To announce that the show was about to begin, all the groups taking part in the VIII International Folklore Festival of La Cala de Mijas started a colourful parade through the seaside town. When they arrived at the Plaza del Torreón, they found a great atmosphere: many locals and visitors, who were surprised by this multicultural scene. 

The Asociación Folclórica Sur de Andalucía had the collaboration of the Department for Culture of the Mijas Town Hall for the event. The festival was also sponsored by the Spanish National Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO. Five dance groups from very different destinations performed on stage, offering the audience a very impressive show.

In addition to the host group, Sur de Andalucía, directed by the veteran Rafi Cuevas, participating this year were the group Ánima i poble from Xirivella, province of Valencia; the Asociación Argentina Martín Fierro, from Alhaurín de La Torre; the Flamenca Azabache company from Fuengirola and, from Tibet, the Himalayan Cultural Foundation. 

A multicultural meeting

The directors of the five groups welcomed the attendees. Rafi Cuevas said that she was "very happy" with the reception of this year's multicultural meeting. "Our aim is to promote the dance and folklore of the different groups, to share traditions and, why not, to meet new people and new customs, which is always very enriching", said Cuevas. 

Cuevas recalled that this festival is "an idea that started back in 1990 and was resumed, after a break, eight years ago", and has become another cultural and tourist attraction in the municipality, with greater acceptance every year.  

"The Sur de Andalucía group goes abroad to dance and then the groups come here, they are cultural exchanges that we do and this is something that enriches us a lot", said Pilar Cantos, a member of the Asociación Folclórica Sur de Andalucía. Regarding the groups, she said that "tonight we have very nice groups, but without a doubt the group coming from Tibet is the big attraction, they are attracting a lot of attention".

"This is a very beautiful experience for us, this town is beautiful, getting here has been quite an adventure and, although I have visited many countries, this one seems very warm and wonderful and I am very grateful for the invitation we have received from the group Sur de Andalucía", said the director of the Himalayan Cultural Foundation, L.P. Pontsang. 

The show lasted more than two hours at the Torreón Square in La Cala. After the show, all the groups went on stage and exchanged gifts. Also the councillor for Culture, Juan Carlos Maldonado (PMP), gave a souvenir to each dance group on behalf of the Town Hall and addressed a few words to the audience. 

"This event is a reflection of what Mijas is, a very multicultural municipality, where more than a hundred nationalities live together and where more than 40 percent of the population is from abroad. I would like to congratulate the organisers and say that we will continue to organise more international folklore festivals with the support of the Town Hall, we are going to make a strong commitment to consolidate this event", said the councillor. A folklore festival, therefore, that will return next summer 

Share it with this link: https://mijasint.com/?a=31684