Argentine dance to Yemeni poetry among UNESCO heritage bids

New Delhi: From Argentine cuarteto dancing to Yemeni musical poetry, Italian cooking and India s Hindu festival of lights Diwali, UNESCO is weighing 6...

New Delhi: From Argentine cuarteto dancing to Yemeni musical poetry, Italian cooking and India's Hindu festival of lights Diwali, UNESCO is weighing 68 nominations to add to its intangible cultural heritage list.

The United Nations cultural agency, meeting in the Indian capital New Delhi from Tuesday to Thursday, is examining the dozens of nominations from 78 countries.

Musical entries span from Bulgarian bagpipes to Cuban son dance, Swiss yodelling -- the singing tradition of the Alpine nation's herders and shepherds -- and Ghana's highlife music, with its irresistibly toe-tapping grooves.

Those approved will join UNESCO's list of cultural heritage, whose purpose is to "raise awareness of the diversity of these traditions" and to protect them for the future.

"Each recognition of intangible heritage has ripples well beyond the immediate decision," Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said in a speech to delegates.