Panama Music Fest Kicks Off This Weekend

Panama celebrates its 4th annual Music Festival with jazz, urban, tropical, world and electronic musical performances this weekend.

The celebration starts with an inauguration in the National Theater tonight and continues on Saturday with music throughout Casco Antiguo.  Car access to the neighborhood is restricted from noon onwards to non-residents but parking is available on the Cinta Costera.  The event starts at 3 p.m. and finishes after 11 p.m.

And after the party, there’s the after party at Espacio Panama on 2nd street with musical guests Charlie and Hash and El Cubanito, which describes its sound as “straight-up hip hop from the ghetto.”

According to a group release, Charlie and Hash Brown are two brothers from the streets of Calidonia who decided to make a career after their plumbing jobs disappeared. They hooked up with “El Cubanito” (real name unknown) in 1998 when he arrived in a small raft straight from La Habana.

“We are looking forward to FDM since it will give us a chance to confirm once again that people have still no idea who we are, and yet, we are super famous,” Hash told the Panama Digest.

The Fête de la Musique first took place in France in 1982 and is now celebrated in 130 countries around the world during the summer solstice.

UPDATE:  Festival postponed due to all day rain.  The Espacio Panama party rescheduled for Friday, June 25.

Musical Artists Charlie (right) and Hash (left)