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

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.

Description

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

  1. "Peace, Music and Children's Rights at the 2014 Amani Festival". ponabana. 2014-02-19. 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
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