As
the 3rd annual Janjanbureh Kankurang festival set to kick-start in the Island
of Janjanbureh, Hamat Bah, the Minister of Tourism and Culture is expected to
officially launch the festival which is scheduled between the 17th and 19th of
January 2020.
The
event is coordinated by the National Center for Arts and Culture in partnership
with the Youth Empowerment Project (YEP) and The Gambia Tourism Board in
collaboration with the community of Janjanbureh as well as other stakeholders.
The
festival will showcase various Gambian masquerades especially the Manding
Kankurang in its various forms and types. Kumpo, Zimba, Gesseh, Fairy,
Abansola, and similar masking traditions of The Gambia will be on show in their
originality. A Nature Day to celebrate
the rich natural heritage of the Island and its environs will also be included
during the festival.
As
part of the Youth Empowerment Project’s Tourism Roadmap, the focus of the
festival will be to enhance the development of Janjanbureh as a second tourism
destination with the objective of promoting sustainable Community based tourism
in rural Gambia. This will preserve the culture and heritage of Janjanbureh and
its surrounding communities, and will equally promote youth employment &
development in the areas of tourism & creative arts.
