FESTIVAL participants in Indonesia are looking forward to today’s performance of Cebuano Sinulog dancers who are the sole Philippine delegation to the Culture Carnival for the World Culture Festival in Purwakarta, West Java.
The group impressed Indonesian officials and guests at the festival’s welcome dinner Wednesday night.
They performed a 15-minute sinulog with hints of Cebu’s history and roots incorporated in the dance choreographed by Basak-San Nicolas captain Norman Navarro.
“Our delegation was a crowd favorite and our (Sinulog) festival queen was probably the most-photographed delegate for the whole night,” said Ricky Ballesteros, executive director of the Sinulog Foundation.
Sinulog Festival Queen 2015 Julienne Hazel Penserga leads the delegation with Hall of Fame Sinulog dancers Tribu Lumad Basakanon of barangay Basak-San Nicolas.
They will perform before a bigger audience today at the closing night of the World Culture Festival. Organizers expect a crowd of over 2 million.
Ballesteros recalled that in last year’s Asia-Pacific Culture Carnival in Purwakarta, the Indonesians showed their appreciation for the Basakanon and Philippine delegation as the night closed with cheers of “Mabuhay, Philippines!”
“Being part of this festival is a way for Cebu to show its culture, especially the Sinulog, to an international audience. This event is all about cultural exchange and promoting unity with other nations. It also helps us remember the beauty of our own,” said festival queen Penserga.
The Purwakarta World Culture Festival celebrates the traditional culture of various countries.
This year, the Philippine delegation was invited by the Indonesian government and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Secretariat.
Other countries performing during the festival include Indonesia, Italy, South Africa, Mexico, Egypt, Turkey, India, Brunei, China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar.
The Indonesian government is celebrating the 184th anniversary of Purwakarta and the 47th anniversary of the Purwakarta Agency.