VIÑA FESTIVAL CELEBRATES 50 MAGICAL YEARS IN CHILE

Both Spectators and Performers Delight in Famed Chilean Event

At 9 p.m. on Monday Feb. 23 in Chile’s coastal vacation town Viña del Mar, below modern apartment buildings that jut into the clouds like a miniature Miami, cars crawled towards the center of town at a speed just barely faster than the people walking by.

The normally crowded, old restaurant at Hotel Viña del Mar -was vacant except for a man hired to play karaoke Chilean songs and a bored-looking waitress. It was the first night of the 50th annual Viña del Mar Festival and those who could afford tickets were on their way to the Quinta Vergara amphitheatre, while everyone else was poised to watch the show on television. It is the most anticipated such event in all Latin America.

Just outside the venue, vendors gathered prior to each show selling completos (Chilean hot dogs), churros, foam hands, popcorn, pastels (pastries), concert souvenirs, and just about everything else. Once inside the gates of Quinta Vergara, the atmosphere only became more festive.

Nearly 15,000 fans crowded into the open-air arena every night of the sold-out event. Oscar Meripangui Calderon, a vendor at the stadium for 45 years, smiled when he looked at the crowded grounds, “It makes me happy to see all the people. Before there wasn’t even a stage, everyone just sat up on the hill with blankets. It is without a doubt the greatest festival in all the world.”

Begun with modest trappings in 1949, the event is a unique hybrid: part musical festival, part star-search, and part Academy Awards. After a performance, be it a massive act like reggaeton sensation Daddy Yankee, or a local folk singer, the crowd votes with their cheers (or jeers) to award them with the Torch of Silver, Torch of Gold, or the highest honor - the Silver Seagull. However if the crowd is not pleased, they can express this too, and have on numerous occasions, earning them the nickname “the monster.”

The festival lasts six days and brings some of the hottest international musical acts of today and, often, yesterday. This year brought, among others: Spanish singer Joan Manual Serrat, Colombian singer and guitarist Juanes, KC and the Sunshine band, Daddy Yankee, and Marc Anthony.

Many Chileans tune in to watch the rich and famous who attend the festival, giving it an element of the Oscars. This year, beloved Chilean businessman Leonardo Farkas made headlines when he purchased sandwiches for the entire “monster.” But the real draw is the music.

With so many performances, the artists had to try hard to impress. And despite “the monster’s” reputation, they all succeeded. Some, however, were more memorable than others.

Camila, the Mexican trio, left the crowd – that night exceptionally full of teenage girls —screaming for more of their catchy pop songs that were described as “music to spoon to” by the festival’s announcer, Soledad Onetto.

Juanes stood out in the festival not only for his musicianship, which earned him the Silver Seagull, but for his inspiring words. Known as a peace activist in his native Colombia, Juanes used the space between songs to stress unity across Latin America, calling the barriers that separate countries “ridiculous.” He called on the audience to “raise those flags” as he went into his song Una Bandera (One Flag) - throughout which Colombian, Venezuelan, Chilean and flags of other nations made splashes of color above the heads of the crowd.

“There is a mystery here,” said Juanes in a press conference after his performance. “I can’t explain it.”

In the odd follow-up to Juanes’ politically conscious performance, KC and the Sunshine Band took to the stage to find a boisterous and enthusiastic crowd. After close to two hours of 70’s disco hits and KC maneuvering his aging bulk through jumps and spins, the crowd awarded the white singer of yesteryear with full honors - which set a precedent for the show. Days later, British group Simply Red also impressed the crowd sufficiently to receive top honors. Their fiery-haired front man crooned hits from the nineties while the Chilean audience sang happily along.

Despite its efforts at grandeur, the well-funded festival sometimes seemed projected a dated and unappealing vibe of a one-time prom queen trying to relive her youth. The festival’s band, led since 1971 by Horacio Saveedra, played the flashy theme song –“Todos Arriba, Todos Arr-ii-baaa” at every possible moment, while the performers danced along as a less-than-impressive display of blue, purple, and yellow spotlights darted across the stage.

Not helping things for viewers at home, camera technicians switched angles and shots at dizzying speeds, making Daddy Yankee’s call to “put your cell phones in the air” an almost nauseating segment for some.

The show’s sponsors, Intel, Pepsi, Santa Isabel, among others, were highly visible at all times. Concert attendees watch the same commercials as those viewing at home on a giant screen in the middle of the stage, and workers in cheesy uniforms just outside the amphitheater try to entice you to their booths for Nestea or cigarettes. Generally though, the musicians compensated for all the negatives.

Carlos Santana performed Wednesday and, unlike his Caucasian counterparts, still embodied “cool.” The stylishly dressed musician performed his most famous songs, including “Oye Como Va” and “Smooth,” while casually directing the rest of his band and thrilling audience members, who were playing air-guitar and tapping their feet.

Margarita and Eduardo Barcelas have been coming to the festival since 1970. They said the festival is good for their country because “it allows people to learn about Chile and brings international artists,” like Santana, who they came to see.

With every performance the people swayed giant foam hands, creating the effect of a massive human equalizer display as they synchronized with the music.

The Saturday night finale, an extra-long performance by Puerto Rican American singer Marc Anthony, drove the human EQ to the breaking point. Punctuating his perfect salsa singing with suave dance moves and bursts of emotion, Anthony had the crowd, who usually stuck to their chairs, up and dancing, yet seemed surprised when he was thunderously cheered by the crowd at his feet. As the “King of Salsa” stood silent, eyes holding back tears, the mystery that Juanes spoke of was undeniable.

By Matt Dillinger ( editor@santiagotimes.cl )
**Valparaiso times**