The upcoming 31st Caribbean Festival of Fire/Fiesta del fuego will take place in its traditional venue of Santiago de Cuba on July 1-8 and on this occasion it will be an opportunity to get closer to the culture of English-speaking Caribbean countries as the event will be dedicated to Trinidad and Tobago.

More than 400 artists from T&T will travel to Santiago to show the best of their traditions, including typical costumes, craftwork, cuisine and plastic arts, and, of course, their dance and musical rhythms, the calypso, the soca, and their world famous steel bands.

Orlando Vergés, director of Casa del Caribe, which promotes the festival, said on Thursday that the recognition of the nations of this cultural and geographical area is essential for them to face their social, political and economic challenges. Vergés announced that, for the first time, representatives from several countries of Eastern Europe will participate in the festival bringing typical dances and other forms of cultural expression.

More than 1,300 people from 25 countries will participate in the annual fiesta which aims at highlighting the cultural expressions of the Caribbean region, which will be on colorful display through the many carnival-style parades held during the week along the majority of the streets in Santiago. The festival also features traditional and popular music bands that constantly perform through the day with dancers and folkloric groups that are part of the traditional Fire Fiesta procession.