English
The CCCB in Barcelona presents Festival Asia, which is being held between the 15th and 25th of September, with various different settings in the city such as Plaza de los Ángeles, Plaza Joan Coromines, and the Patio de les Dones del CCCB, at the Biblioteca Ateneu Barcelonés. Organised by the Asia House, the festival is a collaborative effort from CCCB, MACBA, The Library of Catalonia, the MERCE festival, the Ayuntamiento of Barcelona, and the Diputacion of Barcelona.
The festival has been held every year, since its first version in 2001, and its objective has always been to encompass, and embody the Asian culture, and bring it within the realms of the Iberian Peninsula, especially Barcelona, which is known for its multicultural diversity. For the 10th edition, the focus has been placed on the countries which constitute Central Asia, a region which extends from the Caspian sea to the outskirts of the Chinese and Russian borders. The area is known for its nomadic villages, as it became known as the silk route, it served as a pathway of ideas and people between Europe and the Middle East.
To celebrate and strengthen the history of this culture, the group Turan from Kazakhstan will open the festival with a mixture of contemporary and traditional sounds from their country, and the general area of Central Asia. The group wear beautiful traditional Mongolian dress, and is made up of four men and a woman, and their music is a harmonious and powerful mix of styles and sounds.
Kazakhstan, a central Asian country classified as one of the world´s most vast, extensive lands is one of the independent Turkish states. It had borders with Russia, China, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Kurdistan. The inheritors of nomadic cultures, they have had to greatly resist and fight against the influences of the cultures of surrounding cultures, survive invasions, and domination, including the Soviet occupation which ran from 1920 until 1991, with the collapse of the Soviet Union.
One interesting figure to take the stage will be Chinese singer Mamer, whose music and interpretation has been influenced by the Nomadic Kazaja culture. Another exciting addition to the festival´s line up with be the warriors from the Mongolian Naadam culture, who will perform their martial arts. The performance will take place over three days, and the men will demonstrate their skills in archery, horse racing, and the famous Mongolian fight, bökh, whereby the only weapon is the human body, as used by warriors such as Genghis Khan.
In the squares of Raval you´ll be able to enter the inside of yurtas – or tents traditionally used by the Mongols; learn fun games typical of the Central Asia area, and enjoy as a family a culture which is almost extinct, and which has played an iconic part in much of our culture like cinema, photography and literature.
With over 30 different offerings of art and culture, the festival will also be playing host to Jazz musician Pe’z from Japan, Pakistani singer Humera Harshad, and Kalari Shangham from India.
For more information http://www.cccb.org/es/musica_i_art_escenic-festival_sia-39040
Nancy Guzman
Being a part of this wonderful festival is easy; just rent apartments in Barcelona and enjoy some days in the sun, and an exciting dose of culture.
Translated by: Poppy
