The launch of the 11th edition of the Pan-African Music Festival was celebrated in front of a huge crowd in Sibiti, in the Lékoumou department of Congo. This major event brought together several modern and tradi-modern musical groups to offer Congolese people a moment of sharing around musical sounds and thus give them a taste for such an event.
The theme of this edition was “The Congolese Rumba: Flight from the identity base to the vestiges of the heritage of humanity”, which was broken down into four axes: the identity foundations of the Congolese rumba, its influence in Africa and in the world, its relationship with literature and the other arts, and finally the strategy to be implemented to ensure its promotion and safeguard.
Several sites have been planned to accommodate the artists: the Massamba Débat Stadium, the Cnrtv esplanade in Kombo (Djiri), the Asecna site in Mayanga (Madibou), the space located opposite the social housing in Kintélé , the symposium and its four sessions, the Congo History Museum in Mpila (Talangaï).
The national launch of this event will take place on May 31 in France, at UNESCO. This edition of the Pan-African Music Festival is dedicated to the Congolese Rumba, which was recently inscribed on the representative list of the intangible heritage of humanity by Unesco.
Prime Minister Anatole Collinet Makosso congratulated the Minister of Cultural, Tourism, Artistic and Leisure Industry as well as the General Commissioner of Fespam for having succeeded in relaunching this major cultural event on the continent. The ceremony also saw the presence of the president of the departmental council of Lekoumou, the mayor of Sibiti and in particular the deputy of Sibiti 1 and Minister of Media, Communication and government spokesperson.
It was therefore a strong moment in emotion and music for the Congolese, who were able to celebrate the universality of Congolese Rumba through this important cultural event.