Esther Namugoji
6 July 2009
Kampala — The opening of the Pan African Festival 2009 on Saturday was a ceremony of pomp as traditional groups from over 51 countries showcased the richness of African culture on Zirouf Youcef Avenue in Algiers.
Waving the Ugandan flag, the Ugandan group from Nile Beat showcased Kisoga dance and a stiltwalker who was a hit with the locals.
Among the dignitaries was the state minister for culture, Lukia Nakadama Isanga. She expressed happiness that Uganda had participated, and urged people to start attaching value to culture.
"We have ‚a lot to learn from the Algerians. They have shown that culture is important. We should also allocate money for events like this," she said.
A band playing bagpipes and other instruments led the way, followed by the National Guard on horseback which set the mood for the parade matching past about 100 dignitaries from different African countries.
Hundreds of Algerians lined the streets and others stood on their balconies to watch Africa celebrate her diversity and cultural heritage.
Young men greeted the procession with rhythmic whoops and grunts, while older Algerian women clapped and made celebratory noises similar to the Ugandan way of ululation.
The Algerian government was commissioned by the African Union to host the festival code-named PANAF 2009 and 51b Dinars (over sh147b) was committed to the project. About sh1b was injected into the construction of apartments for 2,500 artists.
This is the second PANAF after the first took place 40 years ago in 1969 in Algiers.
The festival will feature both traditional and popular art forms, from music and dance to fashion, cinema, literature and visual art. Uganda is to present sculpture, paintings, ceramics, comedy from the Theatre Factory group and fashion from Sylvia Owori.
The department of Museums and Monuments will also showcase barkcloth.
Pre-events included a colloquium on anthropology in which two Ugandans made presentations.
Joseph Walugembe delivered a paper on ethical considerations in culture and development while Venny Nakazibwe presented another on the heritage of barkcloth making in Uganda.
African musicians, like Ismael Lo, Manu Dibango, Yossour Ndour, Sam Tshabalala and Magic System are expected to perform over the next 15 days.
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