CAMEROON - PAVILION
As part of the Festival of Cultures of the Biennale of Luanda 2021, discover the cultural content proposed by Cameroon!
Enjoy your visit!
Cameroon has a unique culture which is seen through its traditional architecture, local food, folk festival, ceremonies, art and crafts and a social organization modelled on traditional values. The country has four cultural groups each with their unique rhythmic music, cultural dances, colors, and attires.
The Nguon Festival
The Nguon, which is one of Cameroon's most dynamic and symbolic cultural events, has been in existence for over six centuries. It is a biennial festival that attracts people from all over the world to Foumban - the city of the arts, which is rooted in a tradition and culture enshrined in ancestral values of democracy, living in harmony around the sacred power of the Mfon (monarch) of the Bamoun people.
The history of the Nguon Festival
Of Tikar origin, the Bamoun people, led by their founder Nchare Yen (1934), did not only carry the spear and the quiver, cunning and courage were also found in their suitcases as well as all the forms and thoughts of his people. The Bamouns, triumphant warriors in each of their battles, expressed their desire through the monarch to thank their ancestors, to solicit their framing in the life of the kingdom and ensuring the management of conflicts between the subject and the monarch.
This is how the king organized a celebration in order to meet the different wishes of the people. This event named Nguon with the mystical and secret name 鈥渟heme ngu鈥 of the country is therefore instituted.
"The largest and oldest heritage and cultural event in Cameroon and Central Africa"
The socio-cultural objective of Nguon is to promote the mixing of cultures and to facilitate the integration of Cameroonian populations in general, to promote economic, scientific, cultural and academic excellence, through various experiences, site visits, education and sensitisation for a peaceful and socio-cultural cohesion.
Discover Cameroonian Music!
Meiway | "Tu dis que quoi"
Discover the diversity of Cameroon in this Pan-African video clip produced entirely in Cameroon by the Ivorian music legend Meiway. This track, composed under a Ben Skin air in the West part of the country, is a musical postcard of the habits, customs and oral expressions of the country, from East to West, from North to South.
The Reunification Monument was erected between 1973 and 1976 in Yaound茅 to immortalise the advent of the Reunification of French and English speaking Cameroon in 1961.
The tower is the main block - shaped like a conical spiral with a point on top. It is made up of three levels:
- A basement with a large circular hall decorated with wall paintings by Bishop Engelberg Mveng;
- A slab on the ground floor, decorated with wooden frescoes by Etolo Eya;
- At the top of the tower, the meeting point of the East and West entrances, symbolising the perfect unity of the two large English and French-speaking parts.
UNESCO is supporting young musicians in Cameroon!
Cameroon's music icons have accompanied UNESCO and its partners in their efforts to support young talent in the framework of the joint project between UNESCO and the German Sparkassenstiftung for International Cooperation, in favour of the financial inclusion of artists and in particular of musical artists - a category particularly affected by the impact of the COVID-19 restrictions. The project aims to build the financial independence of artists.
Ben Decca, Annie Anzouer and Mr Leo were there on October 27, 2021 in Douala to bring out the best of the talent among several promising young musicians from Cameroon. The 20 shortlisted artists were mentored by experienced talents before taking to the stage for a final show which concluded with the selection of the 10 best young musicians.
These 10 artists will benefit from training and a bank loan that will enable them to realise their musical project. These training courses will train the artists in entrepreneurship, introduce them to digital technology and marketing, but also coach them and provide them with the necessary skills to better manage their careers.
This initiative is linked to the ResiliArt initiative, a global movement launched by the Director General of UNESCO in April 2020 to support the resilience of artists, aims to create and strengthen sustainable platforms for listening, visibility, training and support for musical artists, and services around music.
This initiative focuses on the music industry using microfinance and financial inclusion to support and boost the economic development of this sub-sector and improve the livelihoods of artists and other stakeholders working in this field.
The initiative will thus make a lasting contribution to the resilience of the sector and support the development of a viable environment for creativity and artists to flourish.
Discover UNESCO's work in Cameroon
Disclaimer
The ideas and opinions expressed on this page are those of the Member State; they do not necessarily represent the views of UNESCO and the Organization hereby declines all liability. The designation employed and the presentation of material throughout the National Pavilion or this webpage do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Organization, concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area of its authorities, or concerning its frontiers or boundaries.
