Latino Festival to begin today

Today marks the beginning of the 11th Annual Festival Latino de Penn, a week-long event which honors Latin American achievement and culture. Tonight's keynote speaker, Yale University doctoral candidate Luis Recalde, will discuss the developing power structures in Latin American history as influenced by Columbus and the Spanish Conquest. Recalde will talk from the perspective of indigenous peoples and blacks. The speech will be held at 8 p.m. in the Ben Franklin Room at Houston Hall. Charity Guerra, president of the Latino sorority ACELA, the Asociacion Cultural de Estudiantes Latino Americano, said she enjoys the opportunities the festival provides for all the University's members. "It gives different people from all walks of life who represent all the different nationalities, traditions and cultures, to learn about each other," said the College junior. Movimiento Estudiantio Chicano de Atzlan President and Wharton junior Joe Quesada agreed, saying "the festival is a time in which we all can come together . . . and celebrate Latino culture. The point is for everyone to learn a little more about Latino culture." Festival Latino de Penn is an annual event which was started over a decade ago by various Latin American cultural groups, Co-Chairperson Lucy Kinosian said. Events open to the public will continue all week. Samba, salsa and merengue dance lessons are available from a professional instructor from 8 to 10 p.m. in McClelland Hall, Latino Week Festival organizer Lucy Kinosian said. Wednesday night features a performance by Sarav Bahia, a Brazilian dance troupe. The group, which specializes Bahia and Rio de Jenairo style dances, will be in the Houston Hall Auditorium from 8 to 9 p.m. "There aren't any outlets to hear salsa and merengue," Quesada said. "If you don't know how to dance the music, [instructors] will teach you how. "I am surprised that people you wouldn't necessarily see are there, like international Latino students," Quesada added. Arts and crafts representative of Latino culture will be sold on Locust Walk all day Thursday. In addition, the Puerto Rican students' association ADEPEP will sell virgin pina coladas. Thursday night Francis Negron-Muntaner will present Latino poets from the local Philadelphia area. The poets will read in the Ben Franklin Room at 8 p.m. from Los Limites del Silencio, an anthology of their works. A Puerto Rican folk lore ensemble will be held Friday night from 8 to 10 p.m. in the Christian Association auditorium. Los Pleneros del Batey, a group that performs Puerto Rican lyrical dance music, will offer a style of story-telling set to traditional music. Two events Saturday night end the week of celebration. A Mexican dinner will be served in McClelland Hall from 6 to 8 p.m. The week's celebrations will culminate in the Ritmo Latino, a Latin American fiesta complete with two live bands in the Bodek Lounge from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. All the week's events except the Saturday night dinner are free of charge and open to everyone.

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