African culture, arts, music and fashion as a tribute to what Africa has provided to the world were showcased yesterday to mark Africa Day.
The event, which coincided with the launch of FetAfrik, took place at the International Conference Centre (ICCS) under the theme ‘Winning the fight against Corruption: A sustainable path to Africa’s transformation’.
Schools along with other individuals were present to showcase African culture at yesterday’s spectacle which consisted of a mixture of poems, performances and art.
Among the audience were Designated Minister Macsuzy Mondon, who is also responsible for culture; Speaker of the National Assembly Nicholas Prea; French Ambassador Lionel Majeste Larrouy; Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Seychelles Jennifer Sullivan; Secretary of State (for poverty alleviation) Dick Esparon; elected member of the National Assembly for Port Glaud Egbert Aglae; chief executive (CEO) of the Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation Berard Dupres; CEO of the Creative Industries and National Events Agency (Cinea) Galen Bresson; as well as students from both primary and secondary schools from around Seychelles.
The ceremony kicked off with a poem entitled ‘Sesel mon zil krepi’ by Stephanie Joubert, a member of Bling Bling poetry association.
This was followed by a performance by the International School of Seychelles’ choir.
The ‘Lavann’ group from Beau Vallon gave a performance of African style dancing, fully equipped with the clothing and body paint which is famously worn according to African culture and traditions.
In his opening address, Mr Bresson said that Africa Day or better known in Seychelles as FetAfrik is an opportunity for us as a nation to reflect and celebrate our African heritage.
“Too often the media portrays mostly the doom and gloom of African countries, but if they were to look deeper one would see that Africa, though we may not accept it, was the cradle of civilisation once upon a time. I take this opportunity to call upon every Seychellois to be proud of who we are,” said Mr Bresson, who also thanked all the people who formed part of the activity.
Elia Damassy, who is also a member of Bling Bling Poetry recited the second poem of the event entitled ‘Machine a Fric’, speaking out on both the downfall and uprising of Africa.
As the performances ended, the audience had a chance to view an exhibition showcasing African culture while being entertained by performances from Kershia accompanied by the Mozaik Band.
