Benefitting country(ies): Dominican Republic

Overview:

The Brotherhood of the Holy Spirit of the Congos of Villa Mella is distinguished in the fields of music, dance and popular festivities. The musicians play hand-drums called congos, which origin is attributed to the Holy Spirit. The Festival of the Holy Spirit, celebrated at Pentecost, features prayers, dances and singing, accompanied by the music of the congos and a procession carrying the dove representing the Holy Spirit.

Objectifs:

• Preservation and revitalization of the cultural space and to the promotion of intercultural exchanges.
• Integrate a larger part of the population into the celebrations and practices of the Brotherhood,older generations who are responsible for the continuation of the tradition.

Activities:

• Inventories and documentation of the Brotherhood’s cultural expressions including music and dance
• Various workshops on the preservation of the oral tradition and the social memory of the cultural space will be carried out at local, regional and national levels
• A community centre hosting craftsmen’s workshops, performances, classes and symposia will be established.

01/12/2006 - 01/03/2010 – Safeguarding Albanian Folk-Iso-polyphony01/10/2006 - 01/12/2009 – Action Plan for the Safeguarding of the Makishi Masquerade in Zambia