Musical Party Descends on Capital This Weekend

A citywide celebration of music, the three-day Fiesta de la Música, kicks off today on stages throughout the San José metropolitan area.

The festival originated in 1982 in France as the Fête de la Musique. Since then, it has spread throughout the world, with more than 110 countries now participating every June 21 in the free event, according to a statement from French-Costa Rican cultural group Alliance Française, which has been organizing the Costa Rican fiesta since 2000.

This year’s venues are San José’s Central Park, Avenida Central, Liceo Franco-Costarricense, Central Bank Museums, Parque de Francia, El Farolito and Eugene O’Neill Theater; Parque de Moravia in the northeastern suburb; Plaza del Sol in the eastern suburb of Curridabat; and the Centro de la Cultura Cartaginesa in Cartago, east of San José. The free concerts start at 10 a.m. each day.

Participating musicians – all of whom donate their talents for the event – include Merecumbé, Wonder Years, Trauma, the University of Costa School of Music Children’s Band, and Grammy award-winning jazz group Editus, among a legion of others.

For a complete program, visit www.fiestadelamusica.blogspot.com, or call Alliance Française at 2222-2283 for more information.

–Tico Times