The colourful 'Roots Festival' in full swing at Katara
‘Roots Festival’, a vibrant celebration of Latin American and Caribbean culture, kicked off with a bang this Tuesday at Katara.
The festival will continue until April 22nd, and includes both an exhibition and musical performances by artists that hail from 12 participating countries all over Latin America and the Caribbean.
The represented countries include Ecuador, Venezuela, Mexico, Brazil, Panama, Uruguay, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Argentina, Cuba and Peru.
The celebrations on Tuesday began with a performance of traditional music and dances from Ecuador. One of the highlights was an entire dance that featured a girl balancing a glass bottle atop her head. The act was so seamless that until she removed it at the end, it seemed to be tied to her head!
Tonight’s performance will include a mariachi band from Mexico, with Paraguay taking the stage tomorrow, and the festival concluding with performances by Cuba and Peru.
The performances are held in the evenings at the Katara drama theater, while the exhibition—which runs till April 29th—is open to all in building 19 between 10:00 am and 10:00 pm. Entry for events is free.
Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim al Sulaiti, the General Manager of the Cultural Village Foundation-Katara, was present at the inauguration along with the VIP diplomatic missions to Doha that were representing the participating countries.
He stated his confidence that the festival will help, “developing in each person a deeper understanding and appreciation of the different art forms related to Latin America and the Caribbean.”
Photo Credit: The Peninsula
