BANZ MINI CULTURAL SHOW A SUCCESS

BANZ town in Jiwaka came alive culturally last weekend as the cultural groups from in and around Jiwaka and other neighboring provinces stormed the dancing arena.
The singsing groups came from as far as Hela, Bundi in Madang, Western Highlands, Simbu and Eastern Highlands Provinces.
The small township of Banz was jam packed with people, vehicles and singsing groups in their traditional attires.
There were cultural fanfare from all cultural groups singing their peroveta songs and swayed to the beat and sounds of their kundu (hand) drums.
The celebration was a mini cultural festival organised by the Upper Kon Association from Jimi Valley, one of the Jiwaka’s districts.
More than 20 cultural groups took part in the festival, making the festival and the town colourful with their attires, body decorations and dancing which spiced it with the beat of the kundu drums.
Although, many of the invited guests could not make it to the official opening, people from within Jiwaka and surrounding provinces including Hela, Madang, Western Highlands, Simbu and Eastern Highlands Provinces were treated the best with the cultural performances.
The officers from the responsible government organizations deals with culture including National Cultural Commission, Tourism Promotion Authority, the Jiwaka Provincial Government and few tourists from overseas were at hand to witness the official opening of the festival and celebration of the cultural festivity.
The festival was from August 5 to 7, 2016 and will be staged annually to give the Jiwaka culture the exposure it deserves.
It was during the festival that the people of Upper Kon in Jimi area enacted their daily lives with a cane foot bridge which became the highlight of the festival.
The association executives explained to the festival participants that the traditional culture, arts and the cane foot bridge they built were the demonstration of their daily struggles.
Many business houses, cooperate organizations and service providers supported the festival making it colourful.
The festival will become one of the Jiwaka’s annual events in the province from next year onwards. The festival was better described as one of the colourful events of the province.