Santa Marta, Colombia’s oldest city and one of the first founded in South America, continues with its historical commemoration.
LEA TAMBIÉN
As part of its 500th anniversary celebrations (July 29, 1525), the capital of Magdalena will be the epicenter of a massive gathering of culture, art, and memory: the ‘Reunion in the Heart of the World’, which will take place from November 7 to 9.
The initiative, promoted by the Ministry of Arts, Cultures, and Knowledge, seeks to democratize access to culture and reaffirm its role as a fundamental tool for social transformation and peacebuilding.
For three days, more than 200 artists, experts, and communities will share their expressions in different parts of the city.
Dialogue as a bridge to peace
La cumbre CELAC-UE se realizará el 9 y 10 de noviembre Foto:REDES SOCIALES
The event has been described by the authorities as an invitation to national cohesion. Yannai Kadamani, Minister of Culture, Arts, and Knowledge, emphasized the power of words in this process.
“From words comes dialogue, and from dialogue springs the possibility of peace. This gathering is an invitation to listen to each other as a pluralistic nation, to recognize in the arts and knowledge the path to healing and building on our differences,” said Minister Kadamani.
A schedule covering the Caribbean and the world
Santa Marta will be divided into three large cultural venues to welcome thousands of citizens free of charge:
Heart of the world: Concentrated in the Malecón and the historic center, this space will bring together music, visual arts, and cultural entrepreneurship.
Arts for peace: it will bring programming directly to the territories, including emblematic neighborhoods such as Pescaito and Gaira, with a family-oriented approach.
Dialogues for Life: It will bring together more than 50 artists and intellectuals at the Santa Marta Theater and the headquarters of the ICANH (Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History) to reflect on art, memory, and life, seeking to build collective manifestos for intercultural dialogue.
Music, cinema, and memory in the streets
Santa Marta celebró 500 años de fundación con un concierto en su bahía. Foto:ALCALDÍA DE SANTA MARTA
The musical lineup promises to be one of the most extensive, with free concerts every day between 6:00 p.m. and 12:00 a.m. on the “Paz y Arte” stages. The lineup includes legends such as Andy Montañez and Petrona Martínez, alongside contemporary artists of the stature of Vicente García, Aterciopelados, Sistema Solar, Doctor Krápula, Cimarrón, and the international touch of Estrellas de Buena Vista, accompanied by local and regional groups.
In the neighborhoods, the film component will be handled by FICCI (Cartagena International Film Festival), which will offer outdoor movie screenings. In addition, visitors will be able to enjoy the photographic exhibition “Un Puerto de Memorias Vivas” (A Port of Living Memories), with works by Jesús Abad Colorado and Federico Ríos, an interactive installation by Domo de la Palabra, and a display of more than 100 cultural enterprises.
LEA TAMBIÉN
The closing ceremony will feature a deeply symbolic act: President Gustavo Petro will lead a public act of forgiveness for the victims of the Patriotic Union, in a gesture that underscores the connection between culture and the national government’s agenda of memory and reconciliation. The day will culminate with a grand celebration that will fuse the rhythms of the Caribbean, joropo, and Cuban son, including the highly anticipated performance of 31 Minutos.
During these days, Santa Marta will not only celebrate its history, but will also consolidate itself as the epicenter where culture, memory, and peace seek to intertwine, demonstrating that art and words are the most powerful path to national reconciliation.
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