EXPRESS The
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Locally owned and proudly independent
Bigger and better festival
By Boyd Robertson
Song, dance and food brought the world’s cultures together in Mareeba on August 24 for the town’s 15th Multicultural Festival. “Bigger and better than ever” was how the festival’s chairman Guiliano Cordenos described the event – and he wasn’t wrong, with 28 groups performing traditional dances and songs from their respective homelands. “There was one-third more people performing this year than last,” Mr Cordenos said. “Everyone has had a great time.” New performances this year included colourful Papua New Guinean dances by the Morobe Cultural Dance Group and racy Spanish routines by Flamenco from Cairns, while crowd favourites like the Thai – Laos Dancers and the Aboriginal Dance Group returned from previous years. The event was attended by local and state-level dignitaries, including Assistant Minister for Multicultural Affairs Robert Cavallucci, who accompanied Member for Cook David Kempton, Tablelands Regional Council Mayor Rosa Lee Long and Deputy Mayor Evan McGrath. Speaking to The Express, Mr Cavallucci stressed the importance of events celebrating multiculturalism like Mareeba’s festival. “The contribution made to Mareeba, Queensland and all of Australia by multiculturalism is immeasurable,” he said.
Performers from the Te Fanua Dancing Group entertain the crowd at the Mareeba Multicultural Festival on August 24.
“When I look at an event like this, I see a snapshot of mixed cultural identities that is reflected all the way across the state – Queensland was built on post-war immigration, not just from Europe but Asia and other places too and it’s important we celebrate that. “Whether it’s Mareeba or Ipswich or Innisfail we’re committed to supporting events like these.” After a successful application by the festival’s committee, the State Government donated $15,000 to the festival this year, something Mr Cordenos said enabled it to grow to its current size. “Without that donation, we would have had nothing like this,” he said. “We will definitely be applying [for that grant] again next year.” The festival was also a fitting time for immigrants to formally become Australians, with 17 people taking citizenship oaths at the event, led by Cr Lee Long. One of them was 37-year-old Franseau Pierre van de Merwe, originally from South Africa, who has lived in Australia for seven years, and said he was “very happy” to be one of the country’s newest citizens. “Work brought me here originally, but I fell in love with the place,” he said. “You’d have to write an entire book to describe why I wanted to be an Australian. “It is peaceful here – that’s why I love it so much.” Mr Cordenos said planning for next year’s Festival would begin at the committee’s January 2014 meeting.
Photo: Peter Roy
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