The Dinagyang Festival is a religious and cultural festival in Iloilo City, Philippines held on the fourth Sunday of January, or right after the Sinulog In Cebu and the Ati-Atihan in Aklan. It is held both to honor the Santo Nino and to celebrate the arrival on Panay of Malay settlers and the subsequent selling of the island to them by the Atis.
The Dinagyang Festival is defined by the patronage of the Ilonggos to the Infant Jesus, Senyor Sto. Nino, and described by their celebration of street dancing, merry-making, food tripping and cultural presentations. The main part of the festival consists of a number of “tribes”, called “tribus”, who are supposed to be Ati tribe members dancing in celebration. There are a number of requirements, including that the performers must paint their skin brown and that only indigenous materials can be used for the costumes. All dances are performed to drum music.
Dinagyang was voted as the best Tourism Event for 2006,2007 and 2008 by the Association of Tourism Officers in the Philippines.The first festival in the world to get the support of the United Nations for the promotion of the Millennium Development Goals.Cited by the Asian Development Bank as Best Practice on government, private sector & NGO cooperation.
Dinagyang Festival Promotional Video
Dinagyang Festival Theme Song – Hala Bira Iloilo!
Dinagyang Festival of Iloilo City strengthened its reputation as the country’s premiere festival after it was voted the best tourism event by the Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines (ATOP).
Dinagyang beat other festivals vying for the prestigious awards, a retribution of sorts.
After that award, here’s another milestone for the dinagyang.
Dinagyang 2007 will be the first festival in the country that will have Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) focused goals.
Dinagyang-MDG will be concentrated on the Gawad Kalinga (GK) village which seeks to build houses for the poorest of the poor.
GK-Dinagyang Village will rise inside a 1.4-hectare relocation site in Barangay So-oc in Arevalo district which is intended for street kids and their families.
Dinagyang 2007 is being marketed with global innovations.
Dinagyang: “Getting Into a Bigger Pictureâ€Â
Dear Sir/Madam,
We take the pleasure to inform you that ours is a Cultural Group and Academy specialized in the Punjabi Folk Dances like (Bhangra, Giddha, Malwai Giddha and other folk dances) and are providing training to the kids and youths in Punjab, i.e. the northern region of India, which is known around the world for its good human values, relations and bravery. Our cultural group includes male as well as female members. Apart from this, we have been participating in different cultural festivals organized in India and abroad since long.
While surfing through internet, we came in contact with your site and noted that you are one of the organizers of cultural festivals being organized around the world. Since we feel that we are in the position to approach you directly to demonstrate our cultural specialties, if we are given a chance to perform in your country on your invitation, we are contacting you by this mail.
We are of the opinion that the cultural festivals being organized around the world are being proved to be a good source of culture exchange in between the different communities, nations and continents, which is really needed during this pace of human welfare, world peace and integration.
We hereby offer our consent to participate in the cultural festival to be organized by you in the future. We shall feel highly obliged if you kindly provide us the details of the forthcoming festival, if any and the formalities to be completed by us at our end for participation.
We hope you would consider our proposal favorably and would definitely give us a chance to start and strengthen our cultural relations.
We hope for your kind consideration and long term cultural relations.
Please do reply.
Thanks and regards,
CHARNJIT SINGH SANDHU HOUSE NO-1237/1,SARDAR NAGER, NEAR ICICI BANK SUNDER NAGER BRANCH, LUDHIANA, PUNJAB, INDIA, 141007
Mob…: 0091-9888000038
Phone: 0091-161-4618836
http://www.sandhuentertainer.com
PUNJABI FOLK CULTURAL ACADEMY,
LUDHIANA (PB) – INDIA.
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