Celebrating Latin spirit in Beijing

The annual "Meet In Beijing" Arts Festival has recently played host to a showcase of Latin American culture.

The annual "Meet In Beijing" Arts Festival has recently played host to a showcase of Latin American culture. A concert that featured exclusively Latin American music from 17 countries was held on Monday night at the Poly Theatre in the capital.

For the first time in its decade-long story, "Meet In Beijing" holds a spin-off event to celebrate arts and culture from a specific region. Supported by the Qingdao Symphony Orchestra, the opening concert features a repertoire of Latin American and Caribbean music, with one piece selected from each participating country.

Many Latin American pieces are well-known, including Chilean Violeta Parra’s "Gracias a la Vida", and the Peruvian "El Condor Pasa", thanks to Joan Baez and Simon & Garfunkel respectively. But audience members were treated to the originals here, with guest performers from across the region.

Argentina has chosen "Libertango" to represent their country, probably the most recognisable tango music in the world. And the performance is not complete without a physical accompaniment.

The annual "Meet In Beijing" Arts Festival has recently played host to a showcase of Latin American culture.

Gustavo A. Martino, Argentinean ambassador to China, said, "I think through the tango, through the culture, Chinese people are aware of the potential of Latin America and Argentina. And it’s fantastic that all Latin American countries are represented here with different cultural activities."

For the organizers, a concert that sells itself on song selection rather than performers is a new approach, attempting to include as many diverse elements as possible in one night.

Zhang Yu, president of China Arts & Entertainment Group, said, "The concert presents a collection of the most widely-known pieces of Latin music. I hope that audiences will be intrigued by them, and discover many more aspects of the cultural landscape of Latin America."

From photography to installation art, a string of exhibitions on Latin American and Caribbean culture are soon to be held in Beijing. The Meet In Beijing festival will conclude at the end of May.

 
News More
Music More
Photo More
 
| About us | E-mail | Contact |
Constructed by Chinadaily.com.cn
Copyright @ Ministry of Culture, P.R.China. All rights reserved