• Submitted by: manso
• Arts and Culture
• 06 / 25 / 2011

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2011/06/25 12:47:56. Taipei, June 25 (CNA) Son Melao, a five-member music group from Cuba, will perform at the Yilan International Children's Folklore and Folkgame Festival, which is scheduled to kick off in July, diplomatic sources said Saturday.

It will be the first time for the Cuban band to perform at the annual event in Yilan County in northeastern Taiwan between July 7 and Aug. 24 to introduce Cuban music to the Taiwanese audience, the sources said.

The Yilan International Children's Folklore and Folkgame Festival is one of the most important events in the county that promotes folk art and activities originating from Taiwan, as well as from different parts of the world.

In addition to the music from Cuba, the 2011 event will feature performances from visiting folk artists from several countries, including Russia, Czech Republic and Burkina Faso.

Before leaving for Taiwan to participate in the festival, Son Melao visited the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Mexico Thursday and received a warm welcome from office director general Andrea Lee.

Son Melao frequently performs in Mexico to spread Cuban music in the neighboring country.

During the visit, Maria Cristina, head of the Cuban band, sang a Taiwanese folk song - An Old Train Song - after practicing it for a year. She said the group has peppered Cuban musical ingredients into the Taiwanese song and will present the work to the Taiwanese audience during the festival.

Lee said Cuba is a place with a sense of mystery to many people in Taiwan and its internationally renowned music boasts beautiful melodies and an integration with characteristics from the rest of Latin America. He believes the performance by Son Melao will be quite attractive among the Taiwanese audience at the festival.

The official said Taiwan has become a hub for Chinese pop music, while Cuba serves as a cradle of Latin American music. The presence of Son Melao is expected to create a synergy in the arts between the two countries. (By Frances Huang) enditem/ly.

Source: http://focustaiwan.tw/ShowNews/WebNews