Danzon , genre designated as Cuba’s National Dance, will be declared National Cultural Heritage this during the awards ceremony at the Cubadanzón 2013 International Festival to be held in Matanzas from November 21 through the 24.
This distinction was vested in it by the National Monuments Commission, after a rigorous assessment, MSc. Bielka Cantillo , provincial director of the Cultural Heritage Center , said and added they have long been maturing the idea, due to the importance for the city, where Miguel Faílde played this genre for the first time .
The first Danzon, known as Simpson Heights, debuted in the late nineteenth century, in the Club of Matanzas. It was nnamed like that as a tribute to a place where they used to give parties and dances, and Matanzas youth gathered at the time.
“This dance is considered an example of intangible cultural heritage for the contribution Faílde made to the nationality Cuban culture, and endures to this day in the memory of all Cubans,” Cantillo said
The festival will feature dancers and researchers from Cuba and Latin America, primarily Mexicans, Venezuelans and Colombians.
The event will begin on Thursday night with a special performance by the Concert Band of Matanzas. Competitive activities will follow at the Palacio del Danzon Miguel Faílde, where involved couples from around the country will show their skills.
The executions of this elegant cultural expression will be accompanied by orchestras, including Sonora Lira Matancera, who will be offered a gala tribute.
For this edition of the Cubadanzón International Festival, Matanzas will dress with its festive attire to welcome a genre which it gave birth to and helped it to be baptized, at that time, as the Athens of Cuba.
By: Lis Garcia Arango
