Bogotrax is festival for electronic music and electronic art. Originally launched in 2003 as a small gathering of local and international creatives in Bogota, it has been held in February every year since then. Framed by a political demand for more social justice, the festival organises presentations, conferences, performances, workshops, exhibitions and even raves – all free-of-charge and accessible to all. The reappropriation of different urban spaces such as streets, universities, clubs, social meeting places and even prisons has significantly contributed to the dismantling of social barriers within the city‘s electronic music scene, making a sustainable impact on the latter.
Interview with Sophia: Sophia Ziesch is a student of social anthropology in Berlin and the director of the short film “Bogotrax – transnational solidarity in the electronic music scene” (2020).
How did you find out about Bogotrax?
Sophia: Before my studies I lived in Colombia for a year, where I discovered my passion for electronic music. It didn‘t take long for me to start playing and producing my own music. Colombia has become my second home. I then met Ronald and Humberto through a mutual friend. Both have been living in Berlin for many years, are closely connected to Bogotrax and had been actively involved in the festival for a long time, just like Blandine from France, who lived in Bogotá for five years. When I found out that these people were involved in Colombia‘s electronic music scene under the artist name X-Tractor, all the while based in Berlin, this immediately caught my attention.
What led you to make this film?
I was impressed to see that an international support network for a subcultural event was working so well over several years, considering how most activities in this field tend to be rather short-lived. I was also curious to know what was different about Bogotrax, what motivated the people involved to support this electronic music festival even from such a distance. And this is how the film was created.