Limbe FESTAC ends successfully

For the municipality of Limbe this is a season of celebration. So when the many diverse cultural groups, and SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURESassociations, gathered to mark the maiden edition of Limbe Festival of Arts and Culture, dubbed Limbe FESTAC 2014, midwife by the Limbe City Council and co-sponsored by partners SO.NA.RA and CDC, no one was surprised. The gathering truly lived up to its billing as a celebration of tradition and culture. The actors, many of whom were own culture lovers, also used the occasion to raise money to help less privileged kinsmen within their traditional groupings.

And while it lasted, April 5th – 12th, guests witnessed live performances that unmasked each group’s uniqueness – ceremonies that attracted cash display from quests on Limbe City Council invitation list. But that was not all. There was an illuminating opening speech on Day 1 by stress-resistant Okalia Bilai, South West Governor. It dwelt on “culture and the need for its promotion.”

The venue was Community Field at downtown. The actors were the population comprising Cameroonians and foreigners of diverse cultural settings. Many of them were successful businessmen and women, workers, small-scale industrialists, and entrepreneurs. They were united by their quest to drink from the fraternal spring. But they also have this water of culture values welling up in them. And they showed that they were willing to showcase it at every turn.

They decided to be part of the event as their own contribution to the ongoing cultural revival coming against the backdrop of much trumpeted declining interest in Cameroon’s rich languages and cultures. Many a participant brought their friends from other ethnic groups to have a taste of the cultural values of their people. Present at the event which was chaired by Governor Okalia Bilai was the South African High Commissioner to Cameroon.

Also present at the close of the week-long cultural jamboree were Heads of Diplomatic Missions; Hon. Members of Parliament; SDO of Fako; District Officers of Lime I, II,&III; General Managers of corporations; retired governors; the regional delegate of arts and culture; and administrative authorities. To entertain the quests, there were various traditional dance groups.

They sustained the tempo of the celebration, dancing with some jauntily engaging energy. Every group ensured there was no dull moment, sending the crowd into raptures on every occasion. Chairman of the occasion Governor Bilai commended the organizers for putting together the programme. He said: “It is interesting that Limbe City Council has put together this event towards cultural revival even when hard hit with other exigencies. It entails a lot of sacrifice.”

Not only was the Governor of the opinion that Limbe FESTAC 2013 was opportunity to showcase the cultural heritage of the region, he was also of confident the Limbe City council and by extension the population of South West would enjoy benefits the carnival would yield in various sectors of the economy. “Please make it permanent. Participating communities are looking forward, counting on you for the next Limbe FESTAC,” His Excellency finished.

In his speech made earlier at close of ceremony, FESTAC vision bearer, Government Delegate Andrew Motanga, sais it became necessary his Council to institute the programme to mark the occasion so as to ignite a revival of Cameroon’s cultural mix believed to be in decline in his municipality. He said “with such awareness at the back of our minds, it became imperative that we institute what is coming to a successful close today.”

Carnivals play important roles in the realization of societal development. Mr. Motanga explained that the carnival focused entirely on merriment but featured social integration and the projection of investment opportunities that abound in Limbe municipality.

Andrew Motanga with a commendation of major partners for evolving progressive ideas for the success of Limbe FESTAC 2014 celebrated under the theme: ‘Cultural Diversity and Integration.’