Latino atmosphere at the Châtelain

LATINO ATMOSPHERE AT THE CHÂTELAIN Concerts, dancing and food ruled over the Ixelles square on Saturday IXELLES - While for many Brussels residents the holidays already belong to the past, the Fiesta Latina that took over the place du Châtelain on Saturday gave everyone a chance to enjoy the sunshine that has spared the capital little this summer. The pleasant temperature, the music and the good food drew the crowd, especially in the evening. The mood quickly spread through the neighbourhood, with shopkeepers, restaurant owners and residents taking an active part in this first Fiesta Latina, which will certainly call for others. On the musical side, fans of the genre were able to hear Raices Cubana in the afternoon, a band that has mastered the art of covering Compai Secundo, the legendary group with which one of Raices Cubana's members even had the chance to work. "This style of music is the sound of the holidays," explains Fabienne, 21, visibly delighted to be there. "With a little caipirinha or a mojito, it's bliss!" Headliner Proyeccion Latina also got the crowd moving. As regulars on the Couleur Café stages and other festivals of the kind, the band already has its own following. Lovers of the genre, whose bodies stir at the slightest salsa rhythm, had already rushed over in the afternoon to practise for the contest held at the start of the evening. In the village, set opposite the stage, plenty of entertainment delighted the audience, as did the food stands, besieged by visitors eager to taste Brazilian specialities while quenching their thirst with delicious rums from around the world or the inevitable, expertly made mojitos and caipirinhas. "There should be more events like this in the neighbourhood," concludes Christophe. "It creates a mood and this is a square people are happy to come to. I hope the organisers won't stop here." V.S. Photo caption: Young and old alike gave in to the Latin rhythms and were happy to try a few dance steps. (Olivier Pirard)