It is interesting to share the wonderful and challenging moments in the history of the Argentinean National Day Festival Celebration. The committee pioneered the idea of sharing with the Argentine, Hispanic and international communities some of the food, arts, and culture of Argentina. It has always been a pleasure to showcase events in Arlington and to present young artists and famous performers at the acclaimed "Festival Argentino."
With great enthusiasm the Argentinean National Day Celebration Committee invites you to become acquainted with its long commitment to promote cultural activities to benefit humanitarian causes and schools in Argentina. For over 25 years, we are honored to participate, to serve, and to share our cultural heritage with diverse communities. The Festival Argentino has been Washington, D.C. area’s only local National Day Festival celebrating Argentina’s diverse musical traditions with live Argentine performances by artists based both in the United States and Argentina.
Our 25th anniversary goal is to celebrate with MC Mario Martinez y Palacios and Patricia Romiti and Top Level Folklore, TAIS "Luna Testigo", Son Ellas a young vocal trio of folk, ballads-latino rhythm, Daniel Bouchet "Tango Showman," Miguel Dur-Rioplatense acclaimed singer folk & tango, Pampa Cortés, a former principal dancer of "Forever Tango" has enjoyed a 50-year career as a professional dancer. His clean footwork and elegant masculinity have inspired thousands of people, encouraging them to achieve greater skill in their own dance. All Pampa Cortés’s workshops are very popular and in high demand. Pampa brings two dancers to share the stage with him. He will perform the sensual and elegant tango with Lisette Perelle and the charming country dances with Gigi Jensen. Pampa Cortés and Gigi Jensen will teach "two days workshops" of Tango Argentino! Visit www.pampatangosoul.com www.festivalargentinousa.com.
Victorio Menghi will present two songs from "Tango Fusion World Tour." Additional performers include the locals Cristian Perez ‘Ensemble,’ a guitar ensemble that interprets Tango in a fresh, elegant, and passionate way, and draws heavily upon the repertoire of the great Astor Piazzolla; Cantoral TR3S showcases the best of Argentine and Latin American Folklore and celebrates the great Argentine poets. The well-known local Capital Tangueros Dancers round out the program, including dancers Tino and Susan judging a tango contest; Carlos Gutierrez and Victoria Bakhtina are doing a tango show and Camilla Ng with Rana Karjawally in Milonga "Honoring Pablo Fontana and Anne Sophie’s Villé," and Patricio Lizárraga and his Latin Dancers.
We are extending our invitation to join our celebration to all people to partake in our culture and musical traditions. All artists performances will be held inside the theater, where you also will find that this community-based festival also features Argentine cuisine a menu of choice Argentinean foods by Il Bastone will be available for purchase. The committee is selling indoor-outdoor food tickets sales so that attendees will be able to taste famous Argentinean food such as asado, chori-pan, empanadas, tartas, and pastries. The Series Festival-Embassy 2012 also features exhibits, arts and crafts, truco, jewelry makers, tourism, the book of Emilio Mignone, "Honoring Malvinas Argentina."
As an additional incentive and token of appreciation to all attendees, a raffle of two round trip tickets from Miami to Buenos Aires via Argentine Airlines is included in the admission ticket. This event will occur May 19, at the Thomas Jefferson Theater, 125 South Old Glebe Road in Arlington. Admission ($20 in advance at www.Tickeri.com; or $30 at the door) (some proceeds benefit a school in Argentina). For information, visit www.festivalargentinoUSA.com , or 703-212-5850.
We hope that the newly appointed Argentinean ambassador to the United States of America, Jorge Argüello, will continue to support the cultural activities of the community, and the Argentinean Festival. On behalf of the Argentinean Committee, I hereby extend my most sincere appreciation, and would especially like to thank the members of the committee for all their dedication, commitment and hard work, and for the support they have given me in the past years.
My gratitude also goes out to our collaborators: Eduardo Zavala, Carmen Martínez, Nelly Salay, Ernesto Rosell, Norberto Requejo, Stan Weinstein, Juan Carlos Fuentes, Eddie Arrossi, Andrea y Leo Ruggeri, Pedro Gutiérrez, Martha, Mauricio y Kenny Manzano, Alicia Vicentini, Bret Tate, LTC José María Martínez Rodríguez, Francisco Pizzi, Silvio Puccio, Eduardo Varas, Juan Gonzalez, Mario Martínez y Palacios y Patricia Romiti, Alfonso Berthier Latinbag.com, Elba Agusti, Centro Cultural BIB, C. Virgen del Luján, Alex y Laura of Il Bastone, Secretary of International Defense Lic. Alfredo Forti and all participants.
I want to convey my most sincere thanks to Francisco Lopez Achaval Cultural Secretary Embassy of Argentina, Mary Hynes, Walter Tejada, Chris Zimmerman of the Arlington County Board, Sherri L. Perper, Joan J. Lynch of the Arlington County Cultural Affairs, Hal Crawford, and Karen M. Vasquez, director of the Arlington County Cultural Affairs and our media story collaborator The Washington Post.
The program is supported in part by Arlington County Cultural Affairs Division of Arlington Economic Development and the Arlington Commission for the Arts www.ArlingtonArts.org. The auspices of the Embassy of Argentina. Co-Sponsors: Argentine Airlines; Telemundo; Hola Ciudad.com, Romántica 900; Turismo Buenos Aires La Provincia; PNC Bank; Verizon Wireless, CapitalWirePR; GWICC; El Comercio Newspaper; Eco de Virginia, McKenna Long Alridge; Washington Hispanic, Que Creative; LatinBag.com; Kesta Happening; Embassy of Uruguay; Gestiòn Argentina, Dr. Bauman & Stoleru & Crisp & Juicy. Thanks to all volunteers, local and direct argentine artists, advertisers, media supporters, Data Eventos - exhibitors, books, and collaborators. Festival Argentino is partially supported by funding from the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Daniel Manzoni
Chairman
Festival Argentino
Arlington