The Uganda National Cultural Center (UNCC), also known as the National Theater is currently engaging in more bilateral Cultural exchange programs to make Uganda’s cultural global.
In partnership with India High Commission, recently a team of six members from Mizizi Ensemble represented Uganda in the annual National Tribal Dance Festival that took place in Raipur Chhattisgarh, India from December 27 – 29, 2019.
The team showcased Uganda’s culture through dances like Amagunju, Lunyege, Rakaraka, Amaraaba, accompanied with traditional instruments like drums, fiddle, Nsaasi, Madinda, Adungu among others to bring out Uganda’s cultural uniqueness, something that left festival revelers in wows.
According to Robert Musiitwa, the Public Relations Officer of UNCC, Tribal Dance Festival is meant to bring together all tribal states and union territories of India to showcase their prominent and colorful tribal dance forms.
Adding that it was a great opportunity that Uganda was invited to take part in the experience to also showcase its cultural diversity on international level.
“As our number one mandate of preserving, promote and protect the cultural and through such festivals. Uganda was given an opportunity to sell to the world our uniqueness and diverse culture, and I believe the country was well represented,” he said.
Musiitwa also said that among the many traditional cultural groups, they chose Mizizi Ensemble to represent Uganda because they are highly experienced and have a high level of professionalism in culture diversity.
Sam Okello, the Chairperson Board of Trustees UNCC, also the team leader of Mizizi Ensemble said that it was an amazing experience for them after seeing how people of diverse cultures embraced Uganda’s culture.
“We were the smallest group but after our show everywhere we could go people recognized and loved us so much. Our show according to the Chief Minister of India was the best. I think my group made Ugandan very proud. We are also very grateful to the India High commission for giving us this opportunity,” he said.
Apart from dances, Okello said that it was a big platform for them to learn for their was a lot of value addition activities like cultural fashion, exhibition among other things that build culture, and believes that they will use some skills gained from India to make themselves much better.
Durga Dass, the second Secretary in charge of Media, Information and cultural at High Commission of India said that Uganda and India are very reach in cultural and through such cultural exchanges, both countries can benefit from each other.
“It has been our pressure to promote culture. Recently the Prime Minister of India came to Uganda and sighed a MoU, among the key things was promotion of culture and I am so happy that it’s happening now. Personally I love Uganda’s culture, the energetic dances, the unique dance moves, costumes among other things,” he said.
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