With broad participation of young Cubans artists from New Zealand and Australia, was held between 4th and 6th of March the Aotearoa Cuban Festival. As has been a tradition in recent years, the city of Rotorua served as host to this festival, establishing itself as an important event in New Zealand’s summer cultural calendar.
During the opening ceremony, the Cuban ambassador, Mario Alzugaray, thanked the welcome following a traditional Maori ceremony performed by local groups. On behalf of Cuban visitors, he expressed appreciation to all institutions and personalities supporting the promotion of Cuban dance and music in New Zealand. Afterwards, the Cuban artists responded with a Yoruba chant that delighted all those present.
The program this year was very intense, highlighting the presence of workshops and sessions of the most diverse rhythms that are part of the wide range of Cuban dances under the artistic direction of choreographer and dancer Greydis Montero Liranza, now venturing into the mix Maori and Cuban rhythms. The event was also hosted by a large number of schools and instructors, including Cuban Fusion, created by Rafael Ferrer in Wellington; Cuban Accent, a project of Ernesto Zuniga in Auckland; Isbert Vivio Ramos, a leading dancer also in New Zealand’s largest city; Alejandro Espinosa, creator of Tromba, the biggest Latino event in Melbourne; Israel Ortiz Castellanos, who founded the Cuban Dance Company in Australia and now teaches regularly in Brisbane; and Piter Pantoja, who with his partner Emma Dawson runs the school The Dance Pad in Adelaide. Special acknowledgments to Christina Monneron, born in Mauritius, but formed in the Conjunto Folklorico Nacional de Cuba; and the pair of Gene Segura and Tania Da Silva, representatives of urban rythms and faithful lovers of reggaeton.
The popularity of this event and the growing acceptance of Latin rhythms in New Zealand, with emphasis on Cuban dances, in 2017 portends greater participation and success for the Cuban Festival Aotearoa.