Spectators
WILLEMSTAD--The 54th edition of Curaçao's “Festival di Tumba” started Monday at the Festival Center in Brievengat, but the first evening was marked by delays and a relatively subdued atmosphere. Of the 15 songs originally scheduled, only 12 were ultimately presented, with three entries withdrawn.
The programme started significantly later than planned. The opening act with Jeon was scheduled to begin at 8:00 pm but did not take the stage until around 10:00pm, and the first Tumba was not performed until after 11:00pm. The show concluded around 1:30am, without a clear crowd favourite emerging.
One of the more notable performances came from rapper “Mosta Man” who participated for the first time with the group Catipa. The band played without a brass section, departing from the traditional Tumba orchestra format. Their entry “Kandela den Pipa” stood out musically for falling outside the festival’s usual stylistic framework.
According to organisers, a total of eight more bands and 19 songs were to be presented over the course of the festival. Attendance on the opening night was described as relatively strong for a Monday.
The second preliminary round took place Tuesday and featured, among others, the bands ERA and Queenz. The third and final preliminary round will take place today, Wednesday, followed by the grand final on Friday
