First African Choral Festival Launched

second from left Akua Sena Dansua with her deputy, James Ajemin Boateng at the launch of the festival in Accra

The Ghana Tourism Authority, in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, has formally launched the maiden African choral festival dubbed 'Africa Sing Aloud'.

The festival, which is scheduled for March 2012, is anticipated to host choirs around the world including several African American, West and Southern African and Korean groups.

It is also aimed at promoting the country as a tourist destination by fostering closer collaboration and cultural exchange among African countries which will attract domestic and international visitors.

Launching the festival, Akua Sena Dansua, Minister for Tourism, said the African choral festival was added to the calendar of tourism events in Ghana so as to tap into an established network of choral group tourism.

She said Ghana had decided to position itself as one of the major choral festival destinations, drawing thousands of choral music enthusiasts and their families from abroad to Ghana every year.

'Already, about 17 international groups from US and Africa have expressed the desire to participate in the maiden edition in March 2012,' she said.

 'The participating countries will pay for participation in the event as well as spend in our economy during their period of stay in our country,' Sena Dansua noted.

She said the event would further foster inter-regional cohesion as well as stimulate and boost the domestic tourism sector of the country.

The tourism minister thus called on the private sector to support the choral groups through sponsoring the event.

'Companies who will be generous enough to sponsor some of the choral groups during the event will not regret their investments,' she stated.

Executive Director of the authority, Julius Debrah, in his address, said the event, which would be held annually, promises to showcase the best of African culture through choral music as it would create the opportunity for the world choral music community to come together and share their values.

He said the selection of choral choirs would start from the regions, culminating in the international festival which would be under the theme 'Celebrating Culture through Choral Music.'

Debrah further noted that renowned choral directors such as Dr. Andre Thomas from USA, Dr. Henri Pompidor from France, Dr. Andrea Angelini from Italy and Stephen Lutermann from Germany would be on hand to make the event a success.

Other sponsors of the event include the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Culture, the National Theatre, multimedia group and the Accra Metropolitan Assembly.

By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri