World Arts Merge at the Festival Internacional Cervantino 

U.S. Embassy Sponsors Performers and Lectures

For over three decades now, the Festival Internacional Cervantino has established itself as a remarkable and unique event. During the festival people from around the world gather in Guanajuato, Mexico to participate and share in a celebration of demonstrations focusing on the artistic expressions of a particular culture or country. The Festival Internacional Cervantino is one of only four other festivals in the world of this type.

Each year a different country is honored, and the artistic traditions of this country are highlighted as the theme for the festival. This year the Festival Internacional Cervantino has selected China as its guest of honor. As a result, the festival will highlight contemporary interpretation of ancient Chinese ceramics, as well as Chinese theater and dance.

The Festival Internacional Cervantino will take place from October 3 -21. The festival will host more than 1, 9000 local and foreign artists from more than 21 different countries, offering a diverse array of art and musical and theatrical performances that will interest people of all ages.

The U.S. Embassy will cosponsor the highly acclaimed entertainer Laurie Anderson, who is an American experimental performance artist and musician. Ms. Anderson is best known for her recorded albums; however she is also the inventor of the tape bow violin, which has a tape head in place of strings, and a strip of magnetic tape in place of the hairs on a bow. In addition to her performances, Laurie Anderson will give a master class on October 6, 2007 from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm in University of Guanajuato Law School.

The U.S. Embassy is also cosponsoring The Meridian Arts Ensemble, a group of five brass players and one percussionist based in New York City. This group has performed all over the world and has changed the face of brass chamber music through innovative repertoire and high-octane performances. The Meridian Arts Ensemble will give a master class on contemporary repertoire for brass chamber music on October 19, 2007 at 10:00 am in the University of Guanajuato School of Music, and also perform on October 20, 2007 at 8:00 pm in the Ex Hacienda San Gabriel de Barrera.