The 2022 edition of the Rap and Slam Festival (Festiras) will take place on July 28 and 29 in Bukavu, in South Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This cultural event revolves around the theme “public speaking at the heart of change”, with peace, social cohesion and living together as its main values.
The second edition of Festiras is organized in a particular electoral context and a fragile security situation, as Yvette Mushigo, member of the organization team, explained: “For Festiras, it is to make art at the heart of the change by transmitting messages of peace, social cohesion, living together. And during the election year, for us, we want to prevent young people from being manipulated by politicians.”
Several artists will come to present themselves on stage, among them Yekima de bel art, the MPR group, La Fouine or Bolivar M’vulu. The participation of these renowned artists should energize the event to be held at Alfajiri College in Bukavu.
This second edition of the Festiras will be an opportunity to celebrate music in a spirit of unity, as the organizers point out: “Following repeated wars in the Great Lakes region, the first edition of the Rap and Slam Festival encouraged artists from this region to compose songs that bring together people from different countries in the region.”
In this context, Festiras represents a way to come together and reaffirm solidarity, as the region faces many challenges.