São Paulo – Next weekend there will be partying in Campinas. The city in the interior of the state of São Paulo is going to celebrate 30 years of Arab events. There will be music performances, exhibitions, and even a tour route. The celebration will begin at 7:30 pm on Friday (7) and end on Sunday (9).
On the first day, Centro de Convivência Cultural Carlos Gomes (Carlos Gomes Cultural Interaction Centre) will host a literary soirée focusing on the influence of Arab music and literature in Brazil, featuring Sami Bordokan, William Bordokan, Cláudio Kairos, Aida Gamal and Luciana Festi. There will be music performances and poetry readings. The event’s opening should be attended by the ambassador of Jordan, Ramez Goussous, the ambassador of Palestine, Ibrahim Alzeben, and the mayor of Campinas, Demétrio Vilagra, according to the festival’s curator and superintendent of the Jerusalem Institute in Brazil, Ali El-Khatib.
After the soirée, a series of exhibitions on Arab culture will open at the Bernardo Caro Gallery, in the cultural centre. After the inauguration there will be a cocktail party. Khatib claims that the city is the only one to host an exhibition of this kind. “This is our way to value Arab presence not only in Campinas, but in the state of São Paulo and, why not, in all of Brazil,” he says.
At 12:00 pm on Sunday, a dancing festival will take place at the interaction centre marquee. The celebration will even include tourism, with Roteiro Turístico-Cultural Árabe de Campinas (the Arab Cultural Tour Route of Campinas) and Roteiro Turístico do Café (Coffee Tour Route).
According to him, a city bus will take visitors to places in the city whose architecture or history relates to the Arab world. The route includes bandstands at Praça do Teatro José de Castro Mendes (José de Castro Mendes Theatre Square), Lago do Pará Square, Palácio dos Azulejos (the Azulejos Palace), the Municipal Market, three private houses, the Mosque at São Quirino park, São Charbel Maronite Church, in the Flamboyant neighbourhood, and Parque da Paz e Memorial Yasser Arafat (Yasser Arafat Peace Park and Memorial). The program is free of charge.
According to Khatib, in 1981 the city hosted an Arab culture exhibit devised by professor Helmi Nasr, the International Relations vice president at the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce. “The exhibit was supposed to take place at the University of São Paulo (in the capital of the namesake country), but did not go through, so we brought it to Campinas. Later on, we held seminars [on the Arab world], we had a Palestinian singer over, we even have a park that is a tribute to Yasser Arafat,” he says.
Service
Place: Centro de Convivência Cultural Carlos Gomes – Imprensa Fluminense square, no number, Centre
Tel.: (+55 19) 3232-4168
Further information
Tel.: (+55 19) 3243-8329
E-mail: institutojerusalembr@terra.com.br
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
