Monday May 14, 2012
The fourth installment of the Selvámonos music festival is all set for June 30, 2012. The Festival de Música y Artes de la Selva Centra ("Music and Art Festival of the Central Jungle") takes place each year in the city of Oxapampa in the Pasco region of Peru (see map). The three previous festivals have attracted crowds of more than 10,000; this year's event looks set to be the biggest yet.
The Semana Selvámonos (Selvámonos Week) begins on June 23, with free cultural events taking place each day until the main music festival on June 30.
The week begins with a classical music show by the Conservatorio Nacional de Música, providing a rare opportunity to watch opera in the high jungle of Peru (the proposed piece is La rencontre imprévue by German composer Christoph Willibald Gluck, 1714-1787).
Other free events include performances by the Cuatro Tablas theater group, an open-air cinema and a daily art exhibition in the Biblioteca Municipal de Oxapampa.
The main event on June 30 will feature an intriguing mix of musical acts with styles ranging from electronica to reggae. The full line up includes:
- Cumbia All Stars: Peru's very own cumbia super-group
- Los Terapeutas Del Ritmo: a cover band with a unique twist, playing songs by artists such as The Doors, Pink Floyd and Michael Jackson to cumbia, chicha and other Latin rhythms
- Uchpa: rock and blues sung in Quechua
- Laguna Pai: high energy and good vibes with a reggae-rock fusion
- La Nueva Invasión: an explosive fusion of everything from punk to traditional Andean and jungle music
- Los Protones: mixing psychedelia, surf and garage rock
- Caoba: pop rock with a hint of country
- Elegante y la Imperial: Dj Danny Em unleashes an electric mix of dubstep, afrostep, chicha, cumbia, hip-hop, soul and more
- Mr. Zčbre feat. Rebel I: drum and bass and dubstep mixed with live acoustic instruments and the vocals of Mr. Zčbre
- Chakruna: the street rhythms of cumbia, hip-hop, rap, reggae, dancehall, dub and dubstep
- DJ Rastacore: Argentine DJ Alejo González, also known as Rastacore
Getting to the festival is an adventure in itself; the scenic route from Lima to Oxapampa takes eight to ten hours, but the festival is well worth the trip from the capital. For more information (in Spanish), see the Selvámonos website and Facebook page.
More Upcoming Events in Peru:
Photo © Selvámonos
Thursday May 10, 2012
Cute animals dressed in silly clothes are always popular. So what better way to promote guinea pigs than a fashion show?
Well, the guinea pig fashion show in the district of El Tambo, Huancayo, has a unique twist. Participants in this particular beauty pageant, which will take place on May 13 as part of the 12th Sańos Chaupi Tourism Festival, are promoting food. To be precise, guinea pig meat.
The Miss Cuy (Miss Guinea Pig) fashion show will see a number of furry critters strolling down the runway dressed in little hats, jackets and who knows what else. They shall be competing for titles such as Miss Simpatía (Miss Congeniality) and Miss Identidad (Miss Identity).
Somewhat bizarrely, the ultimate aim of this oddball fashion show is the promotion of healthy, tasty and zero cholesterol guinea pig meat. Some of Peru's largest guinea pig farms will be in attendance.
After the cute and fluffy beauty pageant, organizers will be preparing the world's largest guinea pig soup. According to La Republica, the event will attract about seven thousand people, all of whom can watch the guinea pig fashion show before sampling the high protein rodent broth.
All comments more than welcome...
Thursday May 10, 2012
National Geographic's Traveler magazine has included Chachapoyas in its seventh annual "50 Tours of a Lifetime" selection.
Chachapoyas, located in the northern Amazonas region of Peru, is home to attractions such as the fortress of Kuelap, the cliff face sarcophagi of Karajia and Gocta waterfall (considered the third highest in the world, depending on the method of measurement).
The National Geographic entry for Chachapoyas bears the title "Peru: Second Time Around." That's a telling title, as many first time visitors to Peru head south to major attractions such as Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca and Arequipa, overlooking the north coast of Peru and, even more so, the northern interior.
The Chachapoyas area continues to grow in popularity, but remains firmly off the well-trodden Gringo Trail. That's a good thing for adventurous travelers; when I last went to Kuelap, llamas outnumbered tourists within the walls of the ancient site...
Photo © Tony Dunnell (Kuelap Fortress)
Sunday May 6, 2012
According to a report by Peru21 on May 3 (Spanish only), the Peruvian government is considering charging a tourist visa fee to all foreign tourists (excluding, presumably, South Americans).
At present, tourists from 99 countries -- primarily in Africa and Asia -- are charged a tourist visa fee. Tourists from North America, Oceania and most of Europe, however, are exempt from fees and can enter Peru on a free Tarjeta Andina de Migración (TAM) tourist card.
Peru's Ministry of Foreign Affairs estimates that the extended visa fee would generate US$1 million per month. The Ministry also stated that the proposed fee of US$30 would not deter people from coming to Peru.
On May 4, Peru21 reported that Luis Villa, general manager of the National Chamber of Tourism, was against the idea. According to Villa, "There would be no problem if we [Peru] received 23 million tourists as Mexico does, but we have yet to reach three million, so we first need to consolidate." He believes that the visa fee would negatively affect the tourism sector.
Would you be happy to pay a US$30 fee to enter Peru? Share your opinion in the comments section below.
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