The crowd-pulling event which was anchored on the celebration of the culture, heritage, and traditions of the Kotoko people was held in Yaounde from Friday January 23 to Saturday January 25 2025.
The sixth edition of the Sao Kotoko Festival has rounded up at the National Museum in Yaounde. The three-day crowd-pulling event which was held under the theme “Between Past and Present: Sao Kotoko Culture and Tradition, Levers of Solidarity and Living Together.”, rounded up last Saturday January 25. The festival brought together hundreds of the Kotoko people assembled under the community’s cultural association known by its French language abbreviation as AC-SAO.
The people used the festival to grandiosely showcase their culture and carry out several other activities aimed among others at promoting unity. Guest and officials that attended the event were notably thrilled with captivating displays of different Kotoko dances and traditional performances, including music and crafts. These, as the organizers put it, with each dance step defined by a unique meaning and highlighting the unique heritage of Sao traditions. Besides the strides in demonstrating a spirit of unity, the festival also served as an educational platform for those unfamiliar with Sao Kotoko customs, traditions and other values.
Going by reactions gotten after the event, the three-day celebration left a lasting impression on visitors and other attendees, leaving room for visitors to begin anticipating the next edition of the highly-rated festival. The Sao Kotoko Festival celebrates the heritage of the Kotoko who are placed under historical chiefdom of Kousseri, Logone Birni, and Goulfey regions of the Far North Region of Cameroon. This year’s edition followed five previous successful editions of the festival.
It came after those notably held in the ancestral Kotoko cities of Kousseri in 2003, the 2005 series organized in Goulfey and the 2013 edition which was organized in Logone Birni. All three were held in the Far North Region. The decision to hold the 2025 edition in Yaoundé, officials say, reflects a desire for increased visibility and a broader appreciation of the people and their heritage through the various activities showcasing the rich traditions, artistry, and cultural values of the people. AC-SAO, the association which runs the event, was established in 2001. Officials of the association expressed gratitude to guess, authorities and collaborators for ensuring that the event was hugely successful and attained its goal of restating the importance of preserving and celebrating diversity.
