ADDRESS: Adjovi House, Qt. Tovê Street, Royal Palace of Ouidah

LOCATION: The Historic City of Ouidah, situated on the coast of the Republic of Bénin (West Africa). The festival takes place in the Tové neighbourhood in front of the sacred Kpassê forest

 

PREAMBLE: The Republic of Bénin and particularly Ouidah played a central role in the enslavement of the local and neighbouring population during the 18th century. During this barbaric period more than one million people who had been kidnapped were marched in chains and shackles from the enslaver’s market to the nearby port of Ouidah where they would board ships and were trafficked into enslavement in unknown destinations across the Americas and the Caribbean.

Although the enslaved people left their nations behind their ancestors travelled with them as did their artistic expression and their ancient cultural and spiritual heritage. Thus, Vodun, a central cultural and spiritual practice, extended its reach across the Atlantic. The word Vodun, meaning Spirit, also spelled as Vaudou, Vodon, Vodoun, Voudou, Voodoo, comes from the Fon and Ewe Languages. Although the system originated in Bénin it is practiced across the coastal regions of West Africa from Ghana to Nigeria.

Against a backdrop of brutal repression in the newly ‘adopted’ nations, the practice of Vodun was prohibited, the penalty was death or imprisonment, the rites, rituals, songs and dances were nonetheless performed in secret by the enslaved population. Over time Vodun merged with and in some cases infused the spiritual practices in countries across the Atlantic including Brazil, Haiti, Caribbean, Cuba and Bolivia. Hence, whether it is Candombé in Brazil, the Santéria in Cuba or Haitian Vodun these are spiritual systems that were and embraced evolved in synergy with the journey of African humankind across the globe.

 

PROJECT: The aim of the Ouidah Jazz Vodun Festival project is to link communities across 3 continents (Africa, Europe and The Americas) by reconnecting people through their shared culture, identity and history. Music and spirituality are the catalysts that unify through immersion in traditional rites, rituals, songs and dances. Arts and culture will be used to illustrate the centrality of Vodun to African diaspora community, European visitors as well as the African public.

What connects the peoples who were taken away as a result of enslavement is their respect for the invisible and our ancestors. Music and rhythms have always been the link between the different worlds and a means of communication between them and the deities of nature.

Togbé Adjos Gankpangnan

Like people and their spiritual practices, music also evolved, but the intrinsic rhythm remained consistent. Jazz is one such example of this musical evolution. Although Jazz, Blues and Reggae are internationally acclaimed and celebrated their roots in the traditional rhythms of Vodun and sacred origins are less well known.

The project will re-establish and revive these links through the universal language of music. Audiences will discover the richness of this musical, cultural, spiritual and historical heritage that is Vodun. It will also facilitate engagement, the sharing of musical traditions and skills between artists from different backgrounds and collaboration.

• The Festival will take place over 3 days and will include:

• Live music – Jazz and Traditional

• Exhibitions - Paintings, Sculpture and Photography

• Dance

• Workshops - Batik (Campala fabric, Wax) Music (discovery and practice traditional instruments and rituals, with professional supervisors)

The festival will bring together contemporary artists and traditional musicians to inspire, be inspired and immerse the audience in the culture and practices of the centuries-old Vodun traditions steeped in the spirits of nature.

The Festival organisers are anchored in an innovative process of sharing and creating a truly wondrous and participatory experience that accentuates the positive and ancestor-related character Vodun.

The Festival will conclude with a series of tours to convents of the various deities, meetings of dignitaries, including the King of Ouidah.

地址：Ouidah皇宫Qt。Tovê街Adjovi House
地点：历史悠久的城市瓦伊达（Ouidah），位于贝宁共和国（西非）海岸。节日在神圣的Kpassê森林前的Tové社区举行

前言：18世纪，贝宁共和国，特别是瓦伊达共和国（Ouidah）在奴役当地居民和邻国居民方面发挥了核心作用。在这个野蛮时期，超过一百万被绑架的人被束缚着market铐从奴役者市场行进到附近的Ouidah港口，在那里登船并被贩运到美洲和加勒比海未知的目的地。
虽然被奴役的人民把祖国留在祖先身边，但他们的艺术表现以及古老的文化和精神遗产也与他们同行。因此，伏顿是一种中央文化和精神实践，将其影响范围扩展到整个大西洋。 Vodun一词，意为精神，也被拼写为Vaudou，Vodon，Vodoun，Voudou，Voodoo，来自Fon和Ewe语言。尽管该系统起源于贝宁，但从加纳到尼日利亚的整个西非沿海地区都在使用该系统。
在新近被收养的国家残酷镇压的背景下，沃顿的做法被禁止，处以死刑或监禁，但被奴役的人们秘密进行了仪式，仪式，歌曲和舞蹈。随着时间的流逝，Vodun与整个大西洋国家（包括巴西，海地，加勒比，古巴和玻利维亚）的精神实践融为一体，并在某些情况下注入了精神实践。因此，无论是巴西的Candombé，古巴的Santéria还是海地Vodun，这些精神系统都是与非洲人类在全球范围内的旅程协同发展而形成的。

项目：Ouidah Jazz Vodun音乐节项目的目的是通过人们之间的共同文化，身份和历史重新建立联系，从而将3大洲（非洲，欧洲和美洲）的社区联系起来。音乐和灵性是沉浸在传统仪式，仪式，歌曲和舞蹈中的催化剂。艺术和文化将被用来说明沃顿在非洲侨民社区，欧洲游客以及非洲公众中的核心地位。
将因奴役而被带走的人民联系起来的是他们对无形和我们祖先的尊重。音乐和节奏一直是不同世界之间的联系，是它们与自然界神灵之间的一种交流手段。
TogbéAdjos Gankpangnan
像人及其精神实践一样，音乐也不断发展，但内在节奏保持一致。爵士就是这种音乐发展的一个例子。尽管爵士乐，布鲁斯和雷鬼音乐在国际上广受赞誉，并且起源于沃顿的传统节奏，但神圣的起源却鲜为人知。
该项目将通过音乐的通用语言重新建立和恢复这些联系。观众会发现这种音乐，文化，精神和历史遗迹的丰富之处就是伏敦。它还将促进来自不同背景和合作的艺术家之间的互动，音乐传统和技能的共享。
音乐节将持续三天，其中包括：
现场音乐-爵士和传统
展览-绘画，雕塑和摄影
舞蹈
讲习班-蜡染（坎帕拉面料，蜡）音乐（与专业主管一起发现和练习传统乐器和仪式）
该音乐节将汇集当代艺术家和传统音乐家，以激发，启发和使观众沉浸在浸透大自然精神的百年历史的沃顿传统文化和实践中。
电影节的组织者以创新的分享和创造过程为基础，创造了一种真正奇妙而富参与性的体验，突出了积极的和与祖先相关的角色伏顿。
电影节将以一系列参观各种神灵的女修道院，贵族的会议（包括瓦伊达国王）为结尾