National ballet, Urukerereza, is set to perform at the Jerash Festival for Culture and Arts, a major cultural event held annually in the ancient city of Jerash in Jordan’s northern capital, Amman. Urukerereza’s trip to Jordan will be their first performance in the southern Levant region of Western Asia. The festival, which is in its 39th edition, kicked off on Wednesday, July 23 and will run through August 2. It aims to enrich cultural activities in Jordan. It was founded in 1981 by Queen Noor where it features several shows performed by Jordanian, Arab, and international artistes. This year’s edition will run under the theme “Here is Jordan... and Its Glory Continues,” according to the Jordan news Agency. The festival features traditional story dances by local and international groups, ballet, concerts, plays, opera, popular singers, and sales of traditional handicrafts, all in the brilliantly floodlit, dramatic surroundings of the Jerash ruins. ALSO READ: FLASH BACK: When Rwanda's Urukerereza toured Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium Masamba Intore, the coach of Urukerereza, told The New Times that the troupe is well-prepared to showcase Rwandan cultural traidition through various traditional dances, particularly Guhamiriza and Gushagirira, as well as drumming, a unique performance that put Rwandan culture on books. “We’ve brought Intore dancers, drums, and dancing girls performing Imishagiriro. Through our dance, we tell the story of both Rwanda’s past and its present. We’re putting more effort into promoting our drums so they can gain recognition by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO),” he noted. “Our drums have been outstanding since 1958, but they were overlooked by the former regime, which delayed their recognition. We now want to increase our efforts because the current government recognizes their significance. Drumming is one of the greatest pieces of heritage we have,” he said. Urukerereza will also perform at the Rwanda traditional night gala organized by the Embassy of Rwanda in Amman on July 28, to celebrate Rwandan dance, music, beauty and rhythm of Rwanda’s rich cultural heritage. “Distinguished guests set to attended the gala include diplomatic corps, partners and friends of Rwanda,” Shami Ngarambe, Excutive Assistant in the Office of the Ambassador told The New Times. ALSO READ: Rwanda keen to learn from Jordan’s faith-based, heritage tourism The Jerash Festival is one of the largest cultural events in the region, attracting millions of attendees. In 2015, it featured 40 Jordanian artistes alongside popular Arab singers like Najwa Karam, Maya Diab, and Wael Kfoury. The 2016 edition drew over 100,000 visitors, surpassing the previous year’s attendance. Held in Jerash, a northern Jordanian city known for its well-preserved Roman ruins, the festival combines cultural heritage with modern performances. Jerash is located about 30 miles (48 km) north of Amman and had a population of around 50,745 as of 2015. Urukurereza’s upcoming performance in Jordan follows their successful participation in the Osaka World Expo 2025 on Yumeshima Island, Japan, on July 4, where they gave a spectacular cultural performance celebrating Rwanda’s resilience and transformation since the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, as Rwanda marked Liberation Day.The event took place at the Rwandan pavilion at the expo.
