Feature: LatAm's largest free music festival puts Colombia on music map

With a total of 61 bands, Rock al Parque, the largest annual music festival in Latin America, drew some 240,000 participants to Bogota's Simon Bolivar Park, Colombia for three days of nonstop music on July 2-4.

In 2012, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) inducted Bogota into the Creative Cities Network because of this festival, declaring it to be a City of Music, one of only three in the Americas, along with Kingston, Jamaica and Salvador de Bahia, Brazil.

"These festivals contribute to the appropriation of public spaces by citizens and reinforce Bogota's identity and cultural diversity," UNESCO says on its website.

Over the years, Bogota has improved its concert venue, setting up three stages for the festival.

Vocalist Colin Abrahall, whose band is from Birmingham, told Xinhua, "The festival, somewhat newer in South America, is bringing music to the people."

The Colombian journalist and music critic, Eduardo Arias, said "the event serves as a symbol of tolerance for different lifestyles and an example of peaceful coexistence," adding that it can also promote civic mindedness.

"We hope that this really is the beginning of the end of the war!" the vocalist for local band Ikarus Falling yelled to the crowd, before launching into "Prisoners", a song dedicated to victims of the 50-year-long conflict.

Colombians have long been divided by a civil war, and a recent bilateral ceasefire agreement between the government and rebel leftist guerrillas has raised hopes that a definitive peace deal is close at hand. Endi