Photo by Beatrice Murch

Feista de las Colectividades below the National Monument to the Flag

A sea of flags ripples through Rosario’s Parque Nacional a la Bandera. Set on the shore of the Paraná River, the park pays homage to the Argentine flag in the city of its birth. The blue and white glow emitted by the looming national flag memorial illuminates the scene, providing the backdrop to Rosario’s biggest annual festival: ‘El Encuentro y Fiesta de las Colectividades’.

The festival is a celebration of the diverse customs of the city’s many established immigrant communities. Spread over ten days each spring, locally the event is known simply as ‘las Colectividades’. Despite taking place throughout the country, the festival has become most deep rooted in Rosarian tradition. On 6th November, the city reverberated with an eruption of live music and fireworks, signalling the beginning of the 25th anniversary of las Colectividades, and ten days of art, performance and gastronomy from around the world.

Photo by Ellen Knuti

Brazilian Churrasco.

A Nation of Immigrants

Juan Nyffenegger is one of the key organisers of the festival. He asserts: “Rosario is a city of immigrants. There are people here from all over the world. Not only are we rejoicing in what this has given us, but we are also presenting this rich culture to people from outside.” Indeed, each year the festival attracts thousands of visitors to Santa Fe province, both from Argentina and from around the world. “This is the most important time in Rosario’s tourist calendar, because immigration really is at the heart of our historical appeal.”

Forged by centuries of immigration, the development of Rosario’s voluminous cultural archive is microcosmic of the entire country. The complexion of contemporary Argentina is the direct result of the waves of immigration that have characterised its history. Aside from 16th century Spanish colonisation, Argentina’s most significant influx of settlers arrived from Europe – mainly from Spain and Italy – coinciding with the definitive constitution of the state in 1880.

Argentine rulers intended the country to welcome productive immigration, albeit selectively; and Article 25 of the 1853 Constitution reads: ‘The Federal Government will encourage European immigration, and it will not restrict, limit or burden with any taxes the entrance into Argentine territory for foreigners who come with the goal of working the land, improving the industries and teaching the sciences and the arts.’

Bienvenido a Buenos Aires!

This sense of hospitality was charted in a documented account of one immigrant’s arrival to Argentina. He writes: “We were taken to the Immigrants’ Hotel. It was like an oasis…we started seeing the reality of this promised land…it worked as the link between the tragic and the known that was left behind, and the new and the unknown that was ahead of us…”

Photo by Beatrice Murch

The former comedor is now a museum to its history

Housed in the original ‘Hotel de los Inmigrantes’, Argentina’s Museo Nacional de Inmigración pays tribute to the men and women whose diverse backgrounds shaped the cultures and customs of the country. The hotel opened its doors to Argentina’s new arrivals in 1911, providing free accommodation and health care for their first five days in the country, whilst assisting with finding housing and work. The main museum space is situated in the building’s dining room, which now exhibits photographs, artefacts and original furniture from its time as a hotel.

The museum is tucked away behind the city’s current immigration office. It does not dwell on illegalities or the problematic documentation issues that habitually surround the subject of migration in contemporary society. Rather, it displays in glass cabinets an array of passports from around the world, emphasising the host of nations and cultures that have contributed to the country’s formation. The museum proclaims its dedication “to all the people of the world who sought a place on Argentine land.”

A kaleidoscopic cultural collection

It is clear that Argentina encouraged and valued the waves of immigrants who formed the blueprint of its heritage and who garnished its sumptuous culture. The late 20th and early 21st centuries saw the arrival of economic migrants from Korea, China, Latin America and Eastern Europe. With them, they brought a wealth of new traditions, settling in many of the country’s urban centres.

At the festival, 38 different immigrant communities set up tents, kiosks and stages. They devote their space to selling typical food and drink, exhibiting photographs and local crafts, and showcasing the performing arts of their homelands. The president of the organising committee, Lydia del Grosso, champions the strength of each colectividad. She maintains that “every group is passionate about their heritage. It is this honour and pride which cultivates the identity of Santa Fe, and the essence of the festival.”

Passed down…

Photo by Ellen Knuti

Ernesto, of the Sociedad Polonesa de Rosario, preparing food at the Polish tent

However, although the range of cultural offerings was spectacularly diverse, it was striking that there was little variation in physical appearance amongst the representatives of each community. Ernesto works at the festival as a food vendor on behalf of the Sociedad Polonesa de Rosario. He states: “To be honest, most of the people here have never set foot in the countries of their ancestors. I am of Polish origin, but I am most definitely Argentine.”

As he dampens the flames licking at the keilbasa (Polish sausage) sizzling on his grill, he explains that despite the four or five generations separating many Argentines from their families’ roots, there is nonetheless a strong sense of tradition within each colectividad. “We are celebrating the fact that these songs, dances and recipes have been passed down, and we never lose sight of where they came from.”

…Passed on

Furthermore, as these traditions are perpetuated, they also diffuse through the society in which they are embedded. After performing a typical dance in national dress with the ‘Casa Paraguaya de Rosario’, 12-year-old Franco tells me that not a single member of his family is from Paraguay. He joined the group because some of his friends were members and he wanted to be a part of what they did there. Franco expressed a genuine interest in the customs of the Paraguayan community around him. Jorge Luis Borges identified this curiosity in Argentines, noting how “throughout their history, they explored, appropriated and adapted to the cultures of the immigrants who composed their society”.

Photo by Ellen Knuti

Traditional dance performed by members of la Casa Paraguaya de Rosario

Culture is not an organically unified or traditionally continuous entity, but rather an ever-changing process. Walking through the Parque Nacional a la Bandera, you are not bearing witness to pure, undiluted strains of the customs of each colectividad. Rather, in accordance with the festival’s name, the abundance of food, drink, art and performance should be perceived as a collective: an intricate whole, compiled of a myriad of cultures which have developed and fused over time. You are bearing witness to the multiplicity that conceived Argentina.

El Encuentro y Fiesta de las Colectividades takes place every year in November. It is held in Rosario’s Parque Nacional a la Bandera, Santa Fe province. Entrance is free, and for more information, visit www.encuentrodecolectividades.com

The Museo Nacional de Inmigración is situated on Av. Antártida Argentina 1355, Edificio 6. Entrance is free and you can arrange a guided tour. For more information, contact museodelamigracion@migraciones.gov.ar.

Argentina’s immigrant make-up

Photo by Beatrice Murch

Map of historical immigration

In the first half of the twentieth century, large numbers of Europeans migrated to Argentina. Leaving Spain, Italy, France, Wales, Germany, Russia and Poland, many established homes in a rich and vast land full of possibilities. The Argentine government sought to integrate the country in the European market, and to adopt the manual labour of the European settlers, primarily in the agricultural sector.

European immigration had an impact on the rapid urbanisation of Argentina, as well as the distinct accent of its inhabitants, and their lighter complexions in comparison to the rest of Latin America.

Also notable was the arrival of Jewish immigrants escaping persecution. The total population of Argentina rose from 4 million in 1895 to 7.9 million in 1914, as the country became home to one of the largest Jewish populations in the world.

The last three decades of the century started to bring new immigrants from neighbouring countries like Peru, Bolivia and Paraguay, whose economic conditions pushed their citizens to look for a better lifestyle in the region. Many immigrants also arrived from Korea, Japan and later, the Ukraine.

Today, a good deal of immigration goes undocumented, and the authorities cannot be certain of the exact figures concerning the country’s ethnic make-up. According to official records, the top eight countries of origin of Argentina’s foreign-born population are Paraguay, Bolivia, Chile, Uruguay, Peru, Brazil, Italy and Spain.

Creamfields festival was supposed to happen in ten days time, on 7^th November, in the Buenos Aires Gym and Fencing Club (GEBA). Unfortunately, the Buenos Aires Control Agency had to cancel the event as its “organisers failed to stick to compulsory rules”.

Creamfields organisers were forced to stop unauthorised ticket sales by Buenos Aires officials this afternoon. The festival is a seminal event in terms of electronic music in Argentina.

With an attendance of 70,000 in 2006, Buenos Aires generally hosts the biggest show of the festival in South America. This year’s line-up included worldwide famous DJs like David Guetta, Richie Hawtin and 2 Many DJs. This year was to be the ninth edition of the festival.

Advertised primarily by word-of-mouth, the tickets to Creamfields went on sale a couple of weeks ago for the price of $170. The events website has not been updated recently, and the organisers have yet to comment on any refund plan. The local press does not give any information for tickets holders either.

Creamfields started in Liverpool, England, eleven years ago. The event only moved to Buenos Aires in 2001. The initiative was criticised at first due to the economic situation of Argentina in those times. Last year, the one night festival gathered more than 80 artists in front of a crowd of 50,000 people.

Colombia has acted quickly to dispel any fears that its inhabitants have about eating pork. Sales of pig meat have fallen in the wake of the panic over swine flu, but minister of agriculture and mining, Manuel Antonio Macías Arango, has reassured Colombians that they have nothing to worry about.

“Pork doesn’t produce, nor transmit the virus. It happens when people and animals are in direct contact, not through consumption.”

Today the first of a series of festivals is planned in Tunja, 90 miles from Bogotá, the capital, where pig farmers will provide meals for free, with lechona (pork stuffed with rice) being the speciality.

Mayor of the city, Arturo Montejo, outlined the key role that pork plays in many agricultural communities. “It’s an important industry for the town, and has been for many years. Obviously people will take some precautions in light of the worldwide panic over swine flu, but everyone should just enjoy this marvellous food.”

The government campaign, ‘Take a little pig to your heart’, has planned festivals that will run until the 29th June and maybe further. The aim is to help out pig farmers by making people trust in pork again, so that producers don’t make any more losses due to paranoid customers.

The region of Huila has strongly taken to the scheme. The first of its events will be on the 29th May, where people can eat “the best pork there is” for free, whilst at the same time health groups will give speeches and dsitribute information packs on how to protect against swine flu.

Photo courtesy of The Chemical Brothers

They are the hottest property in dance music. And ahead of their incredible show at Creamfields ’07 they spoke exclusively with The Argentina Independent.

With six studio albums under their belt, two Grammy awards and nine million records sold worldwide, you could be forgiven for thinking that after 20 years on the scene, it’s time for The Chemical Brothers to get out the pipe and slippers. But not just yet.

After releasing their new album ‘We Are The Night’ to international critical acclaim, the Brothers wowed porteños at Creamfields earlier this month with their best live appearance in Buenos Aires to date, blending a danceable greatest hits set with an incredible light show and a spectacular finale.

I caught up with Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons before the festival. This was their third show in the city – the first being in 1999 at a small club in San Telmo, and only five years later they played to a crowd of 12,000 at Pacha. Obviously excited about the gig, Rowlands began by gushing “Buenos Aires crowds are great – crazy yet cultured.”

The Hermanos Quimicos met while at college in Manchester in 1989 at a time when the city was the centre stage of the most exciting British music scene in living memory. Coinciding with the birth of acid house and early rave music, artists such as The Happy Mondays and The Stone Roses began fusing together indie rock and dance music for the first time in a style that came to be known as ‘Madchester’. Tom and Ed found inspiration while dancing at the legendary Hacienda club; a musically progressive venue owned by the band New Order during the revolutionary era often referred to as the ‘second summer of love’.

Their first DJ residency in 1992 was at ‘Naked Under Leather’, a club as depraved as its name suggests. Originally called ‘The 237 Turbo Nutters’, they earned a reputation as party-starters with their innovative style – mixing hip hop, rock and house. They later renamed themselves the Dust Brothers after the US producers of The Beastie Boys’ Pauls Boutique, until they were threatened with legal action and finally became known as The Chemical Brothers.

Photo courtesy of The Chemical Brothers

Signed to Virgin in 1995, they released their still-fresh first studio album ‘Exit Planet Dust’ that same year. Since then, they have become the godfathers of dance music: likeable, accessible and often giving exposure to lesser known yet talented artists while winning legions of fans from hip hop, indie and other dance music circles.

Reflecting on their long career, Rowlands explains: “The high points have been making albums that I still like, headlining Glastonbury [festival in England], and playing the Hacienda. As for lows, there hasn’t been anything too bad…yet.”

I then reminded him of the last time they played in Buenos Aires to which he responded, “ah yes, that was a disaster – a freak storm hit the concert and we couldn’t continue – and so the Creamfields show will be a chance to come back and finish what we started!”

They used to be notoriously inseparable, but now Tom is married with children and living in the English countryside, while Ed is reportedly giving Lily Allen something to ‘smile’ about. Both have admitted that they rarely go clubbing these days, so I asked them if it was hard to keep up with a scene which they had grown out of, in terms of crowd participation at least: “I think we manage to keep relevant by enjoying what we do, still putting in the hours necessary in the studio to come up with interesting things and luckily still wanting to make music that people actually want to listen to… We experience crowds, music, and clubs every time we do a gig, which is about four times a week at the moment, so our ears are open to everything we hear.” So despite the changes in lifestyles, their fingers still seem to be firmly on the button when it comes to filling dancefloors, creating chart-topping singles, and playing legendary live sets.

But surely it must be easier to come up with exciting new material working with every synth they ever wanted to get their hands on? They beg to differ, commenting that ‘however many instruments or studio equipment you have, an idea is still as difficult to come by – having an expensive word processor doesn’t make writing a novel any easier’. Ed insists that for a band that has produced six or seven albums, it takes a lot of convincing that the new one will be as good or better than their previous work.

Photo courtesy of The Chemical Brothers

‘We are the night’ has an impressive list of featured artists but that doesn’t distract from the fact that this is one of the most coherently diverse albums to date. Fatlip, famed as the charismatic rapper from the hip-hop group Pharcyde, features on the wonderfully bizarre single The Salmon Dance. And the brothers even feature Bill Bassett on the title track, a Canadian beat poet from the late ’60s. The album also features young up-and-comings like the Klaxons, Ali Love, and Texan rockers Midlake on the final track ‘The pills won’t help you now’, which, contrary to its title, is similar to the downbeat mood of LCD Soundsystem’s latest closing track ‘New York I love you’.

Having worked with men-and-women-of-the-moment throughout their career, they reveal their all time wish list to include: “Jack White and Jimi Hendrix – although we couldn’t sample Jimi, as that would be boring – we need him in the flesh!”

On this note, and perhaps while considering how best to set up an Ouija board in their hotel room to talk to Mr. Hendrix in person, the Brothers’ parting comments about their future are ‘onwards and upwards’, insisting they are still bursting with ideas.

I get the feeling that they are not planning on hanging up the headphones any time soon, nor should they.