Gus Gus.
Musical worlds combined on the final day at this year’s Festival Estéreo Picnic 2017. The beats of the DJs led revellers late into the night and the traditional sounds of gaitas and tamboras entranced earlier on. Linda Gómez is on the scene.
Despite, the well-trodden mud tracks and the two-day hangovers, the fairy lights still twinkled and the booze continued to flow during the final day of Festival Estéreo Picnic 2017. Three days of standing in a field is not everyone’s cup of tea, but as any true music fan knows, you need a bit of grit to see your favourite bands.
Like festivals such as Glastonbury in the UK, Festival Estéreo Picnic has an implicit element of survival – a marathon to be completed, fraught with the perils of rain, mud and wet feet, but, full of camaraderie and excellent music. Yes, the transmilenio journeys were long, but at the end of the day you were lucky enough to witness the best in international and Colombian music.
Big corporate music festivals are relatively new to Colombia, however as the saying here goes, ‘al que le gusta le sabe’: the person that likes something knows it. It’s a phrase that perfectly captures the spirit needed to enjoy yourself against the elements. The rain poured all day but the crowed roared.
Cero 39.
Colombian rapper, ALI aka MIND had a hard job kicking things off, lyrically waxing to a damp and half empty space. But he gave it his all and won the audience over, leaving a powerful impression.
The procession of talented Colombians continued through the afternoon, rousing many to their feet – especially Totó la Momposina who had the crowd dancing their socks off, albeit stuck in the mud. Cero39 showed that the capital has its very own distinct flavour and can hold its own against the talent from other regions.
Quantic.
The tropical rhythms continued with Quantic and their gaitas and tamboras. And then came Chancha Vía Circuito, joined by special guest Lido Pimienta all the way from Baranquilla, with a special performance of Jardínes.
Next up were of the most anticipated acts of the festival, Wiz Khalifa, who brought with them a large number of followers, from celebrities to groups of friends.
Wiz Kalifa.
The night then split, with very different beats pulsing from the stages. The timely festival conundrum of who to see when the lineup is packed, left audiences pulled between three unmissable bands. DJ Julio Victoria left no doubt that he’s a techno wizard worthy of his reputation as he showed off the skills that have made him popular worldwide. On the Budweiser stage, Icelandic electronic music veterans, GusGus show us they still have what it takes to electrify the crowd, while Deadmau5 took over the main stage with their distinctive trippy beats.
Julio Victoria.
Martin Garrix and Richie Hawtin closed the show on parallel stages, performing against a backdrop of pyrotechnics and exhausted but satisfied revellers. The audience, united by the music and the triumph of surviving against the elements began their pilgrimage home to the comfy beds that awaited them with dreams of next year’s festival. The only question now is who will be in the line up.
