What I Have Been Up To

It's been a busy couple of days so I was not able to post any update because I was up and about a lot having fun. So what was I up to? well, let me see........I will try to keep this update short so I will summarize my activities. We checked out Ferida de Cali on the day that they were having the last parades. This was day 4, the Feria runs for 6 days and the first 4 days are mostly concentrated on parades then the last 2 days there is a free concert on each day where some of the greatest salsa musicians perform.

After checking out the festivities at the Feria, I linked up with my friend Angelica once again and we attended this salsa party that was taking place in downtown. I was happy to get my feet moving on the dance floor and I really enjoyed the music & the ambience of the place where this salsa party was taking place. I also got to check out some really good dancers that made me want to step up my game.

The following day I got to hang out with Angelica's family which was fun, her parents are really cool. We decided to check out the Feria together and listen to some of the salsa bands that were going to be playing. The music of course was top notch and the bands got people on their feet dancing and singing along.

That's it folks! we ended up leaving the Feria at midnight which trust me, was still early but everyone was tired. I know I rushed through this update but your girl needs to get some sleep so I will stop here. 

Fiesta del Pacifico

Today being the 3rd day of Feria de Cali, I had heard that the festivities would be centered around displays of antique cars. I wasn't that enthused to check it out but I was still open to experiencing the event, that is until I got a message from my dear friend Angelica who is back in Cali for the holidays visiting her family. I can always count on her for suggestions on cool events in the city, this time she informed me of an event celebrating the culture of the pacific coast of Colombia which has a heavy African influence, basically a celebration of Afro Colombian culture. I thought it sounded exciting so I decided to meet up with her to check it out, I went with my ex-roommate Fernanda.

The event was being held at one of the plazas in downtown Cali and as soon as we arrived I knew I would enjoy myself. There was a band playing and the music sounded so good! plus the crowd had a cool laid back vibe which I liked.

We got to check out several bands and dance groups which were pretty good.

Beauties from different regions of Colombia came out to strut their stuff and represent.

There were several stands selling some very pretty accessories, clothes and traditional pacific coastal food & drinks.

Had to indulge in some local drinks to cool off, If ever in Cali be sure to try a drink called guarapo made from sugarcane, it's so good especially on a hot day. Thank me later!

Re-united and it feels so good! my dear friend Angelica......with her there is always a good time to be had.

Guess who ended up being on local TV? Angelica is actually the one who pushed me to it, the ladies you see below had approached her for an interview but she insisted they interview me instead because I was a visitor and would give a different perspective. I was so nervous and thought I would fumble my words but it actually wasn't so bad.

That's it folks! we hung out with Angelica and her family enjoying the music while conversing. The event was going to be taking place throughout the night but we all left in the late evening having felt like we had enjoyed ourselves. 

Feria de Cali - Day 2

Today was a bit different than yesterday in that the day was more focused on salsa related merchandise as opposed to yesterday when the focus was on salsa dances from different groups. We arrived at the festivities in the evening after the sun had gone down and the crowd was large but not as unbearable as yesterday. The area where the festivities were taking place was enclosed so not just anyone could get in, entrance was limited to adults only and anyone underage was turned away. My ex-roommate's daughter and her friends could not get in but they were happy to hang around the area talking, listening to music and basically just being teenage kids as they waited for us to be done.

There was a stage where salsa music was playing and people were hanging around listening or dancing, I really liked the compilation of music.

Had to have fun with some props

That's it folks, I am enjoying the festivities so far and having fun re-visiting familiar areas and seeing familiar faces. Best of all, I am enjoying being surrounded by the salsa that I love in the capital city of salsa.

Random Thoughts of The Day:

Because of the heat, most people prefer going out in the evening after sundown. During the day the streets are quiet but come 5 pm everything comes alive.

I really like that in Cali I don't stand out, it's only when I speak that's when people realize I am not a local because of my Spanish accent.

I had forgotten how attractive people are in this city.

Apparently for any salsa musician to attain recognition and success they come to Cali to test their music, if they are well received then their career takes off world wide....or rather in areas where salsa is greatly appreciated. I have been told that Cali is where Mark Anthony and the famous La India launched their salsa careers. 

My ex-roommate has a neighbor who's daughter likes to come over. The kid is so cute and you should see the little cute outfits that the mum dresses her in, OMG! my ovaries can't take it. She randomly walks into the apartment with her toys and starts showing them to you or starts playing with them on the floor, she is too precious! 

It's so weird to see how much the kids I met here 4 years ago have changed. They are now teenagers with girlfriends and boyfriends and are all about one word answers and hanging out with their friends. Sheesh! is this what parents endure once their kids hit adolescence? I miss those little sweet kids, le sigh!

Cali, Colombia

Well, what can I say? after having said that I would never be back in Cali, here I am. The reasons why I never wanted to be back in this city no longer matter because so much has changed between then and now. I am glad to be back and its been fun catching up with my ex-roommate and her family while indulging in all the local delicacies that I had missed, I feel sorry for my waistline but what the hell! you live only once.

In addition to visiting my ex-roommate I am also here to attend Feria de Cali which is an important festival celebrating the city's cultural identity. The fair which takes place between Dec 25 - Dec 30th consists of parades and of course awesome displays of salsa dancers and bands, below are the pictures we took on the first day. I am rushing through this post because I am tired so please bear with me.

That's it folks, I am super tired but so glad to have checked out the fair. We plan on attending everyday as I have been told that each day there is something different going on, I am excited to see what awaits. 

Afro Latinos In South America

Yes there are black people in South America, you may not see them on main stream media or hear too much about them unless they are famous musicians or soccer players, but they do exist. You may have noticed some of the soccer teams from this part of the world having a lot of black players and if you are like me at one point when I knew no better, may have thought "wow! I didn't know Ecuador or Colombia or (insert whatever country in South America) had black people." I will be the first to admit that before I ever stepped into any country in South America, I did not know anything about Afro Latinos or their existence. I knew Brazil had the largest population of black people outside Africa but that was about it.

The first country I ever visited in South America was Peru and this was back in 2012 and you should have seen how surprised I was to see black people in Lima. Black people who were actually Peruvians and not just visiting from other countries, needless to say I learned a lot from that trip and started reading more about Afro Latinos. I wanted to know more about their existence in South America, their experiences and their history.

I came across so much information online and as much as I would like to share that on this blog, I can't. It's just too much and I can't cover it all; besides, anyone interested can simply go online and find whatever information they are interested in. Isn't technology just awesome? use it to educate yourselves! anyway, I decided to briefly focus on Colombia and Ecuador because those are the two countries where I have spent a lot of time in. When I say briefly, trust me it's brief and it doesn't even scratch the surface. There is just so much more.

COLOMBIA

Colombia has the 3rd largest population of black people outside Africa and in South America it comes in 2nd after Brazil. The official population of black people in Colombia is about 26% but according to some sources I have come across online, the population could be between 35%-40%. You also have to put into consideration that there has been a lot of racial mixtures so some people may not identify as black but they do have black roots. Most of the black population in Colombia is concentrated in: Cali, Buenaventura, Cartagena, San Andres and Choco.

When I lived in Cali I felt quite at home since I didn't stand out and easily passed as a local if I kept my mouth shut. There seemed to be such great cultural pride within the Afro Latinos in Cali which was very interesting to see and experience, my only regret is that I didn't visit Choco where I heard you could find communities that still maintained strong African traditions that had been passed on from one generation to the next. One of my friend's from Cali told me that her dream is to open the biggest Afro Latino cultural centre in Cali, she is now studying in the US through a Fulbright scholarship and I hope she will get to realize her dream in the near future.

Note: May is African heritage month in Colombia and in August there is the famous Petronio Alvarez festival which celebrates African heritage through music. Now let's look at some of the high profile Afro Colombians.

Mabel Lara - Colombian TV presenter and journalist who has won various awards within the category of best newscaster.

Photo courtesy of google

Paula Moreno - Colombian engineer and professor who was once the minister of culture. Read more about her accomplishments here.

Photo courtesy of google

Manuel Zapata Olivella - Now deceased but was a Colombian doctor, anthropologist, folklorist and writer. He was considered the most important representative of Afro-Colombian literature, you can look up his books on http://www.amazon.com

Photo courtesy of google

There were many more prominent figures I could have written about but the list was long and overwhelming so I just decided to settle on the three above.

ECUADOR

According to the last official census conducted in 2014, the black population of Ecuador is about 7% I have come across other sources that put the population at 10%. Most of the black population in the country can be found in the northwestern coastal province of Esmeraldas, Valle del Chota (where most of the black Ecuadorian footballers come from) and Guayaquil.

Living in Quito I do see black people but not as many as when I visit the coastal areas of Ecuador. A lot of the black people I come across in Quito or the ones I personally know, either migrated from: The coastal areas of Ecuador, Colombia, Cuba or the Dominican Republic, I have even met several that migrated from Venezuela. In all honesty I would say that as a black person I have felt the most comfortable in the coastal regions where there are more black people, more racial mixture and it's easier to interact with the people who seem more open and have very different attitudes unlike what I have experienced in Quito. I have spoken to people from the coastal regions (both black and non black) who migrated to Quito for better opportunities and one of the common things they mentioned about their experiences living in Quito is that people here are more racist and stuck up. I would have to say based on my personal experiences and what I have observed, I do agree with them. It is what it is.....

Now let's look at some of the prominent black figures in Ecuador

Jaime Hurtado Gonzalez - Was a prominent Ecuadorian politician and activist famous for fighting for the rights of the disfranchised people of color in Ecuador. He was the first black man to run for presidency in Ecuador but unfortunately he was assassinated in 1999.

Photo courtesy of google

Nelson Estupiñan, Bass - Was one of the most prominent Afro-Ecuadorian writers who was highly recognized for his outstanding work expressing the state of black people in Ecuador. He was also a nominee for the Nobel Prize in literature. He died in 2002 from pneumonia.

Photo courtesy of google

Antonio Preciado Bedoya - Considered one of the best poets in Ecuador.

I almost forgot about the photos below of some of the black TV personalities in Ecuador that I had taken.

Talk show presenter

Talk show presenter

Competitor in a sports game show

That's it folks, I hope you can appreciate the little bit of information I have written in this post. There were many prominent figures in sports and entertainment that I could have written about but I didn't want to stick to the stereotype of black figures only being associated with sports or entertainment. I am not in any way discounting any people who have excelled in these fields. I wanted to highlight the black figures who have excelled in other fields as well, people you may not have heard off unless you visited their respective countries and even then, who knows if you may have known off them.