored scarf wrapped around her head.<\/p>\n

\u201cArrechon, Arrechon, Arrechon!\u201d she calls.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s selling Arrechon, an alcohol which is also supposed to be a powerful aphrodisiac, and another called Tumbacatre, which means \u00b4Break the Bed\u00b4. I get the feeling it\u2019s going to be a big night.<\/p>\n

\"Festival<\/a>
Festival goers enjoying Petronio Alvarez, Cali, photo by Breyner Huertas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Of course, we buy a bottle of Arrechon and we\u2019re ready to dance and get into the Petronio vibe.\u00a0But Petronio \u00c1lvarez isn\u2019t just a festival, it\u2019s a celebration – of food, culture, music, dance and life.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\"Colorful<\/a>
Colorful dance costumes, photo by Breyner Huertas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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.\u00a0The 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.<\/p>\n

\"Folklore<\/a>
Folklore dancers, Petronio Alvarez, photo by Breyner Huertas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Petronio, which is named after famous Colombian musician Patricio Romano Petronio \u00c1lvarez Quintero, is the place to get in touch with the Pacific Coast on a trip to Colombia – \u00a0to taste the cuisine, appreciate the music, learn about the culture and, of course, pa\u2019goza, to enjoy!<\/p>\n

Watch a video about Petronio \u00c1lvarez Festival here.<\/a><\/p>\n

Sarah<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It’s my first trip to Cali and I\u2019m greeted by lines of people queuing down the main road in the centre of town. \u201cLet\u2019s go in,\u201d my friend Paula says.\u00a0\u201cWe have to go in, it\u2019s Petronio \u00c1lvarez!\u201d she says. And what\u2019s Petronio \u00c1lvarez? 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