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  A BAHIAN GROUP PARTICIPATES IN A FESTIVAL IN USA

  [caption] This is the group, missing one component, that embrarks today to the United States

  And will embark today, in Aeroport Dois de Julho at 17:15 the 15 participants of the bahian group that will represent Brazil in the North-American Festival of Folklore, in Washington D.C. as part of the celebrations of the Bicentennial of Independence of the United States.

  This festival is being organized since 1967 in the large National Park known as "Mall", which is being circled by the Capitol building, White House, museums of the Smithsonian Institution - that promotes it - and numerous other north-american national monuments.

  Usually the program of the festival includes cultural folk-traditions of groups of various nationalities, occupations and ethnicities that compose the north-american population, as well as representatives of foreign nations. This year - in which the Bicentennial of the Independence of USA is commemorated - the festival which started on 16th June and with continuation planned until 6th September, celebrates the "richness of the black cultural contribution to the north-american life".

  AFRICAN ROOTS

  Titled "African Diaspora", the festival looks also to demonstrate the african roots and origins and its ramifications in the Antilles and Latin America, or even, "presents an ample cultural panorama of the black north-american community through a tri-continental message".

  The brazilian representation with that of Nigeria, will participate from 28th July - next Wednesday - until 2nd August. And besides the presentations on the Folklore Festival, will make a small excursion around United States, with shows planned in Atlanta (Georgia), Cleveland (Ohio), El Pazo (Texas), Philadelphia (Penna) and New York - which means a stay of three weeks in north-american territory.

  All the expenses of the group in the United States will be paid by the Smithsonian Institution, including transport, lodging, food, same for medical and hospital expenses, if that would be needed. Besides that, every member of the group will receive 10 dollars per day titled as "incidental expenses".

  BAHIAN FOLKLORE

  The bahian group travels under the coordination of Luíza Marques, who is chosen by the Smithsonian representative who was in Salvador end of last year, with the purpose to choose the members of the bahian group that will participate in the festival. Last year Luíza led the Bahian delegation that participated in the Witchcraft Festival in Bogotá (Colombia).

  As coordenating assistant is Antônio Morasi Ribeiro - same as Luíza Marques, the functionary of Bahiatursa, Mestre "Gato", his son "Gatinho" (José Souza Góes, M Gato Preto's son) - both from the academy of the first one, Saci from Academy Aluvião and Elísio, from the Folkloric Group Duque de Caxias, will be the responsible for the capoeira shows of angola and regional.

  Olga de Alaketo and six of her children will be responsible for the bahian candomblé shows, which are going to show the beats of Exu, Ossain, Oxossi and Ogum.

  Bahian cookery will be shown by Jacyra Matos ("Cuiuba"), a bahian woman who has her spot on Ladeira da Praça. In the United States she will make vatapá and acarajé. Completing the group is Waldemir Cardoso Nascimento ("Bolão"), a woodcarver who will take with him completed works, others that are ongoing and wood to start works during the shows in the festival and on the excursion around the north-american territory.

  All the material which will be taken into use in the shows - from that of candomblé to that of cookery, including capoeira, will be taken along from here.

  For the trip of the group to the United States collaborated the Bahian State Government, with three tickets, Bahiatursa (one ticket), Itamaraty (seven tickets) and Pan-American with four tickets. Also gave their help, carrying out official contacts, taking care of related documentation for supplying the money to be used during the trip, the Associação Cultural Brasil Estados Unidos (ACBEU) and USIS, from Salvador.

  ACBEU is compensating symbolically the 11 members of the Samba-de-Roda from Suerdieck, Cachoeira, who were going to travel to the United States, as was planned initially. However, a week ago it was decided that the group will not go, because the necessary plane tickets were not obtained. Smithsonian Institution's invitation which is sent to the Brazilian Government foresees a group of 25 people and Samba-de-Roda was included in the institution representative's choice, when he was in Bahia end of last year.