Miami Student

Issue date: 9/11/07 Section: Community

The fifth annual Latin American and Caribbean UniDiversity Festival visited Oxford Friday night at Uptown Park. The festivities included lively music, dance and crafts. --Michael Pickering

Furry alpacas, steaming quesadillas and lively music filtered through Uptown Park Friday evening, welcoming the fifth Latin American and Caribbean UniDiversity Festival to Oxford.

The event was a cultural celebration of music, dance, food and crafts and took place from 5-10 p.m., sponsored by Miami University's Center for American and World Cultures, among other organizations.

Jacqueline Rioja Velarde, assistant director for the CAWC, said this is the first year the festival included Caribbean culture in order to be as inclusive as possible, and to reach a wider audience. The festival featured three bands, a dance troupe, a petting zoo, traditional crafts and a taste of authentic foods.

"The major purpose of the festival is to give the community an opportunity to know a little more about the Latin American people's background, to celebrate their achievements, and to make others aware of their limiting struggles," Velarde said.

Florda Leptak-Moreau, performer in Kai Kweol, the Caribbean band participating in the event, said the goal of the event is to represent the essence of the Caribbean.

"I want to portray the spirit of the Caribbean, the peace-making people and the many influences including the Spanish, French, and Africans who brought about this melting pot," Leptak-Moreau said.

Paula Gandara, Miami University assistant Portuguese professor and performer in the musical group, Made in Brazil, answered several questions about issues pertaining to Caribbean and Brazilian culture.


Q: How would you describe the overall flavor or feel of Made in Brazil's music?

A: It's Brazilian music and we're playing the classics. We're trying to go from what is more well known here, like bossa nova, to more recent Brazilian music, more contemporary Brazilian that is danced and sung by everyone.

Q: What is the importance of music to the Brazilian culture?

A: It's an intrinsic part of Brazilian culture. There is no corner, no beach in Brazil without a musician. It's probably one of the first things that strike you (as missing) when you move out of Brazil-and not just to the U.S. In Brazil, music is as natural as eating. It's Carnival and samba, a flamboyant way of living, but it doesn't have to be Carnival for us to be singing and dancing. It's any excuse for us to play music. There will not be a party where one person is playing an instrument and everyone else is not singing and dancing.

Continued...

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