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Vámanos Pa’l Monte

Travel is bad for the environment, but good for culture. Many Indigenous and African Diaspora traditions have been restored as festivals supported by tourism.

New York City creates its own culture such as Latin Jazz, Salsa and Hip-Hop, but much of what we see in New York is only a shadow of the original. It’s like seeing shadows on the wall in Plato’s Allegory of the Cave.

So as Eddie Palmieri says, “Vámanos pa’l monte” (let’s go to the mountains). He’s referring to the mountains of Puerto Rico where the old ways survive and we go to celebrate as family. But the mountains are also where Indigenous and African Diaspora escaped the colonizers and mixed together. So when we say, “Vámanos pa’l monte,” we mean let’s go deeper into our cultural heritage.

Get the Latin World!

To fully appreciate Latin culture, you have to travel. Every Latin country is different and the only way to understand this is to spend quality time in each country with the people.

We have long been losing traditional culture to mass media and more recently to social media. Now we are losing an entire generation of cultural knowledge to the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, many traditions are preserved through tourism, but COVID-19 shutdowns have broken their continuity. Traditions that lack the resources to restart after the pandemic, may be lost forever. Ironically, travel can help preserve our traditions.

When it becomes safe again, these are things to do across the Latin world.

The Year in Travel

There’s always something to do, somewhere in the world.

January Travel

2022

Las Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián (SanSe) in 2020 (© Keith Widyolar/New York Latin Culture Magazine)
Las Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián (SanSe) in 2020 (© Keith Widyolar/New York Latin Culture Magazine)

Vodoun Festival

La Fête de Vodoun was at the Gate of No Return in Ouidah, Benin, West Africa on Mon, Jan 14, 2022.

Puerto Rico SanSe Festival

Las Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastían (San Sebastian Street Festival), Puerto Rico’s main festival, ends Puerto Rico’s Christmas Season on Thu-Sun, Jan 12-15, 2023.

We never made this connection before, but in Puerto Rico “SanSe” is slang for Voodoo. The word derives from the Spanish word for seance, “Sesion.” The SanSe or San Sebastían Street Festival is held at the same time of year as La Fête du Vodoun. And it’s associated with Christmas. We are far more connected than we have been taught. PS: There is nothing bad about Vodoun. It’s a beautiful West African and African Diaspora religion.

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February Travel

2022

This is traditional Carnival time with many options. Things can change, but for 2022 most places that celebrate traditional Carnival are having shows, but no street parties.

Trinidad Carnival

Trinidad Carnival, the mother of Caribbean carnival.

Rio Carnival

[As of Jan 21, 2022] Rio Carnival, the world’s biggest Carnival, is postponed to a start of Thu, Apr 21.

Barranquilla Carnival

One of the great Caribbean Carnivals is cancelled this year.

Ponce Carnaval

Puerto Rico celebrates Carnaval Ponceño.

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March Travel

2022

Carnival Tuesday

Carnival Tuesday (Martes de Carnaval or Mardi Gras) is Tue, Mar 1 this year. Things can change, but most Carnival cities are having shows, but no street parties this year.

Argentine Tango

The CITA Tango festival (Congreso Internacional de Tango Argentino), Argentina’s most important Tango festival after the Tango World Cup and Buenos Aires City Championships, is in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Mar 13-19. fabiansalas.com

Many of Argentina’s best Tango artists teach internationally. They come home for Christmas and stay until the CITA, before going back to work in the world.

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April Travel

2022

Tropical Music

The 25th Tropical Music Festival (Salsa, Timba, Freestyle) starts at the Caribe Hilton, and ends at the Coca-Cola Music Hall in Distrito T-Mobile in Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico, Apr 28 – May 2, 2022. tropicalmusicfestival.com

Rio Carnival

[As of Jan 21, 2022] Rio Carnival, the world’s biggest Carnival, is postponed to a start of Thu, Apr 21.

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May Travel

2022

Cannes Film Festival

The 74th Cannes Film Festival is in Cannes, France, May 17-28, 2022. festival-cannes.com 🇫🇷

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June Travel

2022

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July Travel

2022

Las Fiestas de Santiago Apóstol en Loíza (Keith Widyolar/New York Latin Culture Magazine)
Las Fiestas de Santiago Apóstol en Loíza (Keith Widyolar/New York Latin Culture Magazine)

St James Festival

Las Fiestas de Santiago Apóstol (St James Festival) in Loíza, Puerto Rico is one of the most profound expressions of African Diaspora culture in the United States. July 25 is the feast day, but the community celebrates all month long. It’s also a Bomba music festival. 🇵🇷

Merengue Festival

La Festival de Merengue in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic is the world’s most important Merengue festival. It’s the last week of July and the first week of August.

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August Travel

2022

Afro-Colombian Pacific Culture

The Petronio Alvarez Music Festival (Festival de Música del Pacífico Petronio Álvarez) of Pacific Afro-Colombian music is in Cali, Colombia, Aug 10-15. petronio.cali.gov.co [To be confirmed]

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#AdalLives

Travel (Sasa Kadrijevic/Dreamstime)
Travel (Sasa Kadrijevic/Dreamstime)

This image is a tribute to our late friend, the great Puerto Rican surrealist photographer, one of the important Nuyoricans, Adál Maldonado (1948-2020). 🇵🇷

Since meeting Adál, we haven’t been able to stop laughing. He insisted that he really was kidnapped by aliens. It was his perfect metaphor for being colonized, and he was serious.

Being Puerto Rican, Adál is clever. He is using alien UFO technology to plant the Puerto Rican flag across the universe. If you see the most beautiful flag, it’s a sign that Adál has been there. If you see a UFO, please send them our way. We want to see our friend again.

#AdalLives

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Sponsored by NYC's Leading Brands

Leading brands sponsor New York Latin Culture Magazine including: Jazz at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, New York City Center, Blue Note Entertainment, Live Nation/Ticketmaster and The City's own NYC & Company.

The project is led by Keith Widyolar, a travel writer and marketing communications consultant who builds brands and businesses through public, media and government relations. He was named a “key Hispanic journalist” and “Hispanic travel market influencer” by NYC & Company, New York City’s official branding and tourism agency. He also works with Discover Puerto Rico.

The New York Stock Exchange had the team ring its closing bell for Hispanic Heritage Month. We can work for you too!

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