A New York musician played the classical tunes of a violin on a stage. The artist then paused for a moment, brought his violin down to his waist and started rapping into the microphone. The musician, Svet Radoslavof, was one of many artists who took the stage at the Los Angeles Times travel convention to promote global awareness through the arts.

The Los Angeles Times Travel and Adventure Show was held at the Los Angeles Convention center. The travel convention featured vendors selling travel deals to various locations globally as well as a variety of travel-related workshops and promotions. People who attended the event were able to experience scuba diving in a small tank, learn how to take travel pictures, and were able to watch the Global Beat Stage.

The Global Beat Stage is produced by the World Heritage Cultural Center,  a not for profit organization who’s mission is to promote cultural awareness.  The traveling show showcases art, cultural traditions such as dance, music and food to the public. This event was created as a way for people to learn and experience different cultures without necessarily leaving their community. Viewers of the show were able to watch different culture related performances, such as a hip-hop/modern music violinist, Japanese dance, Thai boxing and Bollywood dance.

Radoslavof was one of many artists who performed culture related art on the “global beats stage” featured at the Los Angeles Times Travel and Adventure Show.

“Music is music, it is universal,” Radoslavof said. He said that music is a shared experience, and that one can learn a lot about a different community through their music.

Radoslavof performed several pieces during the event. He said he has been playing music since the age of five or six, and basically is a one-man show for his performances. He said that music is his passion, and that he sings, produces and plays the violin for all his stage acts.

The World Heritage Cultural Center was created by Sattie Persaud and Juan Carlos Gonzalez, who wanted to inform the public about different cultures, and what they can learn from traveling.

“We promote cultural awareness though the arts and food,” Persaud said.

Persaud said this particular show travels nationally. She said the show offers a wide variety of performances and connects with these performers in different cities.

Another performance on display at the cultural center was Bollywood dance. Bollywood dance received a lot of attention from the audience. The performance was organized by the Dance Conservatory of Pasadena. Performers wore colorful garb and got the audience to dance alongside them with their energetic dance.

Sue Desai, an audience member, danced a long with the Bollywood music. She said she is of Indian descent, and wanted to see the performance. She said she had a lot of fun dancing with the dancers and she appreciates seeing a dance act on stage related to her culture.