India to host Africa Festival

New Delhi: Artistes from as many as five African countries - the Seychelles, Zambia, Sudan, Ghana and Senegal - will bring to India their folklores, dances and music during a two-day Africa Festival in the national capital June 18-19, it was officially announced. Organised by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), the festival will also travel to Jammu, Varanasi, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh and Haridwar, according to the ICCR statement. The event will open at the Kamani Theatre June 18 with dance and music from Zambia, the Seychelles and Ghana. It will be followed by dance and music from Senegal the day after, the statement said. Suresh Goel, director-general of ICCR, said the festival was in consonance with "India`s policy of strengthening our multi-faceted relations with Africa". The India-Africa ties are based on immense goodwill and mutual understanding, the ICCR said in its statement. "Indian and African countries have together struggled against colonialism and apartheid for many decades. India now seeks to partner and support Africa in its resurgence, a partnership which is based on mutual respect and understanding," it added. "There are immense opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation across the African continent," the statement said. Earlier, in April 2008, an India-Africa summit was organised in the capital and a cultural event, `A tribute to Africa`, was held on its sidelines that saw participation from 12 countries from the continent. IANS