By Yunus S Saliu
The island of Janjangbureh known as McCarthy or Georgetown was Saturday, 29th January experienced a tumultuous celebration as the Vice President of The Gambia arrived in the island to preside over the opening of the 5th edition of the Janjangbureh Kankurang Festival 2022 held at Tinyangsita Festival Ground, Janjangbureh in Central River Region.
Announcement of the coming of the Vice President Dr Isatou Touray to preside over the opening of the festival on behalf of the President of Republic of The Gambia His Excellency Adama Barrow added more value to the celebration as all cultural groups come out to perform in their best and not wanting to end mood.
Apart from the defunct International Homecoming Roots Festival, the recently celebrated 5th edition of the Janjangbureh Kankurang Festival has been described as the most spectacular cultural event well crafted, planned and attended as the population of the Island was twice doubled while all available accommodations in the Island and surroundings were fully and over booked.
This excited festival was covered by both national and international media with few local electronic and online media who had gave a live stream of the event which attracted high dignitaries from not only the host country but beyond the shore of destination Gambia with some numbers of tourists to the community.
The event at the festival includes Inter cultural and tourism dialogue; Janjangbureh Marathon, community based tourism (CBT) tours; with parade of over ten different kankurangs and also showcase of other masking traditions of The Gambia among others.
As the festival had been moribund for more than two decades before its resurrection five years back, vice president Dr Isatou Touray said it needed much effort to wake it back to full life.
“Luckily, the level of commitment we received from the chief, governor, youths through the EMC and the relevant sector and the Ministry with its satellite institutions – NCAC, GTBoard and GTHI was such that as early as the 2018 edition, hopes were raised that the festival will become one of the most look forward to in the National Calendar of Festivals.”
The level of participation by the community and the invited masquerade guests, according to her, was of high level and this has helped to encouraged people to come from far and wide to attend the festival.
She added that the intervention by the YEP since 2018 has been a big boost to the festival “such that we are now on the 5th edition. And besides the financial support accorded to the festival, YEP has also worked with other relevant stakeholders for example, to widen the capacities of the local organizing team in events management and festival organization.”
So, the visible improvement in terms of content of the festival, its organization, its scope and its attendance is a clear testimony to the YEP support, she stated.
VP Touray went on revealed that the government aim on the festival is to use it to restore the town as the cradle of the Kankurang, which in 2008 was inscribed as a UNESCO Intangible Heritage of Humanity. And “another aim was to promote tourism in the island and add to the numerous tourism attractions in the form of a festival which will be themed on the Kankurang.”
The Minister of Tourism and Culture, Honorable Hamat NK Bah, the host Minister, thanked His Excellency Adama Barrow through the vice president Dr Isatou Touray for the government supports towards celebration of the festivals in The Gambia.
In extension, he thanked VP Touray for able to make it to the Island to celebrate the festival with the residents; guests and delegates who had descended on the town to witness and have not just only experience of the Janjangbureh Kankurang Festival but the tourism and hospitality of The Gambia.
Minister Bah quickly applauded everyone present while he fully recognized the present of representatives and guests from Senegal. More so, he particularly thanked – YEP, UNESCO NATCOM; GTBoard; GTHI; NCAC; among other partners for their supports.