Africa-Press – Angola. The importance of greater dissemination and preservation of the Lunda-Cokwe identity among young people is the theme of the first lecture “A Message to Young People”, to be given today, at 10:30 am, in the auditorium of the Clube Desportivo de Saurimo, in Lunda-Sul , part of the second edition of the Ngeya East Regional Music and Dance Festival.
The lecture will be lectured by the archbishop of the Archdiocese of Saurimo, Dom José Manuel Imbamba, while the second theme, “Sona and its People – Educational Elements and Unity”, is scheduled for 11:30 am and will be lectured by the director of the Provincial Office of Culture, Tourism, Youth and Sports of Lunda -Norte, José Fernando.
According to the festival’s general coordinator, Pedro Capumba, the intention is to transmit knowledge to young people and remind them of the need for greater involvement in preserving the typical values of this culture.
The general coordinator hopes that the lectures can serve as a stimulus and a way to involve young people to be more participatory in the defense of the material and immaterial cultural heritage of the Lunda-Cokwe region, which is very rich and diverse.
Pedro Capumba believes that one of the ways the Ngeya Festival can contribute to leaving a positive legacy for future generations and preventing the disappearance of this culture is to make the best possible use of cultural wealth for the benefit of communities.
Another of the festival’s purposes, he said, is to continue to create an annual cultural agenda with a diverse program capable of helping to promote Cokwe art.
As for the second theme “Sona and its People – Educational Elements and Unity”, it also hopes that young people can deepen their knowledge of this ancient art of the Lunda-Cokwe people, which are drawings and geometric figures in the sand, raised in December last year, in Kasane, Botswana, the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
As part of the importance that is intended to be given to the Regional Music and Dance Festival, the organization will hold an arts exhibition and workshops from 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm.
For this edition, he said, the participation of more than 13 regional dance and music groups is expected, which were selected to represent the main genres of the localities in this cultural sampling event.
Traditional groups take action today
Largo 1o de Maio will witness today, from 6 pm, the performance of only local traditional groups and tomorrow, at the same time, of invited groups from the provinces of Lunda-Norte, Moxico and Huíla (guest of honour).
The province of Lunda-Norte will be represented by the groups Cokwe Fucauma, Cambulo, Diximbi and Estrela de Capenda Camulemba. Lunda-Sul will be represented by the groups Ana Chimbi, Ulengo Tchako Tchetu and Cultural Tchisseke and two more guest groups will be added, which are Mukixi Mwana Pwó and Ulengo wa Tchako. The traditional Vindjombe group will represent the province of Huíla.
The province of Moxico will be represented by the Sakapenda group. The event has the institutional support of the provincial governments of Lunda-Sul, Lunda-Norte and Moxico, in an initiative of the Sociedade Mineira de Catoca.
Ngeya is a cultural showcase festival and not a competition, and there are no winning groups, but participants receive participation prizes.
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