Rumba in
Cuba, the beer culture in Belgium and merengue in the Dominican Republic are
among 33 new elements inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the
Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, from a total of 37 nominations.
The selection
was made during the 11th session of an Intergovernmental Committee that met in
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from Nov. 28 to Dec. 2 (see previous SWAN article).
The
inscription of rumba came shortly after the death of former Cuban leader Fidel
Castro on Nov. 25, giving the timing added significance. The music and its
related dance have been an important aspect of Cuban culture since the late
1800s, growing out of African traditions, and later supported by Castro's revolutionary government.
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| A group of "rumbers" in Cuba. (Photo: M. Hernandez) |
Community involvement
is an important aspect of all this, and Belgian political representatives
expressed delight at the inclusion of the country’s beer-drinking tradition, alongside the other elements on the List.
Rudi
Vervoort, Minister-President of the Brussels-Capital Region, said: “The beer
culture is something Belgians are proud of, something that has been a part of
our society since time immemorial, and which has garnered international
appreciation. I hope that this recognition will contribute to encouraging
Belgians to share our beer culture throughout the world with even more pride.”
The
Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity now numbers
366 elements and “shows the diversity of this heritage and raises awareness of
its importance,” UNESCO stated after the meeting.
For more
information: http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/en/lists
