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Home > Lifestyle News > Travel News > Article > The world is a festival

The world is a festival

Updated on: 13 January,2011 06:33 AM IST  | 
Aviva Dharmaraj |

The second in this series of must-visit world festivals takes you on a joyride across the globe. Aviva Dharmaraj tells you where to shake a leg at a Tango Festival, how to oil wrestle your way through Turkey, tune into France's coolest jazz festival or play mock wars on Mexico's streets

The world is a festival

The second in this series of must-visit world festivals takes you on a joyride across the globe. Aviva Dharmaraj tells you where to shake a leg at a Tango Festival, how to oil wrestle your way through Turkey, tune into France's coolest jazz festival or play mock wars on Mexico's streets







Performers re-enact the 5 May, 1862, Batalla de Puebla, in Mexico City,
during Cinco de Mayo celebrations. The battle was fought and won
against the French Army. Pic/ AFP


Mariachi music vents the air as singers and dancers perform traditional dances that reflect their varied cultural influences. Thrill rides, fun games, food and the Mariachi mass, also add up into making it an important date on the Mexican calendar.
From: 5 May onwards
Where: Puebla, Mexico
Log on to Cincodemayo.org


>> June: Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling >>
Leather. Lots of oil. Ample testosterone. Let the games begin! The Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling festival -- considered one of the oldest wrestling fests in the world -- is said to have originated out of boredom.


A Turkish oil wrestler celebrates his win at the final of the 642nd historical
Kirkpinar oil wrestling festival in Sarayici, Edirne, 2003. Pic/ AFP


The Ottoman warriors needed to keep their bodies (and minds) busy in the period between raiding the neighbourhood and marching drills, which is when the wrestling festival was born in 1346. The annual event is usually scheduled somewhere around late June. Matches take place in open fields, and end when a wrestler manages to lift an opponent above his head or successfully pin him down.
From: Late June
Where: Near Edirne, Turkey


>> July: Marciac Int Jazz Festival >>
The Marciac International Jazz Festival has four (Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter) sessions throughout the year. It is held in Marciac, a commune in the southwest of France, where jazz is part of the school curriculum.


American musician Wynton Marsalis performs at the international jazz
festival: Jazz in Marciac. PIC/ AFP


Concerts are held every night under a massive makeshift tent erected over a rugby field. The village square forms the venue for free concerts held from 11 in the morning to two in the afternoon. Stalls are put up for the duration of the jazz festival.
From: July concert dates still to be scheduled
Where: Marciac, France
Log on to
www.jazzinmarciac.com


>> August: Tango Festival and World Championship >>
Refer to the Tango as a 'dance form', and risk being scoffed at here. The Tango is no less than a 'cultural expression', they'll have you know.


The World Tango Championship in Buenos Aires sees participation from
Japan, Colombia, New Zealand, Germany, Spain, Chile, Uruguay and 15
other countries. Pic/ AFP


Dancing is serious business in Buenos Aires and the Tango Festival is where dance enthusiasts, local artistes and established names in the industry get together to exchange moves and inspiration. Lessons from trained instructors, concerts, art exhibits, and even a one-minute film festival go into the making of the annual tango celebration.
From: 16 August to 30 August
Where: Buenos Aires, Argentina

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