Kisangani: continuation of the activities of the Pan-African Music, Choir and Choral Festival

Kinshasa, October 15^th, 2025 (CPA).- The activities for the first edition of the Pan-African Music, Choir and Chorus Festival have continued as planned in Kisangani (Tshopo), in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to its organiser, who was contacted by telephone by CPA on Wednesday. ‘The activities are continuing as part of the choir and choral music festival organised by the cultural association Kongo Drama, which aims to showcase vocal talent, i.e. the voice as the main instrument,’ has declared Fabrice Bwabulabutima, the festival’s organiser. According to him, « this is a competition that takes place in three stages. The first, the quarter-finals, has taken place on October 10^th with the participation of 512 choristers. The semi-finals are scheduled for Friday, October 17^th again at Village Bralima in Kisangani. » ‘We expect a high turnout from singers, as they have told us that they now understand the spirit of the festival, particularly its celebration of creativity, life, harmonious coexistence and, above all, the call for peace that the pan-African Imb’Africa festival is launching through this first edition,’ he has added. According to its initiator, this festival is part of an effort to promote cultural diversity and revitalise the local artistic ecosystem. The grand finale of this first edition of the pan-African Imb’Africa festival will take place on November 14^th, under the banner of social cohesion. ‘We plan to line up 300 singers on the same stage to sing. It will be a way of expressing our slogan “let’s sing our songs from the heart in unison” through music,’ he has announced. ‘There will be a competition, but also a moment when all the choirs that have qualified for the final will sing together a song of peace and unity, promoting good relations between the different religious denominations and cultural communities of Kisangani, in Tshopo,’ he has concluded. Created in 2008 in DRC, Kongo Drama is a cultural association that promotes the use of the performing arts (theatre, dance, music, etc.) as a tool for education, awareness-raising, entertainment, training, development and intercultural dialogue. Respect for human dignity in art and better coexistence in diversity is among the values promoted by this organisation. Since its creation, Kongo Drama has produced several works and represented DRC at numerous festivals, including its recent participation in the 10th edition of the Seychelles Dance Biennale in September 2023.