A Colombian passenger stops in Baltimore
A tall ship that is used to train Colombian sailors and serves as the country’s floating embassy visited the port of Baltimore last month, making a spectacular entrance to the inner harbor at sunrise on March 15 as dozens of naval cadets stood on the masts.
Baltimore was the first of 10 ports of call for the ARC Gloria, a ship that “has special significance as a national symbol of Colombia and is recognized by the Ministry of Culture as an object of cultural interest at sea,” Ambassador Luis Gilberto Murillo Urrutia told guests at a dinner a cocktail on board the ship the day after it docks.
Colombia’s chargé d’affaires in Washington, Daniel Avila, said the ship symbolized the “intense” and “very strong” relationship between the South American country and the United States. The two countries have had diplomatic relations for 202 years.
Gloria’s visit to Baltimore and the current high seas itinerary are part of the Colombian Navy’s bicentennial celebrations.
There are more than 70 Colombian naval cadets on board, including 13 women. Also on board were personnel from the Colombian army, air force and police, two personnel from the navies of Ecuador and Peru – and the ship’s mascot, Max, a Belgian Malinois.
The ship will spend 100 days at sea, 44 days in European ports and travel 16,000 nautical miles during this voyage before returning to Colombia in August.
She welcomes visitors on board in all of her ports of call, which on her current voyage will include, in alphabetical order: Antwerp, Belgium; Barcelona; Civitavecchia in Italy, sometimes called “the port of Rome”; Kiel in northern Germany; Lisbon; London; Marseille, France; and The Hague in the Netherlands.
In the 55 years since she first set sail, ARC Gloria has traveled more than 900,000 nautical miles, equivalent to circumnavigating the globe 43 times. During stops at some 180 ports in more than 70 countries, it promoted cultural exchange and diplomatic relations. – Karin Zeitvogel
Columbia will take center stage at the New Orleans Jazz Festival
The good times will come to the energetic rhythms and upbeat tunes of Colombian bands in New Orleans for two weekends this spring when Colombia is celebrated as a guest country at the world-renowned New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.
Over 175 Colombian artists will perform at the event, which begins on April 25th and will run for two consecutive weekends, ending on May 5th.
“We are thrilled that Colombia will be the host country for the 2024 Jazz and Heritage Festival, and that we have such extremely talented artists and artisans showcasing the rich diversity of our culture,” Daniel, chargé d’affaires at the Colombian Embassy in D.C. Avila, it said in a statement.
“At the festival, we will celebrate Colombia: the land of beauty and share our passion for music and the vibrancy of our nation with people in New Orleans and across the United States,” he said.
The festival will feature artists such as Niche Group, Stereo Pump, Jacobo Velez and La Mambanegra, Los Cumbia Stars, Kombilesa Mi, Matachindé, Rancho Aparte, Changó Group, Gregorio Uribe, Cimarron and Bagpipe Loop – this is not an exhaustive list.
Local and Afro-Colombian artisans, traditional cuisine and a cultural exchange pavilion, where dialogue and artistic collaboration between Colombia and the United States will be encouraged and promoted, will help complete the experience of visitors to the Festival of Things Colombian.
The festival will also feature non-Colombian acts including Foo Fighters and The Rolling Stones.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://www.nojazzfest.com. – Stella Canino-quinones
