LETTERS: The 14th Latin American Festival of Kuala Lumpur will take place on June 11.
Expectations are high as the last edition in September 2022 was a magnificent show of colours, flavours and music that dazzled around 10,000 attendees.
It was jointly organised by the Group of Latin America and Caribbean Countries, Plaza Low Yat, Federal Hotels International and the Latin Women's Association of Malaysia, with the support of Kuala Lumpur City Hall.
Although the festival had closed its doors for two years due to the pandemic, the people of KL remembered the magnitude of this party. They returned to Commons KL in 2022 to fully enjoy everything that the seven participating Latin American embassies had to offer.
The stage was filled with artistes from every participating country, who brought a sample of their culture. The embassy booths offered delicious food and drinks, many of them prepared by the Latin American communities themselves following traditional recipes.
The icing on the cake was the raffle. Many people won prizes of all kinds and one person got the grand prize — a trip to Latin America courtesy of Turkish Airlines.
All proceeds from the event were donated to Yayasan Orang Buta Malaysia, which provides services to blind and visually impaired people and family members. The foundation used the funds to buy Braille typewriters.
The 2023 festival will be an even bigger and a more diverse event since two more Latin countries, Uruguay and Venezuela, are joining in the celebration.
The stage will feature performances such as tango from Argentina and Uruguay, capoeira from Brazil, folkloric dances from Mexico and Chile, Colombian and Cuban music, Andean music from Peru and the traditional Joropo dances from Venezuela, along with multi-coloured traditional attire.
In addition, many prizes will be raffled off. Tickets can be obtained that day at the booth of the Latin Women's Association of Malaysia.
Proceeds from the festival will be donated to Selangor Cheshire Home, an organisation that helps people in need. Youths with disability — from all backgrounds — will be trained for employment in the hospitality industry through The Food Cabin Café.
The 14th Latin American Festival of Kuala Lumpur is a celebration that no one in the city or its surroundings should miss.
It is a unique opportunity to bring Malaysia and Latin American countries closer.
EMBASSY OF MEXICO
Kuala Lumpur
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times