Manama: The Latin American Cultural Festival (LACF) in Qatar will be turned into an annual event, the president of Katara, the Cultural Village of Doha, has said.
The 10-day inaugural festival begins on Thursday and will feature music, dances and films.
"At Katara, we focus on continuity and building further," Abdul Rahman Al Khulaifi told Qatari daily Gulf Times.
"The Middle East and Latin America share a deep cultural wealth. Katara is dedicated to creating platforms that share this wealth and bridges cultural gaps," he said at the launch of the event, the daily reported on Wednesday.
Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela are the participating countries.
LACF brings together over 230 artistes and performers with the embassies playing a key role in nominating the participants and films.
Ambassadors Victor Manuel Lagos Pizzati (El Salvador), Javier Escalante-Madrigal (Costa Rica), Armando Vergara Bueno (Cuba), Jose Luis Remedi (Uruguay), Anuar Nahes (Brazil), Hugo Guiliani (Dominican Republic), deputy chief of mission Cesar Aristegui (Peru) and charge d'affaires Fernando Cemtemo (Venezuela) were among the diplomats who attended the event.
The festival will have 15 performances and eight film screenings that highlight Latin America's history and art through an array of traditional, folkloric and modern art expressions.
The opening night will feature a music show by Pancho Amat Y Su Cabildo Del Son and Johnny Ventura, from Cuba and Dominican Republic, respectively.
Dois Filhos De Francisco, a movie based on the true story of two Brazilian musicians, Zeze di Camargo and his brother Luciano, will be screened.
The film was one of Brazil's most successful in the last 20 years and the biggest box office draw of 2005. The closing event is a concert by popular Brazilian musician Jorge Ben Jor.
The Caribbean Gems classical concert will be held at Katara's Opera House on October 10.
