Pitt to Host 22nd Annual Latin American & Caribbean Festival Event Kicks Off International Week Activities

September 25, 2001

PITTSBURGH—The University of Pittsburgh invites the campus and community to celebrate the diverse cultures of Latin America at its 22nd annual Latin American & Caribbean Festival, 1 p.m. until midnight Saturday, September 29, in the William Pitt Union on the Pitt campus.

Sponsored by Pitt's Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS), the Festival features exhibits, arts, and crafts from Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador, Peru, and Uruguay. Also offered is a sampling of cuisine from Cuba, Jamaica, Peru, and Puerto Rico, with desserts available from several other Latin American and Caribbean countries.

Beginning at 1 p.m., music will be provided by the Caribbean Vibes Steel Band, followed throughout the day by Brazilian Sambas and Argentinean music of Tangos. Dances from Peru, vocals from Venezuela, and the voices of El Coro Latinoamerico also will be featured. Members of the Latin Cultural Union, dressed in traditional clothing, will perform dances from many countries and regions of Latin America. From 8 to 8:45 p.m., Marlon Silva will instruct the audience on how to dance the Salsa, before the Festival concludes with three hours of dancing to the sounds of Miguel Sague´ and Guaracha.

Free and open to the public, the Latin American & Caribbean Festival is the kickoff event of International Week, Sept. 29 to Oct. 5. Other events open to the public include an African Festival, 12 to 4 p.m. Monday, Oct. 1, in the William Pitt Union; a town meeting on globalization, at noon Wednesday, Oct. 3, in Room 3J12 Posvar Hall, 230 S. Bouquet Street; and a case study on Mongolia, 2:30 p.m. Oct. 3, in Room 3J12 Posvar Hall.

For more information on International Week or the Latin American & Caribbean Festival and a complete list of sponsors, contact CLAS at 412/648-7397, or visit the Web site, www.ucis.pitt.educ/clas.

###

9/25/01/mgc