The Village Square Journal’s editor, Nora Vasconcelos writes on the ongoing celebration of the diverse African cultures, music and tradition by a Mexican based organization
Africa and Mexico might be far away in the map, but in their hearts they feel close, as it show in the Mexican Festival dedicated to the music and cultures of Africa that started on Wednesday, May 16th in Mexico City.
The event, called in Spanish Festival del Tambor y las Culturas Africanas, honors this year Nelson Mandela’s centenary with a photographic exhibition and a series of conferences to celebrate the life and work of Mr. Mandela.
Also, as part of the festival, there are several musical and dance events around the city, as well as a gastronomic and handcrafts shows and workshops.
The event that will end on Sunday 20th is organized by Mexican cultural, academic and governmental institutions along with the Festival del Tambor y la Culturas Africana Association which started the event more than a decade ago, conceived as an independent, artistic and cultural project to contribute to the dissemination of the African culture in Mexico City.
Throughout the years, the festival has become an important cultural forum that bring young people together and allow them to exhibit various artistic expressions such as music, dance, poetry, narrative, painting, photography, handicrafts, gastronomy, cinema, etc., and motivates social interaction.
Nora Vasconcelos is The Village Square Journal’s Contributing Editor for Arts/Photography