Mr. Jose Beltrán at his music store in Bogotá. This interview is a contribution from Juan Manuel @ Haki Storytelling
In downtown Bogotá, you can find plenty of music stores where music lovers can find whatever quirky tastes they have in music. These places, where fancyness is not an issue, resemble little garages that have been rearranged to serve as a music store.
The man in the picture is Mr. Jose Beltrán. He has devoted 33 years of his life to selling records.
His penchant for this type of work began when he was very young. He worked as a seller for a music store in his hometown; then he established himself in Bogotá, the capital, and manages the store with his daughter. He likes to listen to Salsa, bolero and ballads.
What he likes most about his business — and considers an advantage — is that he sells different music genres and gives a warranty for his products. “If you buy a record, whether it’s a cd, cassette or an acetate and it turns out to be damaged, you just have to bring it back and I will change it for a new one.”
He doesn’t really mind the digital age where anybody can download music for free. Nowadays, there are people for everything. “People prefer acetates over cd’s” he says. In fact, it seems that waves of people are going back to using older formats thanks to the latest trends, fashion, and vintage tastes.
Beltrán considers himself lucky, observing that acetate sales are rising these days.
A big thank you to Juan Manuel from Haki Storytelling for sharing this beautiful feature from Colombia!
You can learn more about Haki Storytelling and explore the art of writing!
- Haki Storytelling: the website
- Haki Storytelling on Facebook
- Instagram @HakiStorytelling
- Twitter @HakiStorytellin
Enjoy street music? Browse these features on musicians in San Francisco!
- Drummer: Bucket Man
- Saxophone: Without music, life would be a mistake.
- Cello: Underground Music
Shopkeeper Stories is a photographic documentary of small business owners and their trades around the world, sharing insights, stories and views. You can see all the posts on Facebook and Instagram @ShopkeeperStories
Shopkeeper Stories 