The city of Jacmel will host for the first time from 19 to 24 July 2013, the International Festival of Arts and Popular Traditions. Organized jointly by the Ministries of Culture, Tourism and the International Council of Organizations of Festivals and Folklore (CIOFF Haiti), the Festival intends to sustain the arts and traditions among the participating countries.

"Promoting respect for Haitian arts and popular traditions, especially those of the South-East, allowing the Haitian public to enjoy the arts and popular traditions of other countries, and finally, preserve the cultural identity," are the goals for this first edition of the International Festival of Popular Arts and Traditions in Haiti.

Groups of dance, inging and music from several countries such as Brazil, Poland, the United States, Venezuela, Cuba and Mexico are expected to Jacmel and Port-au-Prince for this Festival. Each foreign delegations will consist of a delegation of 15 to 30 professional of arts and popular traditions of their respective countries.

This festival, which will begin on July 19 with a parade on the Avenue Barranquilla of Jacmel, will end with a show at the Historical Park of the Sugar cane on July 24. At the agenda of these five days of exchange : guided tours of the historic center of Jacmel, exhibitions of traditional arts at tourist port and shows to the beach Congo. In Port-au-Prince, shows to the Fokal, to the French Institute and at Café Trio are also planned.

Organizers hope to make the festival a milestone for the Haitian public and the foreign visitors from abroad "The promotion of tourism passes through the arts and popular traditions," say the organizers.

Ms. Joane Dithny Raton, Departmental Director of Tourism South East, insisted on the impact of the Festival for the tourism sector of the region "In addition to the development of skills of our craftsmen, the Festival will also allow the public to visit our tourist sites in South East."

HL/ HaitiLibre