No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeArchiveMusicians liven the streets of San José

Musicians liven the streets of San José

It’s not always easy to attend concerts at San José theaters. Some venues are just too far away. Others get expensive when you add taxis or parking to the price of tickets. And many performances don’t start until 8 p.m., which is too late for some people. We can still enjoy good music, though, in the streets and parks of San José and other cities.

On San José’s Central Avenue, musicians perform on a made-up stage in front of the Culture Ministry’s Architecture Conservation building across the street from Lehmann’s. These are not amateurs plucking away, but musicians who want to build their reputations and earn money from the sale of their discs and donations. 

As soon as they start strumming, crowds gather. Some stay awhile, watching and listening.  Others barely pause. Some toss coins into the box or container. Others enjoy the music for free. But the music brings cheer to strollers, shoppers, tourists and even working people rushing to appointments.

The most unusual street concert is that of Edgar Rodríguez and his harp. Rodríguez came here three years ago from Colombia, where he studied music at the Luis Calvo Academy in Bogotá and played professionally. In Costa Rica, he met fellow Colombian Rodolfo Díaz, who plays the guitar, and they teamed up. Their music is light and trill, an unusual but delightful sound almost like bells ringing. They also play hotels, restaurants and private events, and sell their albums.  

Punto a Punto is the name of another group that often plays on the Central Avenue in San José near the Culture Ministry building. Led by Jorge Herrera, the group includes four or five musicians, and not always the same ones. They sing and play guitars and the songs range from tangos and waltzes to traditional folk tunes. Herrera’s father Hector was a musician, too, but Jorge first learned to play the guitar at the Fernando Centeno Guell school for the blind. 

“Many musicians here are no videntes,” says Herrera, indicating several of his blind companions. He also studied at the music conservatory of the University of Costa Rica. He’s been playing professionally since the 1970’s, and with various partners has played in other Central American countries as well as throughout Costa Rica.

Another blind musician who has been playing the keyboard in San José for many years is Johnny Pérez Pérez. He sings and plays a wide selection, and he is well known around town, although he is not much for talking. He prefers to get on with his music.

Peruvian musicians are easy to identify for their colorful ponchos, and the sound of their instruments, which include sets of bamboo pipes called a zampoña which produce a hollow, flute-like sound. Marcos Rosas, the leader of one such group, studied music at the University of San Marcos in Peru. He and his companions set up their concerts in parks and festivals and have albums for sale at reasonable prices.

On Sundays, long-established municipal bands hold free shows in the band shells in many cities at around 10 a.m. San José, Alajuela, Heredia, Cartago are just a few (Cartago’s modern open-air theater lists musical events on its website, www.cartagovirtual.com). Sundays, especially in summer (Nov.-May), are days for musical or theater programs in the parks. So enjoy the music, in the street or in the park. It’s all part of Tiquicia.

Trending Now

Costa Rican Economists Raise Alarm Over U.S. Cash Transfer Tax

In 2026, the U.S. government will impose a 1% tax on cash remittances sent from the United States to Latin America. Electronic transfers will...

Dominical to Quepos: The Costa Rican Road That Took 30 Years to Finish

The original Pan-American Highway heading south from San José once took a dramatic and daunting route. It passed through the old capital of Cartago...

Flying Around Costa Rica is Easier Than Ever Thanks to Sansa Airlines

The airline recently added two new aircraft to its fleet, bringing their total to twelve. That increase allows SANSA to boost service to smaller...

US Visa Cost Increase for Travelers and Workers Under New Law

United States President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill into law on July 4, introducing a new surcharge for most non-immigrant US...

Salvadoran Lawyers Fight for Rights of Trump-Deported Migrants in Secretive Prison

A small group of overstretched and outmatched lawyers is fighting for the rights of men deported by the Trump administration and held in a...

UN Experts Warn of Possible Nicaraguan Government Role in Exile’s Murder in Costa Rica

A team of UN human rights experts said Tuesday that involvement by the Nicaraguan government in the killing of retired major Roberto Samcam cannot...
Avatar
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica