Carlos introduces us to the Muiscas, one of the most developed pre-Columbian civilizations to inhabit the Cundiboyacense plateau in the central part of present day Colombia.

See Madrid from a different perspective. Our friend, Andrés, shares with us his favorite spot in the city: the rooftop of El Círculo de Bellas Artes.

Nelly Ocacia and Benjamín Moldonado are both 19-year-old university students, and enjoy dancing with the Ballet Folklórico Guamanique when not studying. We caught up with them at the airport in San Juan, where they were welcoming new arrivals and seeing off departing passengers, much to the delight of travelers.

We all know how magical a circus ring can be: crazy clowns, fearless acrobats, smart animals and all kind of colorful and dreamlike acts. But here, at the Circo Infantil de Nicaragua the real magic happens backstage, where we learn that a good show takes a lot of dedication, hard work and passion.

Acrobat Francesca was a mujer de casa before becoming a circus artist. It was love that brought her here to the big tent, where she now splits her time between performances and day-to-day chores.

The Ideas Club explores the Great Mosque of Córdoba in Córdoba, Spain, one of the world's most significant examples of Muslim architecture and declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

She loves Barcelona, but lovely Tatiana’s accent quickly gives her away as a colombiana (from Bogotá, to be precise). Until the Olympics came to town and spurred a facelift, Barcelona wasn’t really living up to its potential. But now it is fully exploiting its great location on the Mediterranean Sea.

Vela, a word often used for “candle,” or “sail,” can also mean “wakefulness,” as in “vigilance.” It’s related to the verb velar, “to stand watch.” The name of the port city of La Vela de Coro refers not to the “sails” of merchant ships (as many assume) but rather to this town’s role as a “lookout” point for marauding pirates. One-eyed peg-legs are now less common, but the carnivalesque annual festival of Los Locos continues on.

Most English speakers have at some time in their lives heard Donovan sing “The Hurdy Gurdy Man,” but how many knew what such a man did? The woman in this video talks about a musical family that used to play the sinfonía, and indeed this is the Spanish name for the hand-crank organ known as a “hurdy gurdy.”

It’s quite possible that El Día de Los Locos, as celebrated in La Vela de Coro, has its roots as far back as the Roman Empire, which celebrated Saturnalia at the same time of year. Both festivals, historically, involve turning the social order on its head, with slaves dressing like their masters.

La Vela is a small town in the state of Falcón, on the northwest coast of Venezuela, where every December 28th Los Locos [“The Crazy Ones”] arrive wearing colorful and elaborated costumes. The whole town becomes a party, with businesses closing and people dancing in the streets. It’s a tradition that could be in any magical realism novel and that desperately struggles to not fall into oblivion.

One of the most fun ways to visit Wales is on board an antique steam locomotive. One of the oldest railroad companies in the world has recently opened a new line which, thanks to an army of volunteers, is delighting both tourists and its devoted employees.

Colombians at the Mono Núñez Festival in Cali talk about their objectives for attending it, among them the importance of preserving traditional Colombian rhythms in a period in which their mainstream popularity is waning.

Festivaliando continues its behind-the-scenes peek at the music, performers and attendees of the famed Mono Núñez Festival in Ginebra, Valle de Cauca, Colombia.

At Colombia's Mono Núñez music festival, many indigenous musical instruments can be heard. Learn about some of them in this video.

Mario learns that diversity at the Mono Núñez Festival extends beyond the various Colombian musicians, as English people seem to enjoy Andean music as much as Colombians do!

Singing in Nasa Yuwe, their native language, is one way in which Colombia's indigenous Nasa population strives to preserve and make more visible their language, culture and customs.

At Colombia's Mono Núñez music festival, native Colombians and foreigners alike share their deep love for traditional Colombian music.

European and Colombian aficionados of "bambuco" music give their perspectives on whether this Colombian genre has European influences.

At Colombia’s Mono Núñez music festival, native Colombians and foreigners alike share their deep love for traditional Colombian music. At the suggestion of one Colombian musician, some of them agree to create a cultural exchange group so that musicians from various countries can discusss the Andean music they are so passionate about.

As the festival continues, we meet a group of Colombians who talk about how they've modernized the themes of the Andean music they play. We also meet an Argentinian who shares about the types of songs she performs.

As the festival goes on, we encounter a sixteen-year-old winner of the Best Tiple Player award while some twin singers offer some insight into their particularly well-coordinated voices.

Feeling for the vendors who don't get a chance to hear the wonderful music at the Mono Núñez Festival, our host comes up with a plan to take the music to them. He furthermore interviews an Argentinean member of a group who makes Andean music about the similarities and differences between the Andean music made in Argentina and Colombia.

Our host at the Mono Núñez festival in Colombia continues to interview people who have come to the festival from many countries, expressing his desire to create an integrated musical product: Colombian music with influences from many different countries and cultures.