Greetings
大家好，I am very happy to be invited by RTHK to participate in the program’ Cultural garden’ and I send all my regards to all of the listeners.
1. Famous and unique festival or event in your country?
I wanted to mention that there is the Folkloric Cosquín festival that is held in the province of Cordoba, that started almost 60 years ago. It is a festival that held every year, which Argentina country music, this is very different from the United States country music, the folk music from Argentina is presented.
2. Are there any celebration in Hong Kong too?
Yes, we have more than 30 activities every year during the month of November, they cover art exhibitions, tango marathon, wine tastings, and lectures film Showcases. This year this November will be the 8th edition of the festival and it's a way to promote Argentine Culture in Hong Kong.
3. Is dance culture popular in Argentina?
Yes, that is very popular in Argentina, it's also becoming popular in Hong Kong. There is a web page called Hong Kong Tango in which they list of all of the places you were you can go and dance. This year we are having a seminar in November from the 4th to the 8th for musicians. This is for musicians to learn how to perform tango. We are having this year the second edition of this festival. So there is an opportunity to dance, there is an opportunity to learn to play the music and this is all part of our culture.
4. Related stories and history of your national flower?
There's a story of a young indigenous woman that lived in the jungles and she enjoy her land and she used to sing very beautiful. When she sing, all of the life in the jungle would stop, all the animals would stop and listen to her. And one day she was involved in fighting against the Spanish Conquerors. In the battle, this girl killed a Spanish soldier and she was judged severely and immediately sentenced to death and burned at the stick. She started singing with a very soft voice despite the adversity. And the next day there was a fire and there was a tree that had all this red flowers like the colour of the fire that have been burning. That was red, very intense, and that was how our national flower come to be.
5. Can you teach our audience some popular slangs in your language?
I was thinking about this and then I consider that I have three young children age 19 to 21 and they told me how to use the word ‘a-l-t-a’ which is an adjective. When you like the food you say ‘Alta food’, when you like a drink you say ‘Alta drink’, when you like a party you say ‘Alta party’. ‘Alta Interview with RTHK!’
6. Wrapping up
Please, everyone listen to this ‘Cultural Garden’ program on RTHK. This is Gustavo Horacio cousul Consulate General of Argentina. Thank you for your time and for listening to this program.
