The rhythmic beat of drums once again echoed through the “Ilé de la Rumba.” The “Taita’s House”—a space dedicated to safeguarding Haitian and Afro-Cuban roots. As part of the 32nd Ibero-American Culture Festival opened its doors. The “La Campana” Folkloric Company served as host. Welcoming Mexico as the guest of honor for an event that, following a two-year hiatus, has brought the city back to life.
Also the inauguration was far from a mere formal ceremony. It bore the signature style of the house: music, dance, and a call for peace. A theme that will be central to the three performances scheduled for today, tomorrow, and Thursday 29th at the Holguin-based group’s headquarters. The program features drumming for peace. A tradition the center has cultivated as part of its mission to preserve indigenous values that arrived from Africa and took root in eastern Cuba.
Founded on July 19th, 1993, by Francisco Griñán Sánchez, “La Campana” is no impromptu ensemble assembled just for the festival. With three decades of continuous work. Its repertoire is built upon Franco-Haitian and Afro-Cuban roots encompassing Yoruba, rural, and popular traditions. Currently directed by dancer and choreographer Ernesto Benítez Suárez. The group has successfully bridged the gap between tradition and the contemporary stage. With works such as “From the Drum to the French Tomb”, *Arara, Güiros y Orishas*, and Haitian Roots.
The group’s base at the “Ilé de la Rumba” is no coincidence. It is a place where the company does more than just rehearse. It also welcomes those who wish to learn. In previous years, dancers from countries such as Bolivia have come to this space to take rumba classes. A testament to the fact that arts education, the central theme of this year’s Party, is also a daily practice at La Campana.
Mexico’s participation as the guest country of honor brings a delegation that will visit more than 14 venues throughout the event. Including the *Ilé de la Rumba* itself. This is no small detail: the Ibero-American Culture Festival was founded in 1993 on the initiative of Armando Hart Dávalos, then Minister of Culture. With the goal of building bridges between the nations of the Ibero-American community. Three decades later, that mission is renewed with the arrival of representatives from Panama, the United States, Chile, Colombia, the Netherlands, and New Zealand, alongside the Mexican delegation.
The 32nd edition of the party operates under a self-financing model. A decision the organizers explain as part of the country’s ongoing economic transformations. Centered on the theme “Ancestral Cultures, Contemporary Perspectives,” this edition focuses on arts education. An emphasis that aligns directly with the work of La Campana and the educational efforts carried out in spaces like the *El Alba* Regional Academy.
Moreover the general program includes the 21st Ibero-American Congress of Thought at the *La Periquera* Provincial Museum, the Ibero-American Colloquium on Literature, the Rural Culture Festival in Velasco. And, for the first time, the HG Metal Rock Festival. This diversity of offerings does not diminish the core focus: the memory of one’s roots.
Meanwhile, at the *Ilé de la Rumba*, the drums will continue to sound until October 29th. In this way, the Taita’s House fulfills its promise: to provide a space where ancestral cultures are not mere museum pieces. But a living, breathing reality: danced, and passed on to others.
By: Daimy Peña Guillén
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