CULTURE ANOTHER BLOW TO SOGAMOSEÑA
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| Master Argemiro Betancourt |
Mastro's work Argemiro Betancourt began in 1994, in the most difficult, for giving a Banda Sinfónica Sogamoso concluded in the most sad. This initiative was in its infancy with the support of the authorities of the time, but authorities today, those who move under the slogan "Educating and building future," let it die without a blush of the coup that they are giving to the local culture.
recall those days when the teacher Argemiro Betancourt, a native of Villamaría (Caldas), encouraged by the anthropologist Omar Corredor Avella, by the time director of the House of Culture, gave his first lectures to a group of children in a room on the top floor of the old Municipal Palace, the official neglect that has threatened to kill him, "while another neighbor living two artists, sculptor and professor Octavio Pino, and also a sculptor and painter Rafael Bayona, doing their job. |
| Sogamoso The Youth Symphony in action |
Over the years this group of children was growing in numbers and knowledge, the same time came the recognition for the skill with which they did each of their presentations. As long event had stopped up the name of Sogamoso. Betancourt and his "children" artists were great hosts, for several years, the National Band Contest in Paipa, as well as special guests were taken to other national competitions.
For his work with these children the teacher Argemiro Betancourt earned countless awards, including the one reached in 2001 in First Meeting Professional Symphonic Band "Abel Valderrama Yuste, in Neiva (Huila), granted the unique and honorable mention award given to the Banda and its Director. In the same year he represented Boyacá National Competition for original music bands in El Retiro (Antioquia). In 2003 was listed by the Ministry of Culture as Banda Special Youth Symphony, and in this category representing the department of Boyaca, and so on, was a great harvest of presentations and awards received by the artistic team. From the moment the teacher Betancourt took the lead in this band opened a training school for aspiring to join the group, which eventually reached a broad repertoire Music that allows them to interpret all Colombian music genres like classical music and contemporary.
A month ago, the teacher Argemiro Betancourt was no longer the director of this grouping, to receive the retirement pension, which meant that students would drift, because the administration chaired by the mayor Juan Carlos Ostos Guevara, who was no stranger to the process of removal of the director of the symphony, not prepared to replace them, especially since this government has not concerned the issue of culture, attitude is evidenced by the lack of interest form the Municipal Council Culture, apply it due to the resources that are captured by the tax stamp "Pro-Culture" and the closing of Sogamoso Theatre, where last year there there has been a single cultural event
The output of the teacher Betancourt led to several of his students scattered, some dissociated from the institution, presenting their resignations, and others moving to other cities to continue their studies scholars in different disciplines.
hope that the "death" Sogamoso Youth Symphony is a transient event and the mayor can resurrect Ostos. Sad it would be in the pages of local history, Mayor Juan Carlos Ostos, who named his tenure as "Educating and building the future", is designated as the agent who does not care about the disappearance of so formidable artistic grouping.
PAINFUL, what a shame!
Incredible, but painfully true. For 20 days the residents of Alcalá and the whole barrio Residencial "Santa Barbara" does not enjoy public lighting, so that at night the fear round in this sector. The funny thing is that there have their homes several officials linked to the Energy Company of Boyacá.