Is Medellin ready to be an international venue?
By Robin Finley
The question is whether Medellin is blowin’ up or just warmin’ to the “world tour” circut?
Big names, huge names, internationally known names, are coming to Medellin. This winter we have Skid Row, Tiesto, Carl Cox, Squirrel Nut Zippers, and there is a wily rumor running around Medellin hip-hop blogs that Snoop Dogg is coming as well. Actually, 2009 was a big year for Medellin. There were the Wailers, as in Bob Marley and the Wailers, The Ataris, Bone Thugs n Harmony, Matthew Dear, and late last year 50 Cent.
This is all in-line with a trend of monster bands coming to Colombia. Bogota usually lassoes them in for just the one show and only handful make it down to Medellin. This was the case with Kiss and Depeche Mode. The same is true for The Killers and Coldplay, soon to play Colombia.
With some 11 million people in Bogota, yeah big shows make sense. But with 3.5 million, is Medellin ready for the Madonnas, the Radioheads, and the Kanye Wests of the world? Well yes and no. On the one hand Medellin’s nightlife scene is awakening after staying dormant during the drug crime of the 90s. In contrast to today where every club and bar, down to the little liquor store, is planning events. Thus the openness to new events combined with Paisas readiness to laugh, drink and be merry, well we’ve got a good thing going.
On the other hand, Medellin is like a really really big pueblo where traditions and customs still dictate behavior, namely over money. What does this have to do with Justin Timberlake coming to Medellin? Paisas are mindful of their largess, and the question of cash often dictates the choice between going out for a show or just drinking a few beers in the park. Sure the “not having money” excuse is universal, but Paisas are consistent with their thriftiness, yet their record for going out to shows is not.
In Los Angeles, New York, and London, there is never a shortage of events to choose from. Yet Medellin has been a one-night, one-event town for a few years now; when there’s one big thing, most people are doing that one big thing. However, this is beginning to change as Medellin develops its sub-cultures and musical niches that don’t compete with each other. We are seeing a greater range of events and artists, alongside an eagerness to invest in nightlife “experiences” beyond a half dozen bottles of beer.
We still have a little ways to go before Medellin is on the A-list for international mega-stars. Yet slowly but surely the scene is growing and organizers are branching out to attract new artists. In the mean time Medellin faces the one-night, one-event challenge, competing for the same market of people. So if Coldplay were to come to town for example, it would help to know about it before going out otherwise it’ll be a bad Saturday night for “Mangos”. Well isn’t that always the case with Mangos though?
Loading ...