FESPAD, the week-long dance festival of celebration, color and regional integration was unveiled at the Amahoro Stadium parking Sunday night. At the same event, activities to mark the National Harvest Day (Umuganura) 2018 were officially launched.
Minister Julienne Uwacu speaks during the10th edition Pan-African Dance Festival in Kigali, on Sunday.
FESPAD is a French acronym for Festival Panafricain de la Danse (Pan African Dance Festival), and happens every after two years. Its overall objective is to promote the culture of peace through African traditional dances. Similarly, ‘Umuganura’ is national Thanks Giving day in Rwanda, marked every first Friday of the month of August, the onset of the harvest season.
Although the festival attracts performance troupes and cultural delegations from across the continent, it is organised by and held in Rwanda every two years, based on a request by the Rwandan government to the African Union.
Knowless Butera rocks the 2018 Pan-African Dance Festival stage
Both the African Union, and Rwanda national anthems were played at the opening ceremony, while the Rwanda National Ballet, Urukerereza opened the performances.
Key among the dignitaries in attendance were; Sports and Culture minister Julienne Uwacu, City of Kigali mayor Hon. Rwakazina Chantal, who delivered the opening remarks, and Angela Martins, the African Union representative at the festival, who delivered the keynote remarks.
Thereafter, there were dance performances from Burkina Faso, Congo-Brazzaville, the DRC, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Senegal.
Like previous editions, Sunday night’s opening ceremony was a buffet of African cultures celebrated through vigorous dance.
Entrance was free, and the national broadcaster, Rwanda Television beamed the proceedings live.
Kingoli Universel in a cultural dance performance.
In her keynote address, AU representative Angela Martins underscored the contribution of dance to the African creative eco system. She revealed that plans were underway to expand the festival’s influence and reach across the continent.
"The (African Union) commission would like to ensure that at the 11th edition of the festival more African Union member states are represented, and for that to happen, we will work closely in popularising and promoting FESPAD in the member states in collaboration with the ministry of Sports and Culture in Rwanda.”
"One of the gatherings where this popularisation can be done is the 5th Pan African cultural congress, an event which will be held in the month of November in Addis Ababa Ethiopia, the seat of the African Union. Also, the ministers in charge of youth, culture and sports will be meeting in Addis Ababa in October. So we call upon the government of the Republic of Rwanda through its ministry of Sports and Culture to promote FESPAD at the ministerial meeting to be held in October in Addis Ababa.”
The dance performances would later culminate in musical performances from local musicians like Knowless Butera, Bruce Melodie, and alumni of the Nyundo School of Music, whose band also backed up Bruce Melodie and Knowless.
Sauti Sol blame the organisers for their no show at the festival .
However, Kenyan boy band Sauti Sol, whose performance was to close the concert were a no show. The band had been included on the schedule at the last minute, but even when it became apparent that they would not be performing, MCs Sandrine Isheja and Arnaud Nkusi, other than let the cat out of the bag, kept festival goers in an agonising wait.
After a long and frustrating wait, and with the crowds leaving the venue, Nkusi finally delivered the devastating news. But, no explanation was offered for the no show.
The following day, Sauti Sol released a press statement explaining why they did not perform. In the statement, the group blamed "organisational glitches” with organisers for their no show.
"They (organisers) reached out to us and despite our busy schedule in Zambia, we took the time to accommodate this show because as usual we were very excited to come play in Kigali.”
Music lovers of all ages enjoy the live performances. FESPAD features an eclectic line up of local and international performers.
"Our flight, which was arranged by the promoters was scheduled to arrive at 9:30 pm, and upon landing we were informed that the festival was to close by 10:30 pm. Knowing this, we did our very best to be there on time. With our band already on stage and ready for us, unfortunately it was announced that the festival was over and our performance must be cancelled.”
The six-day festival will also visit five other districts outside Kigali, namely; Rubavu, Musanze, Huye, Nyanza, and Rwamagana.
The festival draws to a close on August 3rd.
FESPAD was initiated by the African Union (AU) in 1998, during the 67th conference of Ministers in charge of Culture.
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