294 VALLEDUPAR
Supermarket
There is a huge Exito in the El Centro area that has everything a person needs to
buy.
FESTIVAL VALLENATO
The Festival Vallenato takes place every year in the last week of April in
Valledupar. For five days the city becomes an enormous party full of parades,
shows, contests and multiple forms of music. The festival is covered by over two
hundred members of national and international media outlets.
The main topic of the festival is the music of Francisco el Hombre. Folklore tells
that Francisco el Hombre defeated the devil by singing the apostle's creed in
reverse while playing the accordion. This story is told by Gabriel García Márquez
in his book One Hundred Years of Solitude.
The festival holds three main contests:
Vallenato music in three different categories: professional, amateur and
children.
Contest of amateur accordion players.
Contest of the unpublished song.
In addition to the yearly winners, every ten years a "King of Kings" is chosen
from among the winners of the preceding decade. The best artist is awarded
with "La Pilonera Mayor" prize, the highest possible award for a Vallenato
musician. "Piquerias" also take place which is a singing dialogue or duel, where
participants confront each other through verses and rhymes. The winner is
determined by who is the fastest and most creative.