The Cali Blues & Folk Festival is a signature event of the Centro Cultural Colombo Americano in Cali, Colombia. Founded in 1954, this nonprofit binational center is dedicated to enhancing the friendship between Colombia and the United States through an array of arts, cultural, and English language education programs. In 2007, the Centro began the Cali Blues & Folk Festival, which presents blues artists from the USA, Mexico, Argentina, Spain, and Colombia. Its substantial education and community outreach initiatives include the formation of the Colombian Blues Society in 2014. U.S. blues artists such as Michael “Hawkeye” Herman, Rich DelGrosso, J.P. Soars, and Jon Del Toro Richardson have co-led blues education master classes and educational workshops with local artists that annually attract 500-plus youths (from elementary schools through universities) in eight cities during the festival. Sustained by partnerships with the Mayor’s Office and the Secretary of Culture and Tourism, the Valle del Cauca Promotion of Cultural Programs, the Colombia Ministry of Culture, and the U.S. Embassy, the Cali Blues & Folk Festival has networked with other Colombian festivals to expand performing opportunities for their nation’s blues musicians.
