Sacred Music festival

The American Cultural Center in Burkina Faso is proud to announce its partnership with the Association Chorus to host the opening and closing concerts of the annual Ouagadougou International Sacred Music Festival.  The Festival brings together sacred musical groups from across Africa, Europe, and the Americas to learn about and perform different forms of sacred music from around the world. This year, Linda Washington has been asked to represent the United States of America in the Festival from November 25-December 6, 2007.  Ms. Washington's appearance will be possible through the Department of State's Cultural Envoy Program.  In addition, Anita Beamon-Freeman will also represent the United States in this year’s Festival.

The Festival aims to promote understanding between religious faiths by sharing international traditions in worship music. The Festival is an interdenominational forum that welcomes performers and choruses from all religious backgrounds. There will be lectures on how music historically has brought hope to the disenfranchised and downtrodden of society, with historical examples from the United States and Africa.

This year, the festival will focus on children, particularly underprivileged and incarcerated youth, to promote human rights and resolve conflict through song. Performers will reach out to disadvantaged children at a local hospital and orphanage, at the Ouagadougou youth prison, and in two villages outside of Ouagadougou.  Ms. Washington and Ms. Beamon-Freeman will engage the children with music to expand their horizons and find peaceful ways of expressing their hopes and fears for the future.

The American Cultural Center will host the opening concert of the Sacred Music Festival on November 25th at 6:30.  The special guests will be Issouf Compaore, Vision and Anita Beamon-Freeman.  The closing event will be held on December 2nd at the American Cultural Center.  The special guests for the evening will be the group Vision, Anita Beamon-Freeman, and Linda Washington & True Friends.  There will also be a special appearance by Ambassador Jeanine Jackson.  These events are open to the public and admission is free of charge.  Additional Festival events will be held at the French Cultural Center on November 29 & 30 and at the Maison de Peuple on December 1.