Bouaké, the second metropolis of Côte d’Ivoire, is celebrating this Friday and tomorrow Saturday with the Bo Balo festival. The second edition offers concerts, photo exhibitions, but also cultural meetings.
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In the Baoulé language, “bo balo” means “to party”. Organized and hosted by a team of Bouakéan volunteers, the festival gives pride of place to music, but also to culture and especially to cultural exchange. “ The general philosophy of Bo Balo, says Ruth Tafébé, singer and festival coordinator, it is to put music, and culture in general, back in its role, that is to say as a facilitator of social cohesion, of living better together. Always in this spirit, we try to move from tradition to modernity and focus on a particular ethnic group from Côte d’Ivoire. This year, it’s the Senufo group. We organize conferences on Senufo culture, on the transmission of cultural heritage and especially on the means we would like to have at our disposal to perpetuate it. “.
Disappearance or perpetuation of a culture?
A Senufo culture which, like others, tends to disappear, regrets Pierre-andre Gnanzou, professor of literature at the University of Bouaké. Hence the usefulness of having this type of event to continue to transmit to young people:“ The observation we make is that with globalization, traditional practices are disappearing. For what ? Because the young people who are supposed to take over are no longer interested in it. Whether we are in Senufo country, whether we are in Akan country, whether we are in Mandé country, whatever the region, it is the same observation. So what applies to Senufo culture also applies to other cultures. And today, we need it. That is to say, we must increase these types of activities to help young people understand that our cultural heritage needs to be preserved, to be safeguarded. For example, mother tongues are no longer even spoken by young people. I believe that it is important for young people to be able to immerse themselves in their culture, to make it their own and then move on to perpetuating it. “.
Smokey: “I can’t wait to be there”
On the occasion of the Bo Balo festival, one of the headliners comes as a neighbor to the Jacques Aka cultural center in Bouaké: “ We’re going to make fun as usual.” [rires]. The singer Smockey from Burkina Faso performs the final concert. This will be his first performance in this bustling city in the center of the Ivory Coast: “ I think it’s necessary. We need windows open to art like that, especially in somewhat isolated regions. And I say well done to the whole team who worked hard to put this all together. It’s going to be a first for me and I can’t wait to be there and commune with the public “.
A mix of established artists and those in the making who take part in master classes, the Bo Balo festival is a sort of cultural incubator where soul, traditional, brass band and rap styles mix.