The World Festival of Black Arts (French: Festival Mondial des Arts Nègres), also known as FESMAN or FMAN, has been a series of month-long culture and arts festival taking place in various parts of Africa. The festival features participants of cultural expression – arts, literature, music, cinema - from around the African Diaspora.[1]
First World Festival of Negro Arts – Dakar, 1966
The festivals were planned as Pan-African celebrations, and ranged in content from debate to performance — particularly dance and theatre.[2] The filmmaker William Greaves made a 40-minute documentary of the event entitled The First World Festival of Negro Arts (1968).[3] Italian journalist Sergio Borelli produced Il Festival de Dakar (1966)[4][5] a 50-minute documentary for RAI. Senegalese director Paulin Soumanou Vieyra also produced the documentary Le Sénégal au festival national des arts nègres (1966). Directors from the USSR Irina Venzher and Leonid Makhnach produced the Russian-language documentary Ритми Африки (Ritmi Afriki) about the festival.
Summary
The First World Festival of Black Arts (French: Premier Festival Mondial des Arts Noirs) or World Festival of Negro Arts (French: Festival mondial des arts nègres) was held in Dakar, Senegal, 1–24 April 1966, hosted by former President Leopold Segar Senghor, and supported by the United Nations’ Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization UNESCO,[6] along with the French government. The festival involved around 2,500 participants from 30 independent African countries and other nations with diasporic communities such as the US, Brazil, The Caribbean, France, and the United Kingdom [Murphy, 2016, p. 3 & 4] and featured black literature, music, theater, visual arts, film and dance.[7] It was first state-sponsored festival to showcase the work of African and African diasporic artists, musicians and writers to a global audience.[8] Under President Leopold Senghor, the festival was intended to place culture at the forefront of African diasporic renaissance. The main goals of the jubilee were to (1) advance international and interracial understandings, (2) tie the African homeland to external diasporic members, (3) promote the philosophy of Negritude, and (4) allow Negro artists to meet and showcase talents to members/outlets of the international art world [Radcliff, 2014, p. 172].
In preparation for the event, Dakar underwent major reconstruction via internal funding and contribution from participating nations. Dakar built new roads, added a new airport terminal, and built two new venues – the Theatre National Daniel Sorano and the Musee Dynamique - for incoming participants and visitors. Existing buildings such as the Palace de Justice (law courts), the Cathedral, Dakar Town Hall, and various beachfronts were repurposed to accommodate the wave of performances that month [Murphy, 2016, p. 21].
Proceedings
The festival kicked off with an 8-day colloquium (co-organized by the UNESCO) that organized philosophical and theoretical presentations on the function/importance of Negro Arts. Held in the National Assembly Building [Povey, 1966, p. 5]. The opening presentation was given by President Senghor’s speech “The Defense and Illustration of Negritude” while other participants provided material for discussion such as Langston Hughes’ “Black Writers in a Troubled World” [Radcliff, 2014, p. 177]. For the rest of the month attendees of the festival explored the city by going to different exhibitions in various venues. The Cinema Palace held submitted films and documentaries, the newly built Musee Dynamique showcased national art exhibits, and the Theatre National Daniel Sorano staged dances, plays, and jazz gigs. Festival prizes were also awarded in the Daniel Sorano Theater by international judges [Povey, 1966, p. 6]. Participants such as poet Tchicaya U'Tamsi [France] and playwright Wole Soyink [Nigeria] left with awards in their respected categories.
US Participation
A North American committee was placed together to organize US participation in the festival. This delegation was led by H. Alwynn Innes-Brown (president) and John A. Davis (vice president) from the American Society of African Culture [Radcliff, 2014, p. 173]. Helping the facilitation of US involvement were the US Senegal ambassadors, musician Mercer Cook and French Literature scholar Ousmane Soce Diop [Murphy, 2016, p. 20]. The committee and the participants chosen were funded by the US State Department, providing approx. $150, 000 dollars in funding and appointing then President Lyndon B. Johnson and his wife as honorary members. Key US participants include Ralph Bunche, Alvin Ailey, Marian Anderson, Fred O’Neal, Leontyne Price, Sidney Poitier, Hale Woodruff, Ossie Davis, Duke Ellington, Langston Hughes, Margaret Danner, Rosa Guy, Marian Anderson, Katherine Dunham, Fred O’Neal, Arthur Mitchell, and William Warfield [Radcliff, 2014, p. 173].
Festival Critiques
While the festival was considered a success – with approx. 50,000 people in attendance total – there was criticism before and after the event from prominent black scholars and participants. A main source of disparagement was the lack of discourse and illustration of the current political struggles and African Liberation. The event avoided deliberation on anti-colonialism and anti-imperialism, choosing to highlight ideas of culture over politics and economy. The festival was also condemned for its selection of participants as mainly nation states were allowed to contribute and delegations had to receive approval before submitting representatives. Black scholars such as Afro-Brazilian writer Abdias do Nascimento were denied entry due to not being official members of approved delegations [Radcliff, 2014, p. 173]. Moreover, contemporary musicians and radical Black scholars from America – like James Brown – were not allowed to join as US Representatives. American editor, educator, critic, and author Hoyt Fuller also pointed out the heavy government influence that hung over the event from the US State Department, CIA, and French government.
Congolese stamps for the Festival mondial des arts nègres, 1966 of 90, 30 and 85 Congolese francs
The Third World Festival of Black Arts took place 10–31 December 2010, and was initiated by Senegalese PresidentAbdoulaye Wade with the theme of African Renaissance. President Wade said in his 2009 address at the UN: "I call all Africans, all the sons and daughters of the Diaspora, all my fellow citizens, all the partners that are ready to walk by our side, all States, all international organizations, foundations, firms, etc. for a shining success for this Festival, and for the rise of a new Africa."[11] The 2010 festival was curated by Kwame Kwei-Armah, and participants at the opening ceremony included Youssou N'Dour, Baaba Maal, Angélique Kidjo, Toumani Diabaté, Wyclef Jean, Euzhan Palcy, Carlinhos Brown and the Mahotella Queens.[12][13] As well as music and cinema, the festival featured art exhibitions, theatre and dance performances, fashion shows, photography and other events, with the participation of artists and intellectuals from dozens of African and African diaspora countries, including the US, Brazil, Haiti, France and Cuba.[14][13]
Under a new festival director, Lehlohonolo Peega, "Festac Africa 2023, Destination Arusha, Tanzania" was held in the tourist city of Arusha, Tanzania, with the theme: Experience Africa in Seven days.
This rendition of the festival opened on Sunday night (21 May 2023) by former Black Panther member Charlotte Hill O'Neal, with a benediction ceremony and hoisting of African flags, while the official opening (on Monday, 22 May 2023) featured Africa's leading speaker Professor P. L. O. Lumumba, who encouraged and commended the worked done by the festival under its chairperson Abioye Yinka and CEO Grace Mumo.
In various interviews ranging from different global media houses, Prof Lumumba stressed the need for Festac.
The week activities were followed by performances from the legendary East African band, Les Wanyika, Lord Eyez, Jamapara and many more with a three-day conference address climate change, women in business, cultural diplomacy, etc.
^Banham, Martin (1994), Errol Hill, George Woodyard (eds), The Cambridge Guide to African & Caribbean Literature, Cambridge University Press, "FESTAC", p. 3.
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