Macau (China) – The Macao Lusophone Festival is expected to host some 25,000 participants from October 19 to 21, the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) said.
“The event last year lasted 4 days and had about 25,000 participants. This year, the event will last for 3 days and 25,000 people are expected,” said the IC in a note sent to Lusa.
Macau authorities highlighted the longevity and success of this festival: “The first edition of the Lusofonia Festival took place in 1998, integrated in the program of activities celebrating the National Day of Portugal, on June 10, in honor of the residents of Portuguese-speaking community residing in Macau for their contribution to the development of the city.”
For IC this festival “has gained such popularity” that it is already one of the biggest cultural events in the city that “contributed to the promotion of local and international tourism” due to the “diversified programme of activities, namely, the culture of each community residing in Macau, as gastronomy, music and dance and games for all age.”
From October 19, Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guiné Bissau, Goa, Damão and Diu, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé e PrÃncipe, Timor-Leste and Macau will have exhibitors with handicrafts and typical snacks and drinks together at the Taipa Houses Museum.
In response to Lusa, Casa de Portugal highlighted that this year the Portuguese space “will count with the presence of craftsman Arlindo Moura, from the Filigrana Route, which reconciles this art with cork,” emphasising the importance of this festivity to the city “for all members of the various Portuguese-speaking communities.”
The Casa do Brasil in Macau is committed to the Brazilian artist Fábio Panone Lopes, who works with graphite, to transform the Brazilian space into a favela.
“He is going to paint a mini favela, which is a Brazilian reality, so that we can show that there are not only bad things in the favelas, there is also a lot of good things,” Casa do Brasil president Jade Martins told Lusa.
The Guinean association chose traditional fishing in that country as its theme. “It gives us the opportunity to show our culture and the way families live,” said Grazia Lopes, president of the Association of the Guineans, Nationals and Friends of Guiné Bissau.
On the other hand, Timor-Leste’s Association will bet on promoting the country’s tourism, especially “the paradisiacal beaches of the island of Jaco” because Timor-Leste, “is not only Dili,” said the vice president of Friendship Association Macau-Timor.
The president of the Macao-Cape Verde Friendship Association, Ada Sousa, pointed out that this year the country will emphasise the traditional dances of the country.
Finally, the Angola-Macau Association president, Alexandre Correia da Silva, preferred to highlight the fact that the event “is very important for the Macau community” and that the country’s stand will be some information about Angola.
The Festival of Lusophone is organised in conjunction with the cultural week of China and Portuguese-speaking countries, which is being held since Monday.
The festival counts with the participation of more than 130 artists with concerts in the Senado Square, located in the heart of Macau, and in the Fisherman’s Wharf.
Artists come from Portugal (DAMA), Cape Verde (Grace Évora and Banda), Angola (Paulo Flores), East Timor (Black Jesuz), Mozambique (Moza Band), Brazil (Banda Circulô), Guiné-Bissau), São Tomé e PrÃncipe (Alex Dinho), and China (Songjiang Folk Art Group).
ME // PJA