Radio Cadena Agramonte emisiora de Camagüey
Havana, August 26 - Cuba’s Deputy Minister of Culture, Lizette Martínez, met with Barbadian Senator Shantal Munro-Knight, during which she expressed her gratitude for the invitation extended to a group of Cuban artists to participate in the Carifesta festival being held in Barbados.
Munro-Knight, who is also a minister in the Prime Minister’s Cabinet responsible for Resources for Sustainable Development and Culture in Barbados, held discussions with the Cuban official regarding various initiatives for cultural cooperation between the two countries, as reported by the Cuban Ministry of Culture (Mincult).
From August 22 to 31, the traditional festival is taking place under the theme “Caribbean Roots, Global Excellence.” In their working meeting, both leaders discussed topics for exchange, such as artistic education in different forms, along with other common interests for the two nations.
The Cuban Deputy Minister of Culture acknowledged the quality of the program and the organization of the Barbadian event, noting that this time, the Cuban delegation includes musicians, folkloric and contemporary dancers, visual artists, and Cuban designers.
The symposium titled “Talking About Cuba and Fidel! The Enigma of Cuba as a Reference of Caribbean Civilization” took place at Gordon Square Freedom Park, an initiative by the Barbadian ambassador to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), David Comissiong.
During this gathering, they were joined by National Literature Prize-winning poet Nancy Morejón; filmmaker Gloria Rolando; the director of the National Museum of Fine Arts, Jorge Fernández; Amanda Sánchez from Casa de las Américas, and the deputy minister, who highlighted the figure of Fidel Castro and his legacy in the Caribbean region.
The event also included theoretical forums, such as the panel “Unlocking Caribbean Screens with Cinema,” while the Barbadian audience welcomed the Cuban groups Rumba All Star and Sur Caribe.
The Cuban Embassy in Barbados participated in the Carifesta celebration with the exhibition “Fidel in the Caribbean: Images of a Revolutionary Presence,” which featured prominent figures from the art and political spheres of Barbados alongside the Cuban delegation.
Munro-Knight reaffirmed her commitment to working together to establish collaboration in dance, theater, and other areas suggested by the Cuban deputy minister, such as music and cultural industries.
The Cuban side extended an invitation for the Barbadian minister to visit the island and also proposed the participation of a cultural delegation from Barbados in the Caribbean Festival, an event held each July in Santiago de Cuba to promote and celebrate traditional Caribbean popular culture through artistic and academic expressions.
Cuban musicians and dancers will offer several workshops that will enrich the programming of the Carifesta festival, as announced by Mincult in the context of the Cuban delegation’s visit to the event in the Caribbean island. (Text and photo: Cubasí)
