The National Ballet, Urukerereza, is scheduled to showcase the Rwandan traditional culture through song and dance in New Delhi, India, during a three-day African culture festival scheduled next week.

Traditional performers from South Africa, Tunisia, Malawi and Nigeria will perform in what is considered to be the first major showcase of African culture in India.

Urukerereza’s coach Thomas Bazatsinda, confirmed the group’s participation in the May 18-20 festival yesterday.

"We have been requested to select a few artistes to go and participate in a cultural event involving artists from other African countries in New Delhi,” Bazatsinda said on phone Thursday.

"We have selected 10 people in addition to a coach – they will travel on Sunday. After New Delhi, they will also travel to Lucknow over 1000 km from New Delhi. They will actually stage two performances and will be there for a whole week.”

The event’s host, the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), champions what it calls a communion of cultures, a creative dialogue with other nations and it says that the May festival is essentially an attempt to familiarize the Indian audience with the traditional African performing arts.

The group has also been invited to perform during the upcoming soccer World Cup in South Africa.

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