A carnival atmosphere engulfed the 55th edition ot the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) held in Bulawayo last week when an Egyptian traditional dance group staged a surprise and scintillating performance that left visitors spellbound.
By Our Correspondent
The Egyptian group, Polkloric, brought the trade fair to a standstill with some spectacular and unique traditional dances.
The seven-member group's performance was a crowd-puller as lots of people, local and foreign, made a stampede to watch them each time they went on stage.
The Egyptians' act showed that the desert country is rich in culture and art. In an interview the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism delegate, Hend Radwan said they had brought the group as part of their efforts to promote their country's culture.
"We have brought the artists to Zimbabwe so that the people can see and appreciate our Egyptian culture. Zimbabwe is a very important country to us and we want to promote a friendship between the two countries," said Radwan at the show which was also attended by Egypt's ambassador to Zimbabwe, Bassem Khalil. The North African country is one of the 19 nations that participated at the trade fair.
Traditionally, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and the Zimbabwe Prison Correctional Services (ZPCS) bands provide entertainment but this year was a unique one as the Egyptians flew to the trade fair to spice up the annual showcase with their well-choreographed performances.
The Egyptians made history by becoming the first country to bring artists to entertain visitors at the fair.