He returned Vallenata Legend Festival now in its 57th version in tribute to the singer Ivan Villazon, ‘La Voz Tenor del Vallenato’ and the record we have is the attendance of contestants from more than half of the country. In total there are 17 departments to which three countries are added.
Transcendental reason to note that the Festival de la Leyenda Vallenata Foundation advances with its work of conservation and promotion of traditional vallenato with this event attached to everyone’s heart as a platform.
The departments that are present in the different contests of the Vallenata Legend Festival are the following: Antioquia, Atlántico, Bolívar, Boyacá, Casanare, Cesar, Chocó, Córdoba, Cundinamarca, Huila, La Guajira, Magdalena, Nariño, Norte de Santander, Santander, Sucre and Tolima. In the registry of countries are the United States, France and Venezuela.
Two guajiros were the first and the last to register for the 57th Vallenata Legend Festival. In their order, the professional accordion player Jaime Alberto ArdilaBandera, a native of Maicao, and the composer Armando Luis Rois Peñaranda, from San Juan del Cesar.
The composer Fredis Chávez Mier, a native of Astrea, Cesar, a teacher by profession, with a degree in Spanish Language with an emphasis on Literature, was the only one who was selected with two songs out of the 70 chosen. He will lead the song ‘Without Dad and Without Mom’ and the song ‘American Dream’.
At 76 years old, composer Julio César Romo Mendoza, from El Piñón, Magdalena, is the oldest among the contestants. The youngest is Lucas Sebastián Vega Fernández, who is 8 years old and was born in Fonseca, La Guajira. He will participate in children’s piqueria.
The cashier James Álvarez Martínez, a native of Barrancabermeja, Santander, who will accompany the professional accordionist Edgardo Bolaño, sent a request to use a base for his instrument, because due to limitations in his knees he cannot do so normally. The medical report sent indicates so.
This year the record was broken in the registration of Piloneras groups in the senior category. A total of 140 groups will be in action, comprising a maximum of 40 couples and a minimum of 12. With this, we highlight the rescue of this traditional dance from Valledupar that was being forgotten and today is the friendly face of the Legend Festival Vallenata. “Who is it sung to here? Who do you thank, those who come from outside or the owners of the house?”.
Two Vallenatos Kings are in search of their second crown. These are Juan David Herrera Pimentel (1996) and Fredy Ramón Sierra Díaz (1995), who in turn is the oldest in his category. He was born on October 8, 1960. In that category he obtained two Julio César Rojas Buendía crowns (1983 – 1994) and three times Alfredo de Jesús Gutiérrez Vital (1974 – 1978 – 1986).
In the Plaza Alfonso López de Valledupar, the emblematic Palo e mango remains the same, which was planted on August 7, 1937 by the Vallenato rancher and farmer Eloy Quintero Baute. This famous tree witnessed 36 versions of the Vallenata Legend Festival (1968 to 2003). Precisely, the composer Rafael Manjarrés in his song ‘Sentimental Absence’ asked himself “if the palo e’ mango, is still in the square the same.” There is.
The composer, singer and university professor Juan Carlos Mantilla García, born in Montpellier, France, was selected in the unpublished vallenato song contest with the walk ‘By the Magdalena River’. For him, who is 38 years old, it is very satisfying to participate in the Vallenata Legend Festival.
A total of 313 contestants, including accordion players, will perform the four musical airs to aspire to the different crowns. Each contestant has their own accordion and adding up the approximate value of each instrument gives more than a billion pesos.
THANK YOU FROM VILLAZÓN
When the singer Iván Villazón was asked about these records around the 57th Vallenata Legend Festival that will be in his honor, he stated: “It is of immense joy to note the progress of the contest that we love and that I have also helped to strengthen over the years. The words fall short, the emotion is great and with God’s help everything will turn out well. What we want is to leave a mark and remember those minstrels who paved the way. Thank you to the Vallenata Legend Festival Foundation for this tribute that I dedicate to everyone.”
Iván Villazón’s greatest triumph in the Vallenata Legend Festival was when he accompanied Gonzalo Arturo ‘El Cocha’ Molina Mejía with his guacharaca, to be crowned Vallenato King in 1990. Cashier Augusto Guerra was also part of that group.
They performed the following songs: Paseo, ‘El pollo vallenato’ (Luis Enrique Martínez); merengue, ‘Rosita’ (Luis Enrique Martínez); They are, ‘Pena y dolor’ (Alejandro Durán) and the puja ‘Déjala vení’ (NáferDurán). Today the story is different because he will be the honoree where he will be given the maximum recognition for all his work that totals 40 years of artistic life.
By: JOHN VANEGAS.