Carnaval del Pueblo

2nd August 2009

Handicrafts stall at the annual all day Latin Americal festival held at Burgess Park, London

We were pleased to be part of the Bolivian representation at this event.

21st August 2009

Friends of Bolivia’s first Latin party in North East London
7:30 till late at Passing Clouds, 440 Kingslands Rd, Dalston E8 4AA

Documentary “Bolivia for sale” plus Q&A session from Dylan Howitt, the film’s director
Beef and cheese empanadas, plus cerveza Paceña at the bar.

Live music from:

- Indio Lyrico
- Mass Destruction
- Jucumari y la Contrabanda
- Los Sputniks

Latin vibes from DJ Cal Jader

Please visit the photo gallery for pictures of the event.

Mother’s day lunch

In Bolivia Mother’s day is celebrated on the 27th of May.

Saturday 23rd May 2009, 12pm – 5pm

St. Mark’s Hall and Galustian Garden, St. Marks Church, Compton Road, London, SW19 7QA

Lunch-time party to celebrate Mother’s Day.

River Thames Boat Party

Saturday 22nd September 2007, 6.45pm - 11pm

Aboard “The Thames Princess” from Westminster Pier

Mother’s Day Lunch

In Bolivia Mother’s day is celebrated on the 27th of May.

This event took place on Sunday 27th May 2007, 2.00pm – 7.00pm

Church of the Holy Apostles Church Hall, Cumberland Street, Pimlico SW1

Featuring live music from Expresion Bolivia and dance show from Tradición Andina.  Typical Bolivian food was served.

Anglo Latin American Fiesta (ALAF)

Saturday 7th October 2006, 12.00pm – 6.30pm

Kensington Town Hall, Hornton Street, London W8 7NX

The River Thames Boat Party

took place on Saturday 23rd September 2006, 6.45pm - 11pm

Aboard “The Thames Princess” from Westminster Pier

For full details, see our flyer.

This concert took place on Tuesday 1st February 2005, 7.30pm

at the Wigmore Hall, Wigmore Street, London W1

Baroque Music from Bolivia (the story)

In the last five years, more than 11,000 sheets of music have been discovered in the archives of several missions in the Bolivian amazon.  In this concert, Florilegium present a selection of vocal and instrumental music by Domenico Zipoli, who travelled from Europe to the New World, and by anonymous native composers living in the missionary communities of Chiquitos and Moxos.

Florilegium are now established as one of Britain’s leading period instrument ensembles.  In collaboration with their record company, Channel Classics, and the Prince Claus Foundation in Holland, Florilegium embarked on a project to record some of this music in the church where it was discovered deep in the Bolivian jungle.  The Mission in Concepcion was built in 1707.

The four vocal soloists on this recording are all Bolivian, and live and work there.  Following nationwide vocal auditions, four singers were selected to join Florilegium for this recording project, and after months of specialist training recorded this disc in April 2004.  The concert marks the launch of the CD and the Bolivian soloists’ European debuts.

Friday 26th November 2004

St James’ Church, 197 Piccadilly

To raise funds to finance projects to educate indigenous women and children in rural areas of Bolivia.

Christmas music from the colonial powerbase of Charcas, now Sucre.  The concert explored the treasure of Spanish-American vocal-instrumental music preserved in the archives of Bolivia’s old capital.

In its Baroque heyday, the villancico gained great popularity in the New World.  Sung in Spanish and Portuguese, its closeness to popular culture is probably its most distinctive feature.

Performed by the Amaryllis Consort and members of the Cambridge Baroque Camerata, direction by Charles Brett.

The ALAF Christmas Fiesta took place on

Saturday 22nd November 2004.

Kensington Town Hall, Hornton Street, London W8 7NX

In aid of the children of Latin America.

Please see our flyer.

The Friends of Bolivia 20th Anniversary Concert was supported by BG Group

19th March 2003

Wigmore Hall, Wigmore Street, London W1

Performed by Emma Kirkby and Florilegium, this concert celebrated our 20th anniversary.  A review was featured in The Times. You can download the concert programme designed by Peter Williamson as a PDF file (1.7MB).