Mali’s Fatoumata Diawara to perform in Ghana

Organised by the Alliance Francaise Accra in collaboration with the French Embassy in Ghana and the Francophone Students Associations, the festival aims to promote Francophone culture.

The Francophonie Festival will kick off on the opening day with a performance by Ms. Diawara. Born in Ivory Coast to parents from Mali, the acclaimed singer has toured the world with her self-titled album Fatou and starred in the Oscar-nominated film Timbuktu. Her performance at the festival will be her first in the mostly English-speaking Ghana.

Later, towards the end of the festival, Friday 18 March will see the Alliance Française Accra hosting the Final French Contest and Job Forum from 9am to 5.30pm. The day’s activities include the grand finale of the French Contest and an award ceremony for its winners, as well as shows presented by the French Club of Mount Mary College of Education. A job and entrepreneurship fair will also take place ahead of a roundtable discussion on the topic ‘Starting a business: Why not me?’.

The festival winds down on Saturday 19 March at the Alliance Française Accra with a 'kermesse' (food and cultural fair). This will be followed by a night of humour with a one-woman show, 'Ouagadougou Presse' (in French) by the wacky, seductive Burkinabe, Roukiata Ouedraogo (alias Petit Modèle), who plays 15 different characters at the Alliance Française Accra Amphitheatre.

Accra being something of a hub for French-speaking artists from the rest of West Africa, the organisers implore: “Travel around the world without leaving Accra and come discover the cultural diversity of Francophone countries, which present you their craft, dance, music, literature, fashion, food and drinks.”

For more details visit the Alliance Francaise website.