Music, History and Community At Centro Artistico Musical Cooperativo

TLDR? Centro Artistico Musical Cooperativo is a place to listen to local music en vivo!

Centro Artistico Musical Cooperativo is a very interesting place that lies in the heart of Laureles. It’s not far away from some of the other exciting nightlife in the neighborhood.

The project functions in a multitude of different ways. It’s like a concert venue, a bar hangout for its regulars, and an artistic alliance of some of Medellin’s oldest music community members.

The artistic cooperative has events that occur fairly frequently, especially on the weekends. It can be a fun, raucous hang, where you can see all kinds of traditional Latin music being played by total pros. If that sounds like something you would enjoy, here’s all the info that you might want to know to fill you in.

How To Find The Centro Artistico Musical Cooperativo

The Centro Artistico Musical Cooperativo (Or CAMC, as I’ll be referring to it for the rest of this article) is conveniently located in the northern end of Laureles, close to the football stadium.

This part of the district is known as Estadio, and there’s a very close metro stop along the B line. That makes the metro a very convenient way to travel there.

Once you’re on the scene, you’ll have to keep your eyes peeled for the building itself. This is because it can be a bit hard to miss if you’re not sure what you’re already looking for.

Once you catch sight of it, there’s no mistaking it, however. The interior of the cooperative has a very cool and very old-school vibe.

A Shrine To Medellin’s Musical History

The CAMC has served as one of Medellin’s centers for local musicians for quite a long time, and that history shows in the décor and the atmosphere of the venue.

The whole place features tons of images of members of the cooperative. All of them have served in Medellin’s artistic community for decades on end.

If you’re into history and the arts, a visit to the CAMC is quite the treat. This is because the venue serves as a bit of an honorarium to the people who have functioned as long-haulers in the musical life of Medellin.

When I went to go explore the cooperative, I was instantly greeted by a venerable old gentleman. The man invited me in warmly to share the night and the music that was to follow.

The CAMC almost seems to function as a clubhouse for guys like this. So if you’re trying to hit the town to find the wildest heart of Medellin’s nightlife, this might not ultimately be what you’re in the mood for.

The same goes for if you’re looking to spend time around a younger crowd, as the CAMC tends to attract members of an older generation. This is largely because the music featured at the CAMC is definitely more traditional. So, you’re not going to find any Bad Bunny on rotation here, for better or worse.

If you’re interested in exploring this kind of Latin American artistic tradition, then you’ve hit the jackpot with the CAMC. The place is so old school that it doesn’t even have a website! It is still listed on the major map applications, though.

Partying in the Traditional Style

The joint is only open Thursday-Sunday. But, on each of those nights, you’ll find a lot of these old-timers jamming and playing the night away until the wee hours past midnight.

The CAMC features a simple bar where you buy beers and shots of alcohol. The whole place can get pretty raucous once the Aguardiente Antioqueno starts flowing!

On top of this, CAMC isn’t far from two other venues that feature traditional Latin American music.

The first one I’m speaking of is Son Havana, one of the city’s premier venues to see traditional music performed.

The CAMC is also close to the very well-regarded venue for salsa dancing known as El Tibiri. That venue lies just a few blocks away from the wild nightlife spot known as La 70.

Given that all of these places are so close to each other, it isn’t hard to imagine gathering up a crowd and hitting the northern Laureles area to have a Latin American music-themed night! I haven’t quite pulled this exact feat off yet, but I wouldn’t rule it out for future nights out.

A Special Place For Traditional Music in Medellin

You can tell by the smiles that the patrons and the performers wear at CAMC that the place holds a special spot in people’s hearts for the regulars.

There’s a real sense of community and comradery in the place once the drinks start flowing and the old fellows get to singing. I would say that it could land in anyone’s Medellin roster of things to do.

And, given that it’s so close to a very dense cluster of bars, restaurants, nightclubs, and even the must-go Medellin football stadium, there’s no reason not to pencil in at least one visit to the CAMC if you’re staying in Laureles.

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