Totó la Momposina receives La Mar de Músicas 2018 Award

The concert, which was a celebration of the Colombian singer’s musical career, featured guest appearances by Guinenan Djanka Diabaté and Tibetan Yungchen Lhamo.

Culture Councillor of Cartagena, David Martínez Noguera, announced last April that this prize would be awarded to Totó la Momposina “for devoting her all life to internationally spread Caribbean’s Colombian coast music, for her creative innovation and for promoting her country’s music with passion and joy.”

“We are very honoured to share this award with one of the icons in Latin American culture. Trying to explain Totó’s magic is nothing against the experience of being at her live concerts, where she makes everyone dance and end up with a smile on their face. That has happened at least every time she has performed at our festival,” says Martínez Noguera, also emphasizing that other artists such as Oumou Sangaré, Susana Baca, Cheick Lo, Pablo Milanés, Omara Portuondo and Gino Paoli have been honoured at the festival previously.

La Mar de Músicas is a cultural festival organized by the Council of Cartagena (Spain) during nine days in July. This year’s festival takes runs from 20th-28th July, including a global musical programme, and also focusing on a guest country in order to show its music, art, cinema and literature. This year the festival celebrates its 24th edition, an event which has already become a key World Music event in Europe.

Totó’s European tour continues throughout the summer, with upcoming dates in Belgium, France and Spain.