This post features the Colombian composer Alberto Castilla stamp from 1964. As I often say in my posts, stamps are political documents. A country chooses an institution, theme, or person because the topic sends a specific message. Stamps can instill pride in the country, create unity across the population, and celebrate heroes to be emulated. Composers are popular subjects on stamps because they can do all three at once. They can make people proud of artistic accomplishments, unify people around this pride, and present a figure to inspire the population. In addition, countries use such stamps to show their own cultural sophistication to the rest of the world. Alberto Castilla (1878-1937) was a famous Colombian composer. However, his interesting life was one that the country celebrates in addition to his music.
Castilla was born in Bogota and during his amazing life, would have success as an engineer, a journalist, a mathematician, soldier, politician, and most significantly, a musician. Castilla was a student of the famous Colombian musician Julio Quevedo Arvedo at the Bogota National Academy of Music. The young musician studied music theory, harmony, and composition. However, when the “Thousand Days War” began in 1899, Castilla joined the forces of General Caicedo Rocha and fought in his home district of Tolima.
After the War, he began his career as a musician. Castilla composed many pieces that have become national or regional favorites, most famously a piece named El Bunde. The composition was later set to words and is now a favorite hymn of his home district of Tolima. Castilla was later a politician in the Columbian legislature.
The Postage Stamp
Colombia, 1964
Scott Number C463
The postage stamp is similar to other stamps issued by South American countries. Its vertical orientation, portrait of Castilla, and a small piece of written music. The design remind me of stamps from Chile, Guatemala, and Uruaguay that all share one or more of these elements with the Castilla postage stamp. The stamp celebrates both Castilla’s most famous composition, the El Bunde, and his founding of the Conservatory of Tolima that he founded in 1906.
Colombia holds the distinction of being the country that has used the most different printers to print their stamps. Since 1859, they have had thirty-one different printers, including the Austrian State Printing Company in Vienna that printed this stamp. Learn more here.
In the meantime, enjoy Castilla’s most famous composition. The El Bunde.
