On Wednesday 22 London started the celebrations of the Latin American bicentenaries. Around 2,000 people were present at the Scoop by City Hall.

It was the first time that the London Assembly’s Open Theatre was dedicated to celebrate the anniversaries of the Latin American independences.

The event was organised by Ola Latina (arts) and Minka News (media). The two organisations and Nicky Price organised on 20 June a massive Carnaval Latino which was part of the Tottenham Carnival (attended by 80,000 people, according to the BBC).

The anniversaries of the Andean Bolivarian independences are 5’ July (Venezuela), 20’ July (Colombia), 28’ July (Peru), 6’ August (Bolivia) and 10’ August (Ecuador).  

The bicentenaries of the first independent proclamations are 25 May and 16 July (Bolivia) and 10 August (Ecuador).

Next year (2010) is 200 years of the independence of Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Mexico and Western California. It is also 200 years since Portugal-Brazil where liberated from France. 

EVERY PERSON THAT ENTERED IN THE SCOOP WAS COUNTED. MORE THAN 1500 PEOPLE ATTENDED THE SCOOP BETWEEN 7 PM AND 9 PM.  

IN THE AFTERNOON MATICES LATINOS PLAYED MUSIC FROM A GREAT VARIETY OF LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES

AT NIGHT ANDEN MUSIC AND DANCES CELEBRATED THE ANIVERSARIES OF VENEZUELA, COLOMBIA, PERU, ECUADOR AND BOLIVIA

RAICES DE BOLIVIA DANCES 'THINKUS' FROM THE NORTH OF POTOSI.

LOKANDES (A PERUVIAN-BOLIVIAN BAND) WAS A BIG SUCCESS. HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WHERE DANCING WITH ITS OWN MUSIC BASED IN THE FUSION OF ANDEAN, AFRO-PERUVIAN AND ROCK RYTHMS

THE SUGAR KINGS FROM CUBA PLAYED SALSA

THE MORENADA PLAYED BY BLOQUE KANTUTA IS A CELEBRATION OF THE FORMER BOLIVIAN BLACK SLAVES WHO DIED IN THE MINES

DANCES FROM THE ORURO CARNIVAL IN BOLIVIA. A CELEBRATION OF 200 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE OF LA PAZ AND SUCRE

DIEGO LAVERDE PLAYED THE ARP WITH MUSIC FROM COLOMBIA, VENEZUELA AND PARAGUAY

THE ORGANISERS OF THE EVENT (OLA LATINA AND MINKA NEWS) ORGANISED ONE MONTH AGO THE CARNAVAL LATINO IN TOTTENHAM

NEXT EVENTS

CELEBRATION OF THE BI-CENTENARIES OF QUITO AND LA PAZ AND THE NATIONAL DAYS OF COLOMBIA, PERU, BOLIVIA AND ECUADOR

WITH THE KJARKAS (THE BEST BOLIVIAN MUSIC BAND EVER) AND LOKANDES. SUNDAY 2 AUGUST AT THE CORONET (ELEPHANT AND CASTLE)

CELEBRATIONS OF 200 YEARS OF ECUADOR AT SORRISO: 10 AUGUST