São Paulo – This Monday (30) will see the beginning of the traditional Immigrant Fest, whose 25th edition is taking place online. From November 30 to December 6, the event will feature workshops, music and dance performances, handicraft, and delivery of typical foods from 28 different countries, including three Arab ones – Lebanon, Syria and Morocco. Pictured above is an Arab dance performance during last year’s edition.
Today at 7 pm there will be a live stream featuring the dabke folk dance group Yalla Shabab of Lebanon.
At 3 pm on Wednesday (2), Syria’s Anas Obaid will teach a workshop on Arab perfumes, including different types of fragrances and an exposé on manufacturing.
At 5 pm on Friday (4), Syrian teacher sírio Ali Jeratli will offer an introductory course in Arabic language. Seats are limited.
At 6 pm on Sunday (6) the Moroccan folk and belly dance group Sawalef will wrap up the festival.
The performances will air live directly from the old Immigrants’ Lodge in São Paulo’s Brás neighborhood, portraying the heritage of 16 different countries, including Venezuela, Morocco, Croatia, Togo and Guinea-Conakry, Japan, Paraguay, Greece and Lebanon.
The dance, cuisine and handicraft have been previously filmed by the museum and will be available for later viewing, with a pause option available. There will be lessons available on how to cook dishes including Colombia’s patacón, Italy’s fogazza, and Portugal’s escondidinho de bacalhau e natas. No Arab recipes will be featured this year, but Arab dishes ae available for delivery to people’s doorsteps.
Brick-and-mortar editions of the festival usually get 20,000 visitors at the São Paulo Immigration Museum at the old Immigrants’ Lodge complex. This year, as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the event will be held online, and people from all over Brazil will be able to join in and register for different activities.
The festival is designed to showcase the heritage and traditions of various nations, with the involvement of refugee, migrant, and descendant communities.
The online event will stream on the Cultura Em Casa platform of the Secretariat for Culture and Creative Economy of the State of São Paulo, featuring interactive attractions and exclusive material in reference to the communities in the event.
The full program is available on the Immigration Museum website.
Quick facts
25th Immigrant Fest – Online Edition
Nov 30-Dec 6
#CulturaEmCasa
Museu da Imigração
Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
