Africa in Colors festival to return
Wednesday, May 10, 2023
Revelers during the past AIC-MOCA Festival. Photo by Willy Mucyo

'Africa in Colors' festival, which brought to Rwanda La Fouine, one of the biggest Hip Hop artistes in France, last year, is set to return to the country for its fourth edition.

The festival, scheduled to take place on September 7-11, is expected to attract people from more than 40 countries around the world.

Raoul Rugamba, the brains behind this festival, told local media that this event, which is coming to Kigali for the third time, was organised because the entertainment industry in Africa still lacks improvement and how players in this sector still lack means to make it productive.

He said, "Globally, two billion US dollars are generated from the entertainment industry, and it is an industry that provides employment to more than 26 million people. In Africa this industry earns two per cent compared to the rest of the world. That is why we thought about how we will promote the entertainment industry in Africa through this event."

When asked about the artistes who will participate in this year's edition, Rugamba said that the line-up will be announced soon and that talks are going well on both sides.

Besides La Fouine, this festival has been attended by big celebs such as Kareem Biggs Burke, Jay-Z's cousin who is also in the management of Roc Nation, the rapper's company.

The festival is a joint project by Africa in Colors, a Rwandan-based art initiative represented by Raoul Rugamba and Movement of Creatives Africas (MOCA), a French based initiative represented by Cameroonian art entrepreneur Alain Bidjeck.

The duo produced the first edition in Paris after reaching a strategic partnership agreement in 2020 that aimed to rethink the African creative ecosystem of tomorrow in order for it to impact, in a sustainable way, locally and globally.

At least 5,000 participants from across Rwanda, around the continent and the rest of the world are expected to participate throughout the four-day festival.

Among the participants include students, entrepreneurs, artists, influencers, innovators, decision makers, various national and international media houses, and many other players of the culture and creative industry from across the globe.