In the fall of this year， in commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the independence and reunification of Cameroon， the Min-On Concert Association is very pleased to present “The Beat of Africa—a Continent of Hope， the Heartland of Great Humanity，” the dynamic performances of the National Ballet of Cameroon in fourteen cities throughout Japan from September 11 through September 30， 2010. It is the sixth installment of the Min-On Cultural Exchange Concert Series titled “A Musical Voyage Across Africa，” which was initiated in 1999， aiming to introduce a variety of rich musical and dancing cultures unique to the African countries， each with its own ethnic and tribal heritage.

“Africa is the birthplace of humankind， the cradle of human civilization. It has been a continent of hope， giving rise to a rich diversity of civilization， since ancient times， that have given humanity numerous blessings in many areas， including philosophy and science. It has long been my belief that the twenty-first century must be the century of Africa.” This is the conviction of the Min-On founder， Dr. Daisaku Ikeda， rooted in part in 1960 with his experience of witnessing the vital participation of newly assigned African representatives to the General Assembly of the United Nation. Indeed， 1960 was called the “Year of Africa”—an extraordinary year for Africa with seventeen African nations winning their independence. The Republic of Cameroon pioneered its independence and reunification at the beginning of 1960， and this year， this country celebrates its fiftieth anniversary.

The Republic of Cameroon is home to more than two hundred ethnic and linguistic groups， and is surrounded by a border with six different countries； it also has a large variety of climates and natural environments. Because of its geological and cultural diversity， Cameroon is called “Africa in Miniature，” where there are more than two hundred traditional dances， each associated with a different ceremony or ritual， as an integral part of the heritage， religion and socialization of the African people. In addition， Cameroon has imported a number of popular dances from abroad that they have adopted as their modern dance styles.

The National Ballet of Cameroon was founded in 1963 under the initiative of the nation’s prime minister as a division of the “Ensemble National，” along with the National Theater and the National Orchestra of Cameroon. The government recognized traditional dance as a very important part of the nation’s culture and made moves to preserve it as the national treasure of it cultural heritage. After taking two years to train and establish the ballet company under the direction of internationally acclaimed choreographer Bebey Black， they have intensively performed in the world every year since 1977. With this Japan tour of the National Ballet of Cameroon， the Republic of Cameroon will be the 103rd country with which Min-On has engaged as part of its cultural exchange in its forty-seven-year history.

The energetic and spirited performance of “The Beat of Africa—a Continent of Hope， the Heartland of Great Humanity” will be perfectly appropriate for the magnificent celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the “Year of Africa，” the Independence and Reunification of Cameroon， as well as a great hope of the “Century of Africa.”

Title of Performance:
“The Beat of Africa—a Continent of Hope， the Heartland of Great Humanity”—the Energetic and Spirited Performance of the National Ballet of Cameroon， the sixth installment of the Min-On Concert Series， “A Musical Voyage Across Africa.”

Performance by: “The National Ballet of Cameroon”

Program:
“Welcome to Cameroon” —the fusion of traditional steps and modern dance
“The Flow of Water” —the universality of cultural and social heritage of Cameroon
“Tchantchan” —the tinkles of bells symbolizing brave men in the forests and highlands
“Ozila” —the lifelong living in the beautiful forests of the woodland
“Bikutsi” —the celebrations of the four seasons in the wooded region
“Ambass Bay” —rowing and canoeing in the rivers and ocean of the coastal region
“Le Njang” —a variety of festivities in the palace of the grassland
“Le Bafia” —dancing of celebrations at every occasion in the central region
“Le Goumba” —weddings with the rhythm of talking drums in the desert land
“Le Gandjal” —the celebrations of the engagement of young couples in northern region
and more

Organized by: The Min-On Concert Association

Supported by: The Embassy of the Republic of Cameroon in Japan

Concert Schedule: From September 11 (SAT) through September 30 (THU)， 2010；
A total of 15 performances in 14 different cities in Japan.

Date & Time Venue Prefecture
September
11 (SAT) 18:30 Kawasaki Kyoiku Bunka Kaikan Kanagawa
13 (MON) 19:00 Honda-no-Mori Hall in Kanazawa Ishikawa
15 (WED) 18:30 Izumity 21 Grand Hall in Sendai Miyagi
16 (THU) 18:30 Bunkamura Orchard Hall in Tokyo Tokyo
17 (FRI) 18:30 Fukushima Prefecture Culture Center Fukushima
19 (SUN) 18:30 Hitachi City Civic Center Ibaraki
21 (TUE) 18:30 Chukyo University Aurora Hall Aichi
22 (WED) 18:30 Kobe Culture Center Grand Hall Hyogo
24 (FRI) 14:30/18:30 Amagasaki Archaic Hall Osaka
25 (SAT) 18:30 Kyoto Kaikan Hall Kyoto
27 (MON) 18:30 Matsuyama City Kaikan Ehime
28 (TUE) 18:30 Hiroshima Cultural Exchange Center Hiroshima
29 (WED) 19:00 Fukuoka Sun Palace Hotel & Hall Fukuoka
30 (THU) 18:30 Okayama Symphony Hall Okayama

Admission Fee: 5，000 JYN and up (price varies according to the venue)

Inquiry at: MIN-ON Publicity Department at TEL 03-5362-3440
(Weekdays between 9:00 AM and 5:30 PM)