Havana, March 29 (RHC)--A large representation of Cuban artists will perform at the John F. Kennedy Center in the US capital. The some 200-member delegation will perform at the “Artes de Cuba” Festival scheduled for May 8 through June 3.

“It’s the first time we’ll be going to the United States with such a large official delegation,” Cuban Deputy Culture Minister Fernando Rojas told reporters in Havana on Wednesday, emphasizing the professionalism and effort made by the island and the Kennedy Center to bring the festival about and calling it “a gift for those who yearn for peace.”

The opening al Washington’s Eisenhower Hall Theater will feature Buena Vista Social Club Diva Omara Portuondo, pianists Rolando Luna, Aldo López Gavilán y Pachequito, and sax player Yosvany Terry, among others.

The artistic delegation will include almost all the major ambassadors of Cuban culture, including Pablo Milanes, who will sing along with his daughter Haydee, the beloved band Los Van Van and the Cuban National Ballet.

Also taking part in the festival will be the El Publico and Argos Teatro theater companies, painters Roberto Favelo and Esterio Segura.

The program will  also include a sample of classical and contemporary Cuban films, gastronomic tasting sessions and exhibits of sculptures and other works by Manuel Mendive, Roberto Riago and Celia Ledon, as well as other artistic creations.

Rounding out the program will be artists from the Cuban diaspora and exile communities, including Latin Grammy winner Arturo O’Farrill and his Afrolatin Jazz Ensemble and singer Aymee Nuviola.

Cuba and the US resumed diplomatic relations in July 2015 after the historic joint announcement six month earlier of a “thaw” in bilateral relations, but the move toward closer ties has been interrupted by the sudden reversal of US policy toward the island with the arrival in the White House of Donald Trump.