Festival Amani

(Redirected from Amani Festival)

The Festival Amani is an annual festival that takes place in the context of peace building in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Great Lakes region.[1] Amani is the Swahili word for Peace.

Festival Amani
GenreAfrican music
Afrobeats
Soukous
Congolese music
World music
Date(s)February
FrequencyAnnual
Location(s)Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Years active2013–present
Inaugurated2013
Attendance35000+
Websiteamanifestival.com

Description edit

 
Mohombi at the Amani Festival in 2022

The Festival Amani is held annually in Goma, a town near the border between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.[2] The festival hosts Music, Dancer, Comedies and other talented artists in Goma.[3] The festival is held annually and lasts for 3 days in February of each year.[4] The festival's name comes from the Swahili word for "peace"[5] and it celebrates that Congolese rumba was included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.[6]

 
Bintou Keita at the Amani Festival in 2022

In 2020, 36,000 people attended in defiance of an increase in violence in the area. The festival opened with a Congolese interpretation of Mozart's Requiem. M'bilia Bel was one of the headline performers and she include hits Mpeve ya Longo and Yamba Nga.

The festival returned in 2022 after a year's absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Bintou Keita on the United Nations was there helping to give out leaflets warning people of misinformation available on social media.[7]

References edit

  1. ^ "Peace, Music and Children's Rights at the 2014 Amani Festival". ponabana. 2014-02-19. Archived from the original on 2020-02-18. Retrieved 2020-02-18.
  2. ^ Nsapu, Esther (2019-02-17). "Festival Amani : chanter la paix et danser pour le changement". Habari RDC (in French). Retrieved 2020-02-18.
  3. ^ "Festival Amani : artistes et public ont célébré la paix à Goma | adiac-congo.com : toute l'actualité du Bassin du Congo". adiac-congo.com. Retrieved 2020-02-18.
  4. ^ "SPLA | Festival Amani". www.spla.pro. Retrieved 2020-02-18.
  5. ^ "Amani Festival: The DR Congo music festival celebrating life". BBC News. 2020-02-23. Retrieved 2022-02-05.
  6. ^ "Le Festival Amani à Goma - Du 4 au 6 février 2022". amanifestival.com. Retrieved 2022-02-05.
  7. ^ Photos, MONUSCO (2022-02-04), 815A0016, retrieved 2022-02-05