I have to admit that the Smithsonian Festival left me deeply touched and amazed. Early in the last century, the producers of human exhibits were not trying to showcase cultural diversity, but rather to demonstrate that the West was best and that it was desirable that all the world’s cultures become like the West at some point. Today, these displays or exhibits of humans doing what they know in controlled settings reflect the curiosity we feel towards others and evoke our amazement of their ways of thinking and being. They also alert us to the need of preserving and continuing with our cultural traditions. Colombia: The Nature of Culture was an unbelievable display of knowledge and pride and an excellent means for teaching others about our own cultural traditions. In this sense, for me, being part of the presenters team was a huge challenge because transmitting that knowledge, in another language, was not easy. Nevertheless, that exchange strengthens the customs and makes them, as culture, something dynamic that is always under construction. It was a wonderful experience!

During the reception held at the home of the Colombian ambassador, Gabriel Silva. From left to right: Hermes Romero, leather hammock maker and member of Grupo Cabrestero; Carolina Santamaría, presenter and interpreter; Víctor Espinel, singer of ranching songs and member of Grupo Cabrestero; Jimena Perry, presenter and interpreter; and Silvia Margarita Serrano, presenter and interpreter. One day, Hermes told me that a good plainsman should be able to perform various activities (make hammocks, drive cattle, cook, sing ranching songs, among others) and not rely solely on one. As a good plainsman, Hermes is familiar with several of these; in addition, his voice and inventiveness in improvising couplets reflects his knowledge and deep and relationship with his environment. During the Festival, Víctor Espinel’s mother died, an event that caused him much sadness, but despite what one might expect, Víctor went ahead with his performances as part of Grupo Cabrestero to share his knowledge with the public at the Festival. In spite of his sorrow, he kept going and became a great example of vivacity and tenacity to those of us who had the fortune of knowing him. A great example, a great man, and a great plainsman Photo by Jimena Perry

During the reception held at the house of the Colombian ambassador, Gabriel Silva. From left to right: Silvia Margarita Serrano, presenter and interpreter; Giovanni Suárez, member of El Pueblo Canta; Juan Cesar Bonilla, tagua artisan; Álvaro Suesca, founder and director of El Pueblo Canta; Danny Suesca, member of El Pueblo Canta; Laura Alba, dancer, she has accompanied El Pueblo Canta for ten years; Eduardo Vega, member of El Pueblo Canta. Front row from left to right: Jimena Perry, presenter and interpreter; and Carolina Santamaría, presenter and interpreter. Pictured here are various participants from the Department of Boyacá in the Andean Highlands of Colombia. At this reception all of us had the opportunity to get to know each other better; enjoy music groups that we had not had a chance to see; to dance; and to feel ourselves part of a larger project intended to present the good things from Colombia.

Photo by Jimena Perry

Areli Hernández, esparto basket weaver. She lives in Ráquira, Boyacá. Areli is a talented weaver, she can work on a piece without looking, and she is capable of talking to someone and weaving simultaneously. One of the things that most impressed me about her is that she always had a huge smile to share with everyone and she was glad that people appreciated her work. Her children are learning how to weave with esparto and she hopes that the tradition will not be lost.

Photo by Jimena Perry

From left to right: Ana Dolores Russi, “Lolita,” wool weaver, loom, needles, and Dora Flor Alba, junco and enea basket weaver. Lolita lives in Sutamarchán, Boyacá, and her work is well known throughout the region. During the Festival, her loom caused a great sensation, and when she demonstrated its use, the public would gather around her in large numbers while she patiently and generously explained again and again how she did her work. It made her especially happy when children showed interest. Dora Flor demonstrated her great ability to work and her mastery by making some spectacular junco baskets. The public was astonished when she told them how she would harvest her materials and when they saw the dexterity of her hands. Dora lives by the Fúquene lagoon in the Department of Cundinamarca where she owns a small stand from which she sells her pieces.

Photo by Jimena Perry

María Florinda Coy, fique weaver and cook, at the National Museum of Natural History. Florinda, like all of the participants from Boyacá, was very happy and proud to represent her Department in Washington. The public showed a great interest in all of the dishes she prepared, and it thrilled her whenever someone congratulated her. Her generosity was endless.

Photo by Jimena Perry

Guillermo Bautista never needed to do something spectacular in order to attract the public. Whenever he started up his pottery wheel, his stall would get so full that at times it was impossible to get close to him. In truth it was surprising to see how a perfect shape could be molded from an amorphous piece of clay. His hands appeared to effortlessly mold the clay. One time I tried it and the results were far from Guillermo’s beautiful pieces.

Photo by Jimena Perry

Rosa Jeréz shared with me that the success of her work was the good energy that her clay figurines gave off. She told me that one time a friend of hers asked her for a San Antonio figurine (the saint that women pray to in order to find a husband) because she had not been able to get married, and this one was so effective that in a month the friend was engaged to a Spaniard. I think it is true because talking with Rosa and being around her was a very pleasant experience.

Photo by Jimena Perry

El Pueblo Canta in the Tienda Chiquinquireña. From left to right: Edison Suesca, Giovanni Suárez, Álvaro Suesca, and Danny Suesca. In addition to singing, the members of El Pueblo Canta showcased a variety of skills by playing el trompo (spinning tops), la coca and la rana, traditional games from the Department of Boyacá that they had played since they were kids. It was fun to see them bet on whose top was the fastest and to see the visitors who tried to play as well.

Photo by Jimena Perry

From left to right: Ofelia Marín and Ana de Jesús Marín, basket weavers from the Coffee Triangle of Colombia. One of the raw materials these weavers use is a vine called tripaperro, which they utilize to make different types of baskets, which are named according to their function: semillero or sembrador for carrying seeds; cogedor or recolector, which is tied around the waist and is used to pick the coffee berry directly from the plant; lavador, for the washing of the coffee bean; remesero or cerecero, used to carry the husk of the coffee.

Photo by Jimena Perry

From left to right: Eduardo Vega, tiple player from El Pueblo Canta and Carlos Rivera, saddle maker from the Southeastern Plains. I like this photo a lot because it is a small example of the cultural exchange that was shared amongst the participants. Everyone showed a great interest in getting to know the customs of the others and finding the differences and similarities from their own. Various friendships emerged from this experience.

Photo by Jimena Perry

Leonor Palacio, damagua and cabecinegro artesan from the Colombian Pacific Tropical Rainforest. In the Department of Chocó, the damagua tree and the cabecinegro palm are plants from which locals harvest fibers, similar to snippets of cloth, from bark and trunks in order to make various crafts. Leonor makes hats, flowers, bags, placemats, lamp shades, wallets, shoes, tableaus, and animal figurines, among other things. In the last few years, this fiber has become a viable option for many Chocoana women who, from within a cooperative, can work and promote the fiber’s use as a source of employment and income.

Photo by Jimena Perry

Baudilio Guama, instrument maker from the Colombian Pacific tropical rainforest. Baudilio is a well known marimba maker. He makes them from the wood of the chonta palm, which is hard, dark, and very durable. Baudilio sells his instruments to music groups from all over the region.

Photo by Jimena Perry

Migdonio Rivas, instrument maker from the Colombian Pacific tropical rainforest. Migdonio is one of the few experts who makes percussion instruments for chirimía groups. A chirimía is an instrumental format that is more traditional and well known in the Colombian North Pacific, and it is composed of wind instruments such as the clarinet and the saxhorn, and percussion instruments like the tambora or bombo, snare drum and cymbals. Migdonio learned this skill from his father and with his brother he owns a workshop where he makes every effort to keep the traditional materials as he is concerned that they are being replaced by synthetic ones.

Photo by Jimena Perry

Hernando Ruíz, Reciclarte in Bogotá. Hernando is very proud of the work he does with children, adolescents and adults from marginal and depressed communities in Bogotá. Although his work has certain requirements, he works for free because he feels that his constituents deserve every effort. He is a great example for Colombia and the world, and his commitment has no limit.

Photo by Jimena Perry

From left to right: Xóchil Chávez, presenter and interpreter and Jorge Iván Valencia, coffee grower from the Coffee Triangle in Colombia. In June 2011, Colombia’s Coffee Triangle was declared a UNESCO world heritage landscape. Four departments, Quindío, Caldas, Risaralda, and the North of Valle del Cauca, with 47 municipalities comprise this cultural landscape. One of the characteristics for which this declaration took place was the quality of the coffee crop, which adapted to the geography in a unique way and helped develop an exceptional culture.

Photo by Jimena Perry

From left to right: Carlos Andrés Niño and Luis Eduardo Guzmán Cardozo, Circo Ciudad from Bogotá. I could not stop laughing during Circo Ciudad’s presentations; their wit and humor are without comparison. Those I managed to witness were skilled getting the public to participate actively, and this ended up being part of their act. Furthermore, thanks to them, the traditional image of the circus is changing.

Photo by Jimena Perry

Music group Aires del Campo. From left ot right: Jorge Enrique Cadavid, Fernán Rojo, Manuel Cadavid, and Oscar Cadavid. These musicians from the Department of Antioquia form a string ensemble that performs various songs from Colombia’s folklore. During their presentations the public would get up to dance to their rhythmic repertoire, and there was always someone who knew the lyrics and would sing along.

Photo by Jimena Perry

Areli Hernández, esparto basket weaver and Jimena Perry, presenter and interpreter.

Photo by Jimena Perry

Alba Beltrán, weaver of “tapia pisada” hats and Jimena Perry, presenter and interpreter. Alba does not just make hats but also placemats, jewelry boxes, coasters and other crafts with a palm called palmicho. She knows well how to handle it so that it does not dry and how to manipulate it so it does not split. She has been plying this trade since she was a child and today her thirteen- year-old son already knows how to start the stitching that after weaving will give life to these beautiful pieces. It takes Alba ten days to make a hat, the whole process requires this time, which is an added value one should take into consideration at the point of sale.

Photo by Jimena Perry

Jimena Perry is an anthropologist, who was born in Bogotá, Colombia. She holds a master’s degree in Social Anthropology from the University of Cambridge, UK. Today she lives in South Bend, Indiana, where she runs a business, Su Libro, which offers a range of editorial and research services.