Festival FFF

The tradition & historical record

The Festival FFF (short for Festival Fiesta de la Fruta y de las Flores or Festivalfff de Música de Vanguardia) was a free annual independent music festival held in Ambato, Ecuador, between 2003 and 2021. The festival was traditionally held in conjunction with the city's Fiesta de la Fruta y de las Flores, one of Ecuador's most important cultural celebrations. The festival featured Ecuadorian independent artists alongside performers from countries including Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Finland, Italy, Mexico, Panama, Peru, the United States and Uruguay. During its run, it became one of Ecuador's best-known independent music festivals, alongside Quito Fest. Following virtual editions in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival has not been held again. ¹

The inaugural Festival FFF took place on 3 March 2003 at El Sueño Park in Ambato. It was founded through the initiative of Tania Navarrete of the Permanent Committee of the Fiesta de la Fruta y de las Flores, together with musicians José Luis Jácome of Cafetera Sub, Juan Manuel Sevilla of Sudakaya and Roger Ycaza of Mamá Vudú. Initially held annually during the Fiesta de la Fruta y de las Flores celebrations, the festival expanded over time to include multiple stages dedicated to rock, electronic music, hip hop and experimental music. It also incorporated workshops, seminars and cultural activities. The 2011 edition was cancelled, and the festival returned in September 2012 at Parque Provincial de la Familia. The 2016 edition was also cancelled after the 2016 Ecuador earthquake, with organizers redirecting their efforts toward fundraising concerts for affected communities. In 2020 and 2021 the festival was presented exclusively online because of restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. No further editions have been held. ¹

Over its history, Festival FFF hosted performances by Ecuadorian and international artists representing genres including rock, indie rock, punk rock, hardcore, heavy metal, ska, reggae and hip hop. Performers included: ¹

Mamá Vudú Sudakaya Can Can Sal y Mileto Tanque La Máquina Camaleón Lolabúm Sexores Telefunka (Mexico) Love Ghost (United States) El Efecto (Brazil) Crackmind (France) Nepentes (Colombia) La Severa Matacera (Colombia) ¹

The text above is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Festival FFF”, available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. ¹

Festival FFF is recorded in open cultural data. The structured record cited below does not describe the practice, and this entry has not yet been reviewed by a person familiar with the tradition. ²

The source record links this tradition to 1 external register, which can be verified through the citation. ²