About 500 delegates are in Kigali for the inaugural edition of the African Choral and Gospel Championship (ACGC) slated from March 24-27 at Intare Conference Arena. The Pan-African Gospel Choir Festival, which was organised in collaboration with Chorale de Kigali, was initially scheduled to take place last year in South Africa, but organisers in December decided to move it to Kigali after the Covid-19 situation in the southern African country was showing no signs of improving. “The plan was to hold the festival in South Africa last year, but we were forced to postpone it to December after countries imposed travel bans to South Africa due to the Omicron variant. Kigali became our next option for the festival after we realised that the country’s pandemic situation was not improving,” says Ghanaian James Varrick, one of the festival coordinators. “We are happy that Kigali accepted to host us and we look forward to a memorable festival,” he adds. Varrick’s choir, Harmonious Chorale, is one of 15 choirs expected to take part at the festival alongside Akoo Show, Accra Diocesan, Grace Chorale, and Symphonials, all from Ghana, All-Female Choir, Bacmac Choir, and Lagos City Choir from Nigeria. Meanwhile host nation Rwanda has five representatives, including host choir Chorale de Kigali, Choeur International, Alarm Ministries, Ishema Ryacu Choir, and Ensemble Instrumentale de Kigali. In general, the delegates taking part in the festival are representing seven countries, including host nation Rwanda, Ghana, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Togo, Cameroon, and South Africa. Oscar Irambona, the vice-president of Choral de Kigali, says that it was a privilege that organisers chose to bring the festival to Rwanda and is confident Rwanda choirs will learn a lot from their compatriots’ gospel music experience. “We are happy that the organisers chose Rwanda. The festival will not be about performances, but also an opportunity to exchange experiences about the gospel music industry. We look forward to giving gospel music lovers an experience to remember,” he says During the festival, participants, both soloists, and choirs, will also be able to participate in a series of singing competitions after which winners will be rewarded with certificates and cash prizes. The delegates will also be able to tour different places of tourism for them to have a glimpse of the beauty of the country which continues to put more effort to establish itself among the best tourism destinations. Apart from Intare Conference Arena which will host both the opening and the closing ceremonies, the festival will also be held at two more designated places, Kigali Car Free Zone’s Imbuga City Walk and Notre Dame de Fatima in Musanze, to ensure that the festival reaches a bigger audience. While attending the festival in the latter two places is free of charge, festival-goers will be required to buy tickets to attend the opening and closing ceremonies. Tickets for either opening or closing ceremonies are already available at Rwf10,000, 20,000 and 30 000 for regular, VIP, and VVIP respectively, while those who wish to attend both events will pay Rwf15,000 for regular, and 30,000 and 45,000 in the VIP and VVIP zones.
