COMOROS

Mbeni Traditional Arts Festival MGAMIDJI-FESTIVAL

The MGAMIDJI Festival, established in 2012, is a space for expression and encounter for artists, musicians, dancers, and researchers from across the region. Its name, MGAMIDJI, evokes the flame, the sacred fire of Comorian traditions that continues to burn through generations. Since its first edition, the MGAMIDJI Festival has established itself as a reference in the Comorian and regional cultural landscape. The “MGAMIDJI Festival,” in its commitment to promoting and safeguarding intangible cultural heritage, is based on the conviction of the MBENINGOMA-COMOROS project that patriotism is born from a strong cultural identity. In June-July 2012, we organized the first edition of the MGAMIDJI Festival under the patronage of Mr. Mohamed Ali Soilihi, then Vice-President of the Comoros, shortly after the government ratified the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH). This event allowed young people to reconnect with their cultural roots. Given its success, the festival has become an annual event, a testament to the dynamism of Comorian culture.