By Arret Jatta
A Chinese music troupe on Sunday performed in front of a giant crowd of Gambian officials and ordinary people at The Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Center.
The troupe displayed powerful and energetic performances that also featured some Gambian artists.
Zhao Shangsen the Charge D’affaires at the Chinese Embassy , welcomed the gallery of important guests noting that the event was born out of the Global Civilisation Initiative, launched by President XI of China,
“Under the initiative, President XI called for respect for diversity of civilisations, and jointly advocating robust international people-to-people exchanges and cooperation. Tonight, with joint efforts from both China and The Gambia, we are doing just that,” he told the gathering.
He thanked the Gambian authorities at foreign affairs and tourism for supporting the event.
The National Centre for Arts and Culture, the Flex Fuzion Entertainment, the Gambian Kungfu Wushu Federation and The Gambia Music Store, all contributed making the event a success.
Omar Bittaye, Director of Asia Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs , said the event greatly highlights the very strong diplomatic relations between the two countries, which dates back to 1974.
“The presence of the Chinese cultural group exemplifies the strong relations between the two countries. This is truly a cultural diplomacy at its best. I am sure during this event, all of us here will learn a lot. For example, we will not only be entertained by the rich Chinese and Gambian cultures of percussion and dance, but we will also be informed about the cultural and traditional music that we have in common,” he told the gathering.
After opening the pleasantries the stage was set for an electrifying ‘Lion dance and drumming’ depicting Cantonese folk melodies and traditional lion dance.
The performance thrilled attendees with majestic and energetic dances.
