What I Learned Today: Cuban Rumba and Belgian Beer Added to UNESCO World Heritage List

in #wilt8 years ago

A new announcement from the UNESCO has added a few more things to their ever increasing list of "intangible" world cultural heritage, including the Cuban Rumba, Belgian Beer, Ugandan Music etc. in its latest iteration.

This category created only a few years ago in the year 2006, is filling up fast and with some unique cultural traditions from around the world.



A waiter in Brussels carries glasses of Belgian beer [Source]


So the next time you plan to dance the Rumba, remember that you are experiencing an "intangible" world heritage, though you may find it more difficult to live up to the expectations of the world body, when they described the dance as evoking:

grace, sensuality and joy

While selecting the dance form UNESCO also said that the rumba sprang from poor communities where the dance is an enduring "expression of resistance and self-esteem".

And regarding the Belgian Beers, it is fitting that it has been chosen because they are well known and their sheer variety is impressive as well. Belgium produces around 1500 beers, each manufactured in a process handed down over generations, and with a range of tastes.

Also calling Belgian beer something more than just drinking alcohol, UNESCO also said that

Beer is also used by communities for cooking, producing products like beer-washed cheese, and paired with food.

Sven Gatz, the culture minister for the northern region of Flanders, compared the Unesco move to winning the World Cup and said:

We love our beer and appreciate the endless diversity within it, something that can’t be equaled anywhere else in the world. In Belgium, beer doesn’t have to give way to wine or other drinks in terms of quality and diversity.



A Video of a Cuban Rumba performed by the community


Sources for the post and further reading


  1. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/nov/30/cheers-belgian-beer-added-unesco-cultural-heritage-list
  2. http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/Cuban-rumba-and-Ugandan-music-now-on-UNESCO%E2%80%99s-heritage-list/article16732312.ece
  3. http://www.politico.eu/article/belgian-beer-culture-added-to-unesco-world-heritage/
  4. http://www.france24.com/en/20161130-unesco-cuba-rumba-belgium-beer-list-intangible-world-heritage
  5. http://www.hindustantimes.com/music/ugandan-dance-cossack-songs-now-part-of-unesco-s-heritage-list/story-XldIHTTIjlOEC5qaIcy04N.html

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Good post. I resteemed it.

Thank you.

Good news, good post. How wondeful that the simple pleasures are getting recognized for the wonderful part they have in our daily lives. Thanks for posting.

The new category of "intangible" heritage was a good thing introduced, now we get to hear and hopefully they are protected and maintained. Thanks for taking the time to comment.

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