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Minister Bah to launch Janjanbureh Kankurang Festival

Jan 17, 2020, 12:48 PM | Article By: Njie Baldeh

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.