娱乐英语新闻:Feature: Cuban music lovers gather in Belgrade for upcoming performance

BELGRADE, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Cuban music lovers gathered in Belgrade's main street, and led by dancer Tito Garmendia for an hour gave Serbia's capital the taste and look of Havana.

In the crowd of several hundred people that gathered in Belgrade's main street at noon on Saturday, were mostly lovers of Cuban music from Belgrade that came here to announce the upcoming performance of Afro-Cuban All Stars from Havana on May 17.

Besides numerous young dance couples moving and spinning to the sounds of this specific mixture of West African and Spanish music that makes the Cuban sound, the main attraction was Tito that moved to Belgrade to become a dance instructor and fashion model.

In a brief pause between dancing with several beautiful looking girls, Tito Garmendia, a professional dancer from Cuba says that Serbia's capital, where he performed many times reminds him of home.

"I moved to Belgrade because it is very nice city. People here remind me on the people of my country, Cuba", Tito says seconds before demonstrating his skills in rumba.

Sanja from Belgrade says she dances to Cuban rhythms for two years, and she adores it.

"We dance to Cuban music and listen to it all year long, and get from it a kind of a warm feeling that summer is always there", she says preparing to take a hand from a dance partner and join the overall dance party in the centre of Serbian capital.

Ana Ilic that works in the organization of a Cuban music festival "Havana en Belgrado" that takes place in November, says that Latin American music is getting more and more popular in Serbia in past ten years and that people often go to classes in order to learn to dance like the Cubans.

"We came here to promote Cuban culture and to support the dancers of the Afro-Cuban All Stars that will arrive to Belgrade in few days to perform at Belgrade's Sava Centre on May 17", Ana Ilic told Xinhua.

Afro-Cuban All Stars have in the two decades of their existence become one of the most influential Cuban bands, especially after their 1997 album "A Toda Cuba Le Gusta" which was recorded at the "Buena Vista Social Club" session.