The legendary Ivorian group Magic System, promoter of the Anoumabo Urban Music Festival (FEMUA), launched Thursday in Abidjan the 12th edition of the festivities of this event around the theme “Gender and development” with Burkina Faso as the invited country.
Img: Ivory Coast: FEMUA 12 launched with Burkina Faso as guest country
The countdown is started. FEMUA, which has established itself as a benchmark on the continent, will again make people vibrate to the rhythm of this meeting which will revolve around the theme: “Gender and development” from April 23 to 28, 2019 in Abidjan and Gagnoa (Center-West).
For this edition, Burkina Faso, a border country located in the northeast of the Ivory Coast, which shares historical events and a long tradition of friendship with the Ivorian people, is the invited country. It is the first country to be honored at an edition of FEMUA.
Burkina Faso’s Minister of Culture, Arts and Tourism, Abdoul Karim Sango, welcomed the fact that his country is in the spotlight at FEMUA. He declared that “Burkina Faso will assure its share for the success of this 12th edition” which devotes a day and a night to the Country of upright men.
Salif Traoré dit A’Safo, vocal lead of the Magic System group and Commissioner General of FEMUA, explained why the city of Gagnoa (Center-Ouest Ivoirien), city of origin of former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo, will welcome the FEMUA closing concert.
“We are going to Gagnoa this year because we have decided to build a Magic System primary school, in particular in Bayikou Bassi which is 6 km from Gagnoa,” said A’Salfo, stressing that it will be inaugurated on April 28, the day of closing of FEMUA 12, which ends with a concert.
FEMUA 12, he said, will be organized around five main components: the social component, “the DNA of this festival”, the sports, musical, scientific component and the FEMUA Kid. Another aspect of the social aspect will lead to the inauguration of a reception center for orphans in Bingerville, east of Abidjan, “promised outside FEMUA”.
Sixteen national and international artists were chosen for the free FEMUA 12 concert, including Oumou Sangaré (Mali), Femi Kuti (Nigeria), Kaaris (France), Roga Roga and Extra Musica (Congo Brazzaville), Chindima (Nigeria), Mani Bella (Cameroon), Buravan (Rwanda), Mariah Bissongo (Burkina Faso).
On the Ivorian side, the participation of Molière, Josey, Claire Bailly, Chantal Taïba, Dj Kerozen, Bi Pomi Junior, Allah Thérèse and Mulukuku Dj is recorded. Each year FEMUA activities and concerts attract more than 200,000 festival-goers and 200 national and international journalists.
For his part, the Ivorian Minister of Culture and La Francophonie, Maurice Bandama, praised A’Salfo and the magicians for this cultural initiative which is “the biggest festival” carried by a group of artists in Africa.
The 12th edition of the Anoumabo Urban Music Festival is sponsored by Dominique Ouattara, the First Lady of Côte d’Ivoire.
Several institutional partners are also associated with this festival, which has become a national heritage, among others, the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
Source: AP / ls / APA