Thanks,
dina
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 3, 2007
Contact: Lolita D. Carter, Festival Director
(619) 444-7528
23nd PHILIPPINE CULTURAL ARTS FESTIVAL IN BALBOA PARK
HELD ON AUGUST 11 and 12, 2007
The 23nd Philippine Cultural Arts Festival will be held on August 11 and 12, 2007 Saturday and Sunday, in Balboa Park at the corner of Park Boulevard and Presidents Way. A yearly production of the Samahan Filipino American Performing Arts & Education Center, the Festival runs from 11:00 am- 5:00 pm both days. Admission is FREE. The main attraction of the Festival is continuous entertainment presented in a well-designed stage. The family-oriented and alcohol free event is a showcase of the traditional performing arts of the Philippines including colorful folk dances from different regions of the Philippines, folk songs, rondalla music and Kulintang music ofthe Southern Philippines.
This is the twenty third year that Samahan is holding the cultural festival in San Diego featuring the Philippines' performing arts. The organization initiated in 1979 the Philippine Folk Festival, held at the Scottish Rite Memorial Center, Mission Valley in San Diego. The Folk Festival, which lasted for six years, was a primary showcase of Philippine culture and arts in Southern California. The Festival, renamed Philippine Cultural Arts Festival, was revived and moved to an outdoor central location in Balboa Park in 1996. The Santacruzan was a special feature of the 1997, 1998 and 1999 festivals held in the month of May in the same location. The increasing number and variety of guest performing artists makes the Samahan Philippine Cultural Arts Festival an outstanding showcase of Philippine cultural arts and a very important Filipino community event and tourist attraction in Balboa Park.
During both days, the Festival program starts with presentations of traditional Philippine music and dances performed by the attractive and highly skilled youthful dancers and students of Samahan directed by Ruby Chiong, by the acclaimed Samahan Rondalla string ensemble and the Pakaraguian Kulintang Music Ensemble of Samahan. The kulintang ensemble is one of the few ensembles in the U.S. and the only one in San Diego that plays the indigenous gong music of the Maguindanao, Maranao and Tausog tribes of Mindanao. Group singing of nostalgic Tagalog songs are performed by seasoned guest singers. San Diego based Filipino martial arts masters and their students will be conducting martial arts and arnis demonstrations after the musical presentations.Both days from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. will be devoted to the presentation of mainstream entertainment by young Filipino-Americans from San Diego County and Southern California. A major part of this section will be a singing talent show, hip-hop, jazz dance, and other variety numbers by invited Asian and Pacific Islander artists. Invited emcee for the mainstream entertainment is Jelynn Rodriquez, long-time dancer with Samahan who is now an actress, recording artist, dancer and host of a T.V. show in Hollywood. Featured also are cultural exhibit and a crafts booth displaying Philippine shellcraft, fans, embroideries, assorted handicrafts and musical instruments. Other booths will offer good quality Hawaiian jewelry, unique tshirts and costume jewelry. Delicious, popular Filipino food including adobo, lumpia, and pancit and more will be offered by Conching¢s Cafe, a very popular Filipino restaurant in National City. Refreshments such as Halo-Halo, also will be available. The general public is invited to this once a year, wholesome, entertaining and beautifulshowcase of Philippine Culture in Balboa Park.
There is limited audience seating within a canopy for 200 but ample space on the lawn for blankets orfolding chairs. Balboa Park parking lots are adjacent. Business entrepreneurs may still rent booths to participate in the Festival. Please call (619) 444-7528 for more information.
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