SALSA AL PARQUE

— CLIENT

Instituto Distrital de las Artes IDARTES

— ROLE

Art direction, illustration & graphic design.

— DATE

2017

Salsa al Parque is one of the biggest free salsa festivals in Latin America. Organized by Idartes in Bogotá, it brings together local, national, and international orchestras every year. In 2017, it reached its 20th edition, a two-decade milestone celebrated at Parque Metropolitano Simón Bolívar.

Deliverables:

Festival visual identity, official poster, merchandise, stage graphics, transit graphics and editorial materials.

Software:

Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign.

CHALLENGE

Idartes needed an image for the 20th edition of Salsa al Parque, a major milestone for one of Latin America's biggest salsa festivals. The piece had to honor 20 years of festival history without settling for a simple anniversary celebration, and connect Bogotá's salsa tradition to its deeper roots.

RESEARCH & CREATIVE STRATEGY

I looked into the spiritual and cultural origin of salsa, beyond the dancing and the rhythm. Salsa grew out of Afro-Caribbean traditions, with many of its roots tracing back to Santería and the Yoruba religion. Instead of illustrating dance or instruments, I built the image around a spiritual figure: Changó, the Yoruba king associated with rhythm, fire, and power.

INSIGHT & CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT

Salsa isn't just a sound you dance to. It carries deep religious and cultural roots, inherited from the African diaspora in the Caribbean. I designed the festival's official image around the Cuban tradition of Changó (Sango in Yoruba), using visual rhythm and color to evoke his presence as the central figure. The result honored both the festival's anniversary and salsa's spiritual lineage.

IMPACT

The image accompanied an edition that paid tribute to local orchestras with a history in the festival across its 20 years, marking a symbolic milestone for Bogotá's salsa scene under the theme "Making memory, a Colombian abroad."

The lineup included district orchestras, national acts like Canela, La Mambanegra, and Guayacán, and international guests like Adalberto Álvarez y Su Son, Afro-Cuban All Stars, and Tromboranga.

1. Twentieth anniversary

The 2017 edition marked the festival's 20th anniversary, reinforcing its place as one of the biggest free salsa festivals in Latin America.

2. Estimated attendance

Attendance is estimated at around 80,000 to 100,000 people over the two days of the event. This figure is an estimate, since Idartes did not publish an official number for that specific edition.

3. Orchestras with a track record

The lineup brought together orchestras with history in the festival, including Yuri Buenaventura, Guayacán, and La Mambanegra, reinforcing the symbolic weight of the anniversary.

4. National reach

The festival was broadcast nationally through public communication channels, extending its reach beyond Parque Simón Bolívar.