Brasília - One objective is to get culture and ideas once again flowing across the Atlantic Ocean between Africans and Brazilians. Another is to hold an international conference to raise funds for artistic presentations in Brazil and Africa.

This is the cultural side of the African trip by Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva that is now underway. According to Paulo Miguez, a secretary at the Ministry of Culture of Brazil, "Unfortunately we only get news of Africa when there is some kind of tragedy. We hear of human and natural catastrophies, war and epidemics. But we really know very little of contemporary African art and culture."

In lieu of international financing, artists interested in cultural exchanges with Africa have to seek support form private sources or the Ministry of Culture.

One group that got support is Teatro Mapati, from Brasilia. A telephone company will sponsor a presentation of the group in Angola. They will perform a play by José Mapurunga, who is from Ceará. The drama deals with prejudice and AIDS.

A member of the Teatro Mapati group, Marcos Souza, says the presentation in Angola is just the beginning of a much more ambitious project. "This is the first stage of what we hope will be presentations in all of the Portuguese-speaking countries of Africa. We will also be working with local artists. In Angola, for example, five young people will join our group and participate in workshops as part of a wider exchange program."

The group will travel to Africa by ship. That is necessary because their play takes place in a truck and the truck has to be transported along with the group.

Agência Brasil
Reporter: Juliana Cézar
Translator: Allen Bennett
07/28/2004