By: Mohamed Sahr mohamedsahrpro@gmail.com
As part of the its reinvigorating support and the spirit of bringing people together for a purposeful feast, Ma Dengn Association unveiled 2023 Beach Festival with the theme “Salone Awujoh; olman de geh” at Radisson Blu Garden.
Sinkarie Sesay, Chair of Ma Dengn Association said the launching was an opportunity for Ma Dengn’s strategic partners and collaborators to reflect on the 2022 festival and reinvigorate commitment to execute the 2023 vision. Madam Sesay added that the 2023 Beach Festival would continue to celebrate the success made in the previous year’s particularly to fashion, arts and craft, music literature and food among others.
She mentioned that this year’s festival would be curated to deliver an authentic Sierra Leonean “Awujoh” experience in order to pay homage to an important communal feast that would bring families and communities together. “An Awujoh at its core symbolizes the spirit of sharing and coming together where everyone can partake in the festivities,” Madam Sesay stated.
She said this year’s festival would be slated for the 16th and 17th December at Radisson Blu Garden; adding that Ma Dengn continued to embody the spirit of converging people and delivering experiences that amplified the contributions of creatives to national development.
“A poignant sensory experience that amplifies our tried and tested formula that deliver quality performances, traditional craft expos on the grounds, and a vibrant market-place reminiscent of days past, ” she assured.
She thanked all of the sponsors for the immense contribution to the success of 2022 festival and looked forward to working with additional partners and sponsors in order to achieve another landmark.
Fatmata Samura, representative for the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs said Ma Dengn remained relevant and a mainstay in the festival space in the country. She the Ministry would continue to grow its collaboration with the Ma Dengn Association with a vision towards carving out a pace in the regional festival calendar for the Ma Dengn Festival.
She added that the objective of the Association and the Government were strongly aligned to promote Sierra Leone as a premier tourist destination.
“From the inception of the Ma Dengn Festival, the Ministry had supported the Association’s vision to curate a one-of-a-kind experience of Sierra Leonean culture over a two days festival that features the best of Sierra Leonean music, food, arts and craft, fashion and literature,” she told A-Z Newspaper.
