Starting yesterday, artists, scholars and groups representing the folk culture of more than 30 nations will participate in a week of celebrations at the 32nd Caribbean Festival, also known as Feast of Fire, in its usual venue of Santiago de Cuba.

Heredia Theater, in this eastern city, some 750 kilometers east of Havana, will host the opening ceremony of the famous festivities, whose activities will be devoted this time to the culture of the island of Martinique.

Personalities with the delegation from Martinique, about 350 guests, will officiate with Orlando Verges, director of the Casa del Caribe, the opening of the holiday that will run through July 9 along more than 1 350 foreign participants.

During this initial day they will also declare open the House of Martinique, which these days show the people of Santiago and foreign guests much of the history and culture of the homeland of the great poet Aimé Césaire, a champion of the negritude movement.

The Casa del Caribe International Award will be granted to several groups representing the traditional folk culture in Eastern Cuba: Santiago Ballet, the Kokoyé Folk Group (carnival music), the Azabache group, the Water Ballet, and the Guancho band(traditional trova).

Also, the sculptor Alberto Santiago Lescay, whose statue of Cuban patriot Antonio Maceo is located in the main square of this city, will open an exhibit of his latest works.

For the original report go to http://www.cadenagramonte.cu/english/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11459:feast-of-fire-dedicated-to-martinique-starts-in-santiago-de-cuba&catid=2:cuba&Itemid=14