The Zona Norte breaks down cultural barriers creating inclusive space for learning and entertainment

Translated by Brian Schwarz

Originally published Friday, December 11, 2009 in "El Colombiano" (elcolombiano.com) under the heading Zona Norte que derriba muros by Óscar Darío Montoya Gómez

MEDELLIN, COLOMBIA - There is a place in Medellín without walls, a place that is open to everyone, is synonymous with social inclusion, and that has transformed into the premier place in the city for learning and entertainment.

Kicking off tonight with a free concert, this modern, safe and relaxed area where tourists and the general public alike can come to enjoy themselves will from now on be known as the Zona Norte.

The area is a cultural district that is home to nine educational and cultural institutions that plan to work more cohesively in an effort to look out for each other’s interests and to attract more visitors. This is according to a press release from the nine institutions, which are the Botanical Garden, Explora Park, the Pedro Nel Gómez House Museum, the Moravia Center for Cultural Development, North Park, The Medellín Planetarium, Atioquia University, and the Cemetery of San Pedro Museum, and the Park of Deseos.

“We are going to work together to be able to provide better service and bring people together”, said Botanical Garden Director Pilar Velilla, who mentioned the possibility of offering in the future a single book of vouchers that would be used by the public for admission to the various institutions.

“This union is more than a geographic; it seeks to impact the civic culture in science, technology and art”, said Martiniano Jaime Contreras, general vice-rector of the University of Antioquia.

A concert without walls

The Zona Norte will launch with a free concert at 6:30 p.m. today at the Paseo Urbano Carabobo Norte (in front of Explora Park). Participating in the concert are the German group Mil Santos, the local band Parlantes, and young people from the neighborhood.

It will be the first time Mil Santos will perform in the city. The Berlin-based group is funded by Mauricio Alvarez from Cali – who goes by the name Mil Santos – and is comprised of two Cubans, two Germans, a Uruguayan and a Dominican. The group performs a fusion of rap, hip hop, Latin jazz, Cuban son and salsa.

“We don’t come in the name of a country but of a language: music”, Mil Santos said, who recalls that the Berlin Wall fell 20 years ago (November 9). “Today we have to tear down the mental walls that exclude minorities”, he said. And tearing down walls