Colombian children travelling to Achill harp festival

THIS October a group of seven young musicians, aged 12–15 years, will make the long journey from their home town of San José del Guaviare in central Colombia to Achill Island to take part in the Achill International Harp Festival (AIHF).

This visit is part of an Intercultural Exchange Programme organised by the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Foreign Ministry works with young children in the most marginalised communities of Colombia. By providing safe spaces that guarantee the positive development of young people through educational, sports and cultural programmes they promote sport and culture as tools to build reconciliation, inclusion, peaceful coexistence and intercultural dialogue among children and adolescents who are often affected by violence.

Since the inaugural year of the Achill International Harp Festival, South American harpers have always been invited to perform and tutor at the festival. The harp is an intrinsic part of South American traditional music, a fact that links our two cultures.

Over the last three years AIHF audiences and students have had the privilege to hear and learn music from Ismael Ladesma (Paraguay), Diego Laverde Rojas (Colombia) and Eduard Jimenez ‘Compasses’ (Venezuela).

This year the five-piece band Tlen Huicani (Mexico) will take part in the festival.

It seems that Achill International Harp Festival’s reputation has spread throughout South America and the festival are delighted to be welcoming this group of young Colombians along with their teacher from the Casa Lúdica de San José del Guaviare.

Over the festival weekend these talented young musicians will take part in harp workshops, learn some sean-nós dance steps, meet children from local schools and delight concert audiences by performing music and dance from their own traditional culture. AIHF, in turn, look forward to sharing with them the rich culture and warm welcome that Achill has to offer.

Achill International Harp Festival takes place from October 25 to 28. Further details of the weekend’s events can be found at www.achillharpfestival.ie. #AchillHarp