Carnival of Cultures
Artists, musicians, dancers and acrobats from around the world come together at summertime street parades in Germany.
Carnival of Cultures, Berlin
There are aromas of joss sticks, candy floss and curry, plus sounds of reggae, chansons and classical sitar music. And then there are brightly coloured costumes as far as the eye can see. All of this unites once a year in one place, at the Carnival of Cultures in Berlin, the oldest event of its kind in Germany. It first took place in 1996. Leading personalities, including the former German President Richard von Weizsäcker, contributed significantly towards the founding of Berlin’s Carnival of Cultures. The idea was to stage a huge festival to dismantle prejudices against unfamiliar cultures, bring Berlin’s many nationalities together and radiate a zest for life. The idea succeeded: in 2013, 800,000 visitors and 70 groups took part in the carnival’s climax, the parade through the city. Each year on Whit Sunday, visitors can feast their ears and eyes on music, dancing, performances and the fine arts from many different countries. www.karneval-berlin.de
Carnival of Cultures, Bielefeld
Just one year after the Carnival of Cultures in Berlin, the city of Bielefeld in North Rhine-Westphalia adopted the concept and has been staging a Carnival of Cultures ever since. In 2014, around 2,000 participants in 70 groups “will parade through the centre of Bielefeld with “hot rhythms, fantastic costumes, brightly coloured masks and spectacular installations,” says the event’s website. The city, which is celebrating its 800th anniversary in 2014, is expecting artists, dancers and musicians from Denmark, Britain and the Caribbean, in addition to those from Germany. www.carnival-bielefeld.de
Parade of Cultures, Frankfurt am Main
The organisers of the Parade of Cultures in Frankfurt am Main 2014 have chosen an ambassador for the first time. It is 42-year-old Oliver Laz Emere from Nigeria, who fled to Italy in 2004 and has been living in a Frankfurt church since November 2013. He is advocating cultural diversity and peaceful co-existence. This is also the objective of the artists. The dance group of the Puerta des Sol association will be performing at the parade. It has often come first in the dancing competition and includes people from Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Paraguay and many other nations who are living in Germany. www.parade-der-kulturen.de
The World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development is on 21 May 2014
