Hola, Mexico: Big Festival of Mexican Culture in Downtown Minsk
On 27 September, Upper Town (Verkhniy Gorod) in Minsk hosted the festival of Mexican Culture "Hola, Mexico" organised with support from A1. The Festival has brought together about 20,000 people. Here is a digest of how the city celebrated a magical world of Mexican traditions, music, and cuisine.
From 12:00 to 17:00, Svobody Square became a spot for a variety of exciting Latin American activities. People were taking part in master classes in electrifying Mexican dances, enjoying Mexican cuisine in the food court, doing quizzes on Mexican history and culture, and capturing their happy moments in unique photo zones. The attendees that wore Mexico-inspired clothes and costumes got instant photos of their looks. Kids were excited about activity-packed play areas and soap bubble show.
In addition to the uplifting vibes, attendees were keeping themselves warm with delicious Mexican punch. The unique punch recipe infused with chili pepper was praised by hundreds of guests.
The concert started with a welcoming speech by Dmitry Basik, Head of America Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, Eduardo Villegas Mejias, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Mexico to Belarus, and Helmut Duhs, Director General at А1. All speakers commented on the grand scope of this year's festival — which made its debut last September, and expressed hope that this amazing tradition will continue into the future.
The celebration culminated with the National Presidential Orchestra of the Republic of Belarus performing the soul-touching mariachi music. The Upper Town stage brought together two iconic maestros, Vitaly Kulbakov, the chief conductor of the National Presidential Orchestra, and the prominent Mexican conductor Rafael Palacios, Doctor of Musical Arts at Sorbonne University, Professor at National Superior Conservatory of Paris for Music and Dance.
The public had a chance to enjoy traditional folklore songs as well as lyrical melodies spiced up with energetic rhythms. The performance ended with Huapango, the unofficial second national anthem of Mexico that encapsulates musical motifs from all over the country.
The festival was organised by the Minsk City Executive Committee, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, and the Embassy of Mexico. The event was also supported by А1, a company under the umbrella of A1 Group, which in 2014 became a European subdivision of the América Móvil international holding, one of the world's leading telecom providers with a head office in Mexico.
