CARTAGENA, Colombia - What more can tourists in the Caribbean expect than sun, sand and sea?
How about sun, sand, sea and some of the best classical music in the world?
If that sounds appealing, consider the International Cartagena Festival of Music, one of the best kept secrets of cultural travel. In its sixth year, the festival features first-class musicians playing well known classical standards alternating with innovative contemporary pieces by Hispanic composers -- all in the surroundings of a beautiful old colonial city. Put that together with consistently sunny weather, friendly people, elegantly renovated concert halls, balconies overflowing with bougainvillea, creative cuisine -- and you have an incomparable tourist experience.
Did we mention safety? Yes, we're in Colombia, the South American country that, according to conventional wisdom, is extremely dangerous because of drug trafficking and leftist guerrilas. Guess what? That was 20 years ago. The U.S. media has not yet caught up to the fact that Colombia has significantly reduced the threats from drug lords in its cities, including Medellin and Cali. Attending festival concerts in Cartagena, we walked back to our hotel around midnight on several occasions through the old walled city. Families with babies in strollers, lovers hoding hands, mimes entertaining passersby, shared the cobblestone streets with us in the soft warm air. There was no sense of danger.
Colombia has a lot going for it. It has agricultural and mining riches that it exports, including coffee, oil, flowers (it's the world's largest provider of flowers to the United States), a fashion industry (Americas Top Model star Nigel Barker was invited to the fashion show connected with the music festival), 500 kinds of fruit (with no "down" season they grow all year), emeralds (reputedly the word's finest); and art (large contemporary sculptures done by artist Sophia Vari, wife of noted fat-lady sculptor Fernando Botero, born in Medellin, decorate the streets of Cartagena).
This is the Caribbean, folks, with everything the islands have and more. if you feel you need a tranquil beach, you can take a one-hour boat ride to the Rosario islands, where greeters at the national park welcome you with a glass of cold mango juice, show you where the shaded beaches are and ask whether you prefer a beach with or without music. Waiters from the local beachfront hotel will serve you lunch under the palms.
Back in town at the music festival, we heard the St. Lawrence Quartet from Stanford University, the incredibly talented New York pianist Anne-Marie McDermott playing the Schumann Piano Concerto Opus 54, the magical playing of Canadian-born vioinist Lara St. John on the wild Cuatro Estaciones Portenas by South American composer Astor Piazzola, and the riveting St. Mark Passion of contemporary Argentinian composer Osvaldo Golijov sung by the Schola Cantorum of Venezuela and directed by Maria Guinand, known for her work training poor chidren to sing in her choruses.
Sandwiched between the indoor concerts during 10 days of music were outdoor offerings of classical, folk and jazz music played in front of the San Pedro Cathedral, attended by hundreds ot ticketed concertgoers and local listeners. In addition, there were concerts at homes for senior citizens, master classes given by the soloists, and morning discussions led by Jonathan Levi of the Los Angeles Times.
On average, there were three concerts a day in Cartagena's beautifully restored opera house and former church chapels -- and they were all well attended for 10 straight days.
Can you imagine the citizens of Boston or Philadelphia supporting that much music?
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