The rain was not an impediment. It fell steadily, hard, on the center of Pereira, almost throughout the night of June 13. But despite her, nearly 10,000 people were gathered in the Plaza Cívica Ciudad Victoria around 8:30 p.m., when the three members of Polikarpa y sus Viciosas called Sidssy Uribe, Lucas’s sister, to the PazRock stage. Town.
“Today we are here because in 2021 they wanted to take our future away from us. “They took him away from Lucas and they tore out our hearts,” she said, visibly excited, next to a dummy of her brother and in front of a square that vibrated and screamed with her. “But dignity is an idea, dignity does not die. That’s why Lucas is still here with us, he’s still with the music!he added.
The people, who in addition to Pereira had come from cities such as Armenia, Manizales, Cali and some municipalities in the area, responded excitedly. “Lucas lives!, Lucas lives!, Lucas lives!”, began to be heard throughout the square. And just at that moment, the Polikarpas began to play Women for resistanceone of his emblematic songs.
It was one of the most special episodes of a day in which, once again, music was a language of peace.
Because just as in Bogotá, this second edition of PazRock, the first regional, showed that music has the power to amplify voices, denounce injustices, vindicate the oppressed and unite in the midst of difference. Men and women, people of all ages (from 14 years old), fans of ska, punk or metal enjoyed together a seven-hour download of rock.
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Sidssy Uribe, sister of Lucas Villa, on stage. Lina Rozo.
A celebration that was also a tribute to Lucas, Héctor Fabio Morales, Brian Rojas and all the young people who were murdered for coming out to show their discontent and demand their rights. A call to destigmatize social protest and youth. For this reason, as well as Sidssy – Lucas’s sister – Yolanda Henáo, the mother of Héctor, a young man from Pereira murdered during the social outbreak, appeared on the screens in 2021, in front of the Museum of Modern Art of Pereira. “I want to invite you guys, to live this concert with joy, with strength, filling it with life, filling it with joy, filling it with enjoyment”said.
There was also space for the Association of Mothers of Cartago. Lina María Gómez, Jacqueline Gazo and Diana Marcela Mosquera told of the cases of their children, missing or murdered in that city in Valle del Cauca, one of them last year. In the midst of their pain, death threats and complaints about the lack of action by the State, their message and the dignity to face cruelty and violence resonated deeply with the public and the artists.
Dilson Díaz, the vocalist of La Pestilencia, who had heard them the day before during the rock patch for the culture of peace, and who had been moved almost to tears, said it on stage: “It hurts us a lot that just when we young people are finally taking the reins of our country, they murdered, mutilated, mistreated, prosecuted young people who only came out to say ‘I don’t want this country that they are giving me.’ Colombia, we have to react please“.
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At that time, around 10 at night, the Ciudad Victoria Civic Plaza was still full, even though the rain had not let up. The public had waited for the band, one of the most important rock bands in Colombia, and chanted “Plague! Plague!”while Dilson, Carlos Marín, Isabel Valencia and Marcelo Gómez sang several of their hits, many of which talk about the conflict in the territories, violence, corruption, inequality and human rights.
Just as in Bogotá, La Pestilencia closed PazRock amidst the recognition of a packed square. Happy, full of energy, Dilson said it had been a fantastic night, he praised the people of Pereira, the way they had endured the rain and reminded them that the country only changes with everyone’s action, “your action”.
Like La Pestilencia and Polikarpa y sus Viciosas, the British from New Model Army passed through the PazRock stage, who were coming to Colombia for the first time, the Quindianas from Mysterium Vacui, who gave a show that left metalheads satisfied, and the 1280 Almas, another of those traditional Colombian rock bands, that made many vibrate with hymns like ‘Tu Smile’, ‘Los Planetas’, ‘Marinero’ or ‘El Platanal’.
Special mention deserves those from Cálmese Banda Brava, who opened the concert, starting at 3:30 in the afternoon, dressed in superhero masks, with a ska soundtrack.
“Second PazRock event, second full house”Dilson summarized. In less than two times, completely free of charge and in two different cities in the country, art and music were a culture of peace.
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