WASHINGTON, DC.- The 44th edition of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival celebrates the culture of Mexico, from June 24th to July 5th 2010, with the participation of more than 100 Mexican musicians, artisans and producers. The festival takes place at the National Mall in Washington D.C.

At the inauguration, Arturo Sarukhan, Mexican Ambassador at The United States of America, remarked that the presence of Mexico in this forum will promote the cultural diversity of our country, rich in heritage and traditions, mainly in this important year of commemorations of the Bicentennial of the Independence and the Centennial of the Revolution.

The presence of Mexico in the Smithsonian Folklife Festival is possible thanks to the collaboration of the National Council for Culture and the Arts (CONACULTA) and the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) in response to the invitation made by the Smithsonian Institution and the Mexican Embassy in USA.

Quotidian activities at diverse indigenous communities are conducted at the fair installed at the National Mall, divided in 4 thematic areas: ceremonies, music, handcrafts, architecture and traditional farming techniques.

“We do not want to present an old Mexico, still, but to show how our cultures live to present, how they work, and the features of their music, their food, their rituals, their language” mentioned Benito Taibo Mahojo, INAH Divulgation national coordinator.

The axis of the sample is the pole for the Flying Men ritual, a tradition conserved in El Tajin, and several regions of what once was Mesoamerica. “The symbolism of this ritual is strong, allowing us to talk about Tenek culture and its ceremonial center in Tamletom, San Luis Potosi”.

Musicians and artisans of the Wixarika Union from Jalisco, Nayarit and Durango will perform in a space adapted as a Huichol ceremonial center and their houses.

A Seri rock band from Punta Chueca, Sonora will play their interpretation of ritual chants to this rhythm.

A chinampa from Xochimilco will be constructed at the fair, as well as a candy confectioner and an expert in maize leaf handcrafts.

Celsa Luit Moo, from Xocchel, Yucatan, winner of the National Prize for Science and Arts 2009, in the Popular Arts and Traditions area will also attend.

Exhibitions can be visited from 11:00 to 17:30 hours, and the artistic events will be presented from 18:00 to 21:00 hours.