Allá Cosquín; A look at Latin America's Largest (Folk) Festival

Live music is something that has played a significant role in my life, as a vehicle and venue for forming and maintaining friendships, entertainment, and escape into other cultures and societies. While many of the concerts I have been to seem to have their own communities, none compare to those of the multi-day camping festivals that have become increasingly prevalent this decade.

I set out to find parallels in Latin American live music, with a focus on the particularly vibrant Argentinean music scene. I found numerous “festivals” in Buenos Aires that seemed to be more concert series than anything else. However, one event, a folk festival almost one thousand miles from Buenos Aires, offered a very strong sense of community, and a great deal of dedication and enthusiasm. Despite its prominence in Latin America, and especially Argentina, there is not a great deal of English scholarly work on Cosquín, nor is there much scholarly work on modern music festivals. While this made researching challenging, I enjoyed the fact that my interest in Cosquín might yield somewhat unique conclusions.

Cosquín






In 1961 residents of the Argentinean city of Cosquín, about a thousand miles from Buenos Aires, organized a festival celebrating national folklore in an attempt to reinvigorate local tourism. It took place over nine days in January, during the Argentine summer vacation season. Instant success led the Fetival Nacional del Folklore Cosquín to become an annual event and one of Latin America’s largest cultural celebrations. The festival still takes place over nine days, referred to as the nine moons of Cosquín.

Cosquín’s size and history set it apart from the majority of other Argentinean music festivals, but its attendee experience is also quite different. Most notable are the peñas- impromptu street performances- that are a constant presence throughout the streets of Cosquín. These take place during the day, as visitors walk through the exhibitions lining the streets, at night during the featured concerts, and late at night, after the featured concerts.

The performances are one of the most important features of the festival. Relatively unknown artists, as well as some artists who come off of the main stage, find an audience in the hundreds of thousands of fans that make their way through the streets of Cosquin each year. This video, featuring the less-known Leandro Romero , shows an enthusiastic and diverse crowd. (Diversity refers to age and gender diversity in this context. Argentina is one of the countries in South America with the smallest black populations.) Because of Romero’s status as a relative unknown artist, that so many are singing along leads the viewer to believe that he is performing a traditional song, and to very positive reactions from his audience.

As outside influences begin to settle in and cultural miscegenation proliferates, Cosquín has become a sort of litmus test for folk arts, and especially music. A 2008 Rolling Stone article reviewed a performance by Divididos, a popular Argentine rock band, at Cosquín. The band recognizes strong folk influences, and opened their performance at Cosquin with an acoustic set consisting of traditional folk songs. They then played a late-night electric set. At the end of it, wearing the traditional white ponchos of Cosquín, the band’s leader said “Cosquin, thank you for accepting us as we are.” (Rolling Stone)

Beyond the musical, Cosquín becomes a hub of all things endemic to Argentina. Jones describes a scene in which all of Argentina’s best artisans come to sell their works, as well as to educate both countrymen and visitors. Musical instruments, mate cups (designed for drinking the traditional Argentine tea), and other crafts are displayed and sold in a church square. The market is the National Fair of Handicrafts and Popular Art. Even beef, the country’s culinary specialty, makes a showing at massive barbacoas, back stage. (Jones)

Whereas the majority of all festivals held in Argentina seemed to be based in Buenos Aires, Cosquín located 1000 miles away. This distance may have actually played a significant role in maintaining the identity of Cosquín. Argentina’s chief musicial export is the tango, widely performed over the twentieth century (and recently revived) throughout the world. In the mid-1900’s, the blend of Peronism and conservatism, generally did not favor the tango, which was seen as vulgar and subversive. Though Peron seems to have, at different times, favored and persecuted the tango, he was ousted in the 1950’s, and the new government saw the tango, which peron had then aligned himself with, as being as bad as Peron himself. Initial years of Cosquín, those shortly after the coup, did not feature the tango very heavily. Subsequently, in 1963, a presidential decree established the third week in January the National Week of Folklore. (aquicosquin.org) Of course, over time tango became less vilified and rose to a more accurate degree of representation in the festival. (Denniston)


Cosquín features several symbols and themes with explicit ties to Argentine and Indian folklore. These serve to solidify the strong sense of representing and promoting the country’s proprietary culture. Many have distinctly anti-Spanish roots, and serve as a reminder of Argentina’s colonial past (Spanish rule ended in the early nineteenth century.)

The festival grounds feature a stage built in 2001, with seating for about 10,000 and two stages that revolve, speeding up time between acts. The stage is named for Atahualpa Yapanqui (Héctor Roberto Chavero Aramburo), perhaps Argentina’s most prominent and influential folk musician. (Jones) Aramburo’s adopted name comes from those of two Incan kings, and makes clear his populist standing (he was a communist for about 20 years, and his popularity and radio play increased greatly only when he ended his affiliation.) (Tiempos)






Every year a trophy is awarded to those who have made significant contributions to folklore. It is named for a folk hero, Casique Camin. Camin is said to have killed a Spaniard who was after his wife and died at the hands of the slain man’s compañeros. The story takes place in the immediate vicinity of the festival.

The festival has its own rallying cry, of sorts, as well as a theme or fight song. Each evening of the festival begins with a performance and interpretation of the “Himno”, followed by the cheer “Aquí Cosquín. Capital de Folklore”, with the last syllable of each of the first two words substantially elongated. Even outside of the festival, it is used as a sort of identifier. Many YouTube (as well as blog) commenters used the phrase to demonstrate that they were Cosquín attendees and fans. The “himno” performances can be seen in the following videos. They are incredibly elaborate and rich with symbolism- flags, livestock, soccer, dress of all varieties. The musical arrangements (as well as choreography) seem to mix modern musics- electric guitars and electronic sounds- with the traditional.

See also this video for another performance of the himno.

In spite of these numerous anti-colonial symbols, there are strong public and private efforts to encourage tourists to come to the festival. In fact, the majority of English-language internet search returns were tourism pages, this despite the general Latin-American sentiment (egged on by Hugo Chavez’s calls for a “second independence”) (Economist, 2009) that the United States are a colonialist threat. This demonstrates a certain confidence in the integrity of the culture.

Clearly, Cosquín is a very special experience for attendees and performers alike. Responding to the earlier posted Cosquin trailer, one Youtube commenter wrote: “It gives me good bumps… when [the main plaza] is empty you can feel the applause… it’s my dream and that of every artist to rise to that stage.” (Youtube) By elevating folk music to such a prominent stage, aspiring musicians are given even concrete motivation to pursue their music. Furthermore, in the days leading up to the official festival, Cosquin hosts “Pre-Cosquin” a showcase of rising and regional talent from throughout the country. These artists are selected at official auditions held throughout the country in the three months before the festival.

The Cosquín National Folklore Festival is an amazing microcosm of Argentine culture, aggregating and synthesizing hundreds of years and millions of people into a rich sampling of all that tradition Argentina chooses to present. Frey (1994) indirectly points out that music festivals encourage independent artistic expression because there are so few explicit expectations, and so many other acts serving as infrastructure- supporting each other. Cosquín’s massive collection of Argentinean folklore allows artists to explore their own culture with and in front of their peers. In doing so, it stokes the people’s nationalist sentiments, and gives Argentines both a symbol, something they can be proud of, and an anchor, which they can look to as their country and culture interacts with the rest of the world. It also gives would-be folk artists a stage to aspire to, and a sense of purpose and acceptance, in their pursuit of a personal interpretation of traditional Argentine folk culture.

See also:
www.aquicosquin.org
Has an amazing collection of information, pictures, etc. Go to Gallería for pictures, posters, videos, and the like.

A couple Buenos Aires Festivals: Pepsi Fest and PersonalFest. Both are corporate sponsored and pop-music focused, bringing bands from around the world.

Cosquin Rock is Cosquin's rebellious nephew. It features rock bands of all kinds, and a very different crowd and culture.

Works Cited:
"Bolívar's continent." Economist, 13 Nov. 2009. Web. 14 Nov. 2009. .
"Cosquin 2009 Trailer." Cosquin 2009 Trailer. Youtube, 5 Jan. 2009. Web. 20 Oct. 2009. .
Denniston, Christine. "The Dark Age of Tango." The History of Tango - 150 years of Tango Dance and Music History. History-of-Tango.com, 2003. Web. 14 Nov. 2009. .
(I recognize that this is merely a website, however, I researched Denniston and she is the world's most prominent tango scholar.)
"Divididos, la aplanadora del folk." Rolling Stone, 22 Jan. 2008. Web. 12 Nov. 2009. .
"El Payador Perseguido." Tiempos 30 Jan. 2005: 4-5. Print.
Florine, Jane. "EL FESTIVAL NACIONAL DE FOLKLORE Y LA BÚSQUEDA DE IDENTIDAD NACIONAL ARGENTINA." Anais do V Congresso Latinoamericano da Associação Internacional para o Estudo da Música Popular: 1-7. Print.
Frey, Bruno S. "The Economics of Music Festivals." Journal off Cultural Economics 18.1 (1994): 29-39. Print.
Jones, Dennis. "Aquiii Cosquiiin." Americas 2009: 60-63. Print.
"National Festival of Folklore." 2009. Web. 20 Oct. 2009. .

Frey: Economics of Music Festivals

After struggling with ILL, this article came through.

Frey’s article attempts to identify why music festivals (particularly opera- and classical-focused festivals) are so prominent in Europe. He identifies a couple less significant reasons, which are the most relevant to my paper of those he discussed. Firstly, for attendees, there are advantages in economies of scope, and transaction costs. Patrons often go to these festivals as part of a vacation, which is often booked by a travel agent. Thus, they can simplify the ticket buying process (by having an agent handle it) and get both culture and a vacation. The crux of Frey’s argument is economic, and specific to the labor climate in Europe. Festivals liberate promoters from the strict laws that dictate payment, hiring and firing, and the like of laborers, artists, and employees. Those stakeholders also benefit by picking up extra work. The only other interesting point Frey made was that government subsidies often lead to deficits, because they tend to remove incentives for revenue maximization.

Comments Response

Christie, I'm glad that you pointed towards Yoni's comments about politics. I'm going to go back and relisten to the interview, and likely follow up with him, about his point about politicization of such events in Argentina. This will be useful in looking at Cosquin, which has such a strong meaning for national identity. I've not yet found much evidence of explicit politicization, though I think the subtleties will be the most important part.

I think I have a reasonable sense of what Argentinean festivals aside from Cosquin look like, and I've been really amazed by all the different varieties of festivals there are- both in Argentina, and as I try to compare Argentinean festivals to those in America. I don't know that American cities have for profit concert series on the scale of those in Buenos Aires. I think that that this question is as much a business and economics discussion as an ethnomusicology discussion, though. Cosquin drew me in because I don't think that any event means as much to American culture as Cosquin seems to mean to Argentinean folk culture (though I can't help but draw some comparisons to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival).

Kiri, my final, if unpublished, field notes analysis will be one of comments on youtube videos. I neglected to include them on my most recent post, but I do think they'll be quite helpful, where available.

On that note, I've been underwhelmed by the English-language body of information on Cosquin. Considering both America's particular interest in Argentina (relative to many other South and Central American countries) and Cosquin's importance to Argentinean heritage, I would have thought there would be considerably more scholarly work.

Critical Reviews

I'm still waiting on one article from the ILL, and am translating several article from Spanish. This is where I am now.

Aquiii Cosquiiin
This article published in Americas, is a sort of transect of the Cosquin music festival, with some history mixed in. Some new revelations were the sort of “scouting” of new folk music talent. Those discovered compete in pre-Cosquin, for slots on the main bill. The author also described many of the cultural offerings of the festival- handmade instruments, mate mugs, and the like being sold throughout; massive barbecue pits filled with beef, spontaneous dancing, peñas musical gatherings), etc. Ultimately, this is proof that Cosquin, for those nine days, is Argentina in one town- every aspect of the culture is present and celebrated.
(I’ll also cite the article for some of the facts and figures it included when I write a bit about the history of Cosquin.)
Source: ¡AQUÍÍÍ, COSQUÍÍJN!
Text and photographs by Dennis Jones
Published in Americas

This article, which I attempted to read in Spanish, talks especially about some of the symbolism at Cosquin. It starts by saying that symbols like these are often resurrected as pieces of nostalgia, after falling victim to industrialization and the associated loss of culture. One symbol mentioned is a trophy given to those who’ve made significant contributions to folklore. The story behind the statues model has a strong anti-Spanish bent. Other symbols include the white ponchos seen on stage and in the official logo, and a song sung before each night. The song and associated performance includes many cultural symbols, and is followed by a cheer: “Here, Cosquin, the Capital of Folklore.” The “himno” is religious, but the author references others who say that tourism is like a secular pilgrimage, and that you can’t have (religious) pilgrimages without music. Above all, the music, the symbols, and the festival itself is a means of continuing the people’s relationship with their culture.
El Festival Nacional de Folklore y La Busqueda de Identidad Nacional Argentina
Jane Florine
Anais do V Congresso Latinoamericano da Associacao Internacional para o Estudo da Musica Popular

I tried reading through a number of Rolling Stone articles about Cosquin, thinking that I could compile some conclusions, most likely from passing comments. One article talked about a rock-type band, Divididos, playing at Cosquin. The band themselves are very open about their folk influences, and opened their performance at Cosquin with an acoustic set consisting of traditional folk songs. They then played a late-night electric set. At the end of it, wearing the traiditional ponchos, they said “Cosquin, thank you for accepting us as we are.” Bob Dylan connections aside, I’d like to look at the history of pop and electric acts playing at Cosquin as time permits. Obviously the Argentinean music and culture are evolving, and how Cosquin as a symbol of Argentina is going to have to begin reflecting this as well.

Source: Rolling Stone: http://www.rollingstone.com.ar/nota.asp?nota_id=980918

This is actually going to be a compilation of a couple different sources. References to Atahualpa Yupanqui were generally passing, and mostly in Spanish.

Atahualpa Yupanqui was “profoundly influential” in his playing and writing, and rode the folk boom of the 1960’s (which, among others, was supported by a government mandate that at least half of all music played on the radio be Argentinean.) He was a communist and was imprisoned by Peron. TheAnnotated Bibliography, though, says he was distant and enigmatic, which seems very contrary to the feeling I’ve gotten from the festival.
Source: Annotated Bibliography of Latin-American Popular Music with Particular Reference to Chile and to nueva cancion Author(s): Jan Fairley Source: Popular Music, Vol. 5, Continuity and Change (1985), pp. 305-356 Published by: Cambridge University Press Stable

I’d like to round this out with some articles that I’m working on translating from Spanish. Unfortunately, that is going a lot slower than I thought, and has eaten up most of my time.