The 27th Choir International Festival began Tuesday and included a gala dedicated to guerrilla fighter Ernesto Che Guevara on the 40th anniversary of his death.

A concert by the Orfeon Santiago choir, directed by master Electo Silva, took place at the 27th Choir International Festival, which is held every two years in the city of Santiago de Cuba, located in the eastern region of the island.

Dedicated to guerrilla fighter Ernesto Guevara on the 40th anniversary of his death, one of the most awaited moments of the gala was the performance of Canción antigua a Che Guevara, with texts written by Mirta Aguirre and music by Electo Silva. It was sung by the Orfeón and Coro Sirena choirs from the Esteban Salas Elementary Music School.

The festival will gather a dozen renowned choirs, such as the National Choir, Exaudi, Polifónico de La Habana, the choirs from Villa Clara and Matanzas, Corávila from Ciego de Ávila and Euterpe from Las Tunas. Until November 25, these choirs will join their voices with their counterparts from Santiago de Cuba to defend the tradition of choir, deeply rooted in the inhabitants of that region.

Among the foreign choirs taking part in the festival are those from the Nagua Regional University Center, from the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republican; the Kotton Laudo choir from Finland, and the Aurora Chorialls group from Canada.

The festival, which will last one week, will take its performances to some of the most renowned stages of the province and its participants will also sing at workplaces, art schools and city plazas.

The festival will end with a concert in which all the choirs will take part under the motto "Life is Singing."

The Symphonic Orchestra of the Eastern Region, together with the Orfeon Santiago choir and the Childrens Choir will perform Cantata al Che, written and directed by Electo Silva in tribute to Ernesto Che Guevara.
(Juventud Rebelde)