Photo via La Fortuna Community Band.
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Published on
Wednesday, October 16, 2024
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The
community marching band from La Fortuna District
in San Carlos Canton, Alajuela
Province, has been chosen to perform
in London's New Year's
Day Parade
(LNYDP) on January
1,
2025, in the streets of London's West
End, UK. The
parade is the most important
street celebration in London. It draws
over one million live attendees, and
over 250 television stations broadcast
the entire event live, reaching
millions of viewers worldwide. The
band comprises 190 musicians and
dancers aged 8 to 35. It was formed in
2010 by the current director, Erick
Quesada, with funding from the La
Fortuna Community Development
Association.
"It shows that the
path we've taken has been the right one
for promoting Costa Rican culture,"
Quesada remarked of his band's
recognition. "The band will be the only
one from Latin America participating in
the London parade."
Before their
much-anticipated performance in London,
the band will participate in the 2024
Festival de la Luz (Christmas Lights
Festival) in San José in December.
The ensemble was
designated by the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs "Representatives of Costa Rican
Cultural Diplomacy." The Tourism
Institute also awarded them as the
"Esencial Costa Rica" brand.
This is the second
time a Costa Rican marching band has
taken part in the London parade. In
2021, the Orotina Community
Band from Alajuela
Province performed in the British New
Year's celebrations.
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