Saudações amigos do Festival
If you attended the 2019 Festival you likely experienced the treat that is Banda Taverna, from Belo Horizonte in Brazil. Because they were denied a working visa to the U.S. they came to Huerfano County as guests (following a Canada tour), and played for free at numerous locations, including John Mall School, Uptop, Miner’s Park in Walsenburg, and lastly on the front porch pictured above. They were fresh, real, and energetic, and a mutual love developed between the Festival and Taverna.
So, while last year’s challenge was the work visa, 2020 is the impact of COVID, as it has been for everyone. While Banda hasn’t been able to perform live they are busy nevertheless.
They are currently among the ten finalists to perform at the Ortigueira Festival in Galicia, Spain for 2021. In a process that began with the musical submissions of 35 groups, the ten finalists will be whittled down to three. By our voting! So, this is our chance to support Banda by voting on the Ortigueira Festival website. But we only have a few days left to vote, up to one vote per day. This is a fantastic opportunity for an up-and-coming band, and a chance for us to lend a hand. Go to the festival web page, scroll down to the third row of bands, and “Votar este grupo” by clicking on the 
icon. There, you will also be able to listen to selections by Taverna, as well as the other nine groups.
In other news, Taverna has added three tunes to their original release, “Libertas,” which makes ten tracks total. You can listen to them here. They have also been busy creating a variety of videos. As you’ll see they like to have a bit of fun. Lastly, they have posted videos from their North American tour in 2019, and again, you’ll enjoy their playful nature.
