By Yunus S Saliu
Minister of Tourism and Culture (MoTC) and Director General of the National Centre for Arts and Culture (NCAC) has confirmed that the Janjangbureh Kankurang Festival scheduled for 29th and 30th January is not cancel as preparation for the festival is on high gears.
The Minister remarks came shortly following the rumor circulating on social media that the popular festival has been cancelled.
Speaking in an interview with this medium, Honorable Minister Hamat NK Bah said all those information circulating on “social media are false information that is not emanated from the Ministry, NCAC or local organizing committee for the festival.”
Honorable Bah, as usual assured of a splendid celebration of the 4th Janjangbureh Kankurang Festival and quickly advised “all participants to adhere to the precautionary measures as lay down by the WHO and Ministry of Health.”
Hassoum Ceesay, Director General of NCAC alluded the words of the Honorable Minister that Janjangbureh Kankurang Festival taking place in the historical island of Janjangbureh is not cancel as the Center is working hand in glove with the local organizing committee who is currently in Banjul for fund raising.
“As usual NCAC, YEP, National Commission for UNESCO is supporting the festival together with other partners and of course the local organizing committee. Everyone has role to play in the festival because the Kankurang is listed as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Patrimony for The Gambia and Senegal since 2005,” DG Ceesay disclosed.
He noted that it is very important to organize it thus “is part of us fulfilling our obligations to UNESCO to enhance interpretation and understanding of the Kankurang. This is, because, The Gambia signed the 2003 Convention on Intangible Cultural Heritage.”
The DG emphasised that Kankurang Festival is not like any other festival as the festival “is part and parcel of The Gambia honoring our obligation as signatory of the 2003 UNESCO Convention on Intangible Heritage so that’s why it cannot be cancelled or postponed.”
Mr Hassoum Ceesay noted that the festival in its forth year might not be celebrated as usual this year hence it is scaled down because of the coronavirus but the festival will go ahead so that the date for the festival can be constant and maintain.
Observing the preventive measures and Ministry of Health guidelines, he noted that all sanitary measures are already put in place for the safety of participants.
“It is not going to be only Kankurang show because the festival will also be used to sensitize and raise people’s awareness about the Coronavirus festival especially on the new variants of the Covid-19,” he added.