Kisumu city was turned into a vibrant hub of culture and celebration as it hosted the much anticipated Festac Festival 2024.
The event, which began on August 26, will run until September 1 2024.
The lakeside city came alive at the Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium with an explosion of colours, traditions, and rhythms across the African continent, drawing the attention of residents and guests.
The festival created Africa's rich cultural heritage and had a myriad of performances, music, and dances.
The air was filled with the beats of the Burundi drum dancers, whose energetic performance captivated the audience, creating an infectious rhythm that saw people tap their feet within the arena.
Adding to the rhythm was the Les Wanyika Band, whose lively music brought the stage to a standstill as the people stood on their feet for a jig.
Celebrated Kenyan artist Suzanna Owiyo known for her unique blend of traditional Western Kenyan music and contemporary sounds was a highlight during the festival when she sang her song Kisumu 100.
This saw all the guests, led by Azimio Leader Raila Odinga, join in dancing as the guests were welcomed to the lakeside city.
Apesi of Kenya did not disappoint in his performance.
From Uganda, the Bamassaba Cultural Dance Troupe brought the essence of their heritage to Kisumu, displaying their culture and history.
Benny Willis of Nigeria also gave his performance with his powerful voice, with former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo joining him in a dance as he sang.
The host, Governor Anyang' Nyong'o, while welcoming the guest, noted that after months of anxiety and painstaking planning, FESTAC Africa is finally happening by the shores of Africa’s largest freshwater lake.
He said Kisumu is, by all standards, a vibrant cultural metropolis, which will continue to champion the Cultural diversity of the African renaissance in East and Central Africa.
The Governor noted that Kisumu started hosting renowned poets, artists, writers, cultural activists, and musicians at the Kisumu Social Center (now renamed Mama Grace Onyango Social and Cultural Center) in the 1960s as a point of reference for Africa’s cultural renaissance.
These include celebrated poets like Okot P’Bitek. Taban Lo Lyong, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Austin Bukenya, Okello Oculli, and Micere Mugo, among many others.
"We are excited to play host to this Africa’s biggest cultural celebration after a hiatus of more than 45 years during which it almost died.".
The first event was held in Dakar, in 1966, and the second one was a major international festival held in Lagos, Nigeria, from January 15, 1977, to February 15, 1977. The month-long event celebrated African culture and showcased to the world African music, fine art, literature, drama, dance, and religion.
The event held in Lagos in 1977 was the most successful. It was attended by some of Africa's most highly celebrated musicians and writers, including Fella Kuti, Miriam Makeba, Sun Ra, Wole Soyinka, Steve Wonder, Audre Lorde, Amiri Baraka, and Barkley Hendricks, among many others.
Nyong’o said that following successful comebacks in 2022 in Zanzibar and 2023 in Arusha, the 2024 edition is happening in Kisumu.
"I would like to take this opportunity to thank H.E. Olusegun Obasanjo who together with his colleagues Abdulaye Wade of Senegal and Abdulaziz Bouteflika of Algeria and Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, who worked so hard to continue the information on Arts and Culture in the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD)," he said.
