4th East Africa Community cultural festival kicks off in Tanzania

4th East Africa Community cultural festival kicks off in Tanzania

The 4th edition of the East African Community Arts and Culture Festival, popularly known as Jumuiya ya Africa Mashariki Utamaduni Festival (JAMAFEST), kicked off on Sunday in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

The week-long event aims to promote regional socio-cultural integration through arts and culture by providing a platform to showcase culture as a primary driver of regional integration.

The festival features carnivals, art exhibitions, a symposium, live performances, films, literary works, a fashion show, traditional East African Foods, music and traditional games.

In attendace on the first day was Tanzanian Vice President Samia Suluhu Hassan, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Sports Amina Mohamed, Tanzania’s Minister of Information, Sports, Arts and Culture, Dr. Harrison Mwakyembe among other delagates.

Addressing delegates and participants during the launch, the Tanzanian Vice President praised the event as a platform for marketing cultural and creative commodity outputs within the region and internationally.

“This festival aims at bringing together East Africa cultural practitioners, workers and administrators to celebrate the rich diversity of East African cultural heritage and creativity. We want to promote cultural tourism as well as conservation, safeguarding and development of cultural heritage within the EAC,” said Hassan.

The theme of the 2019 edition of the Festival is “Cultural Diversity: A Key Driver to Regional Integration, Economic Growth and Promotion of Tourism.”

The first edition of the festival held once every two years took place in Rwanda in 2013, with Kenya hosting the 2015 edition and Uganda the 2017 edition.

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