Experts in Cuban Forum about Afro-descendants

Havana, Jan 4. -Academics, researchers and artists from Spain, Venezuela, Argentina, Brazil, Ecuatorial Guinea, Portugal and Cuba will begin on Wednesday in this capital the XVI Scientific Workshop on Afro American Social and Cultural Anthropology and the V Festival of Oral Narration.Both events will be held in the House of Africa, attached to the Office of the Historian of Havana City, until January 7.

Both forums will stimulate reflection on issues such as culture and identity, the African Diaspora, resistance and maroons, oral history visual anthropology, religion and the role of museums in the community.

On the opening day, the Havana City Historian, Eusebio Leal Spengler, will deliver a lecture to mark the 26 anniversary of the foundation of the House of Africa and later Herman van Hoff, general director of the Regional Office for Culture of Latin America and the Caribbean of UNESCO, will give a special presentation on topics related to the forum.

The photo exhibition of musical instruments and dances of Ecuatorial Guinea and the Maferefum painting exhibition of Cuban artist Nelson Jose Garcia are two examples of works exploring African roots through art.

The books The Silence of the Garifuna and The Voice of the Garifuna, from the researcher Bienvenido Rojas, will also be presented at these meetings, which open the cultural program of the capital's historic center in 2012. (Prensa Latina)