Cuanza-Sul Breaks Language Barriers and Wins Over Audience at Ngeya Festival

Luanda: The cultural group Kumbi Lixia, from the municipality of Quibala in Cuanza-Sul province, was one of the main attractions on Saturday at Ngeya Festival 5th edition held in the city of Luena, Moxico. Coming from a place over a thousand kilometers away and singing in a language unknown to much of the local audience, the band drew thunderous applause and whipped hundreds of spectators into a frenzy. According to Angola Press News Agency, invited to the festival by the mining company Catoca, the band got hundreds of people singing, dancing, and joining in on the performance, despite the clear linguistic differences between the artists and the audience-the latter being largely rooted in the cultures of eastern Angola. For the group's leader, Carvalho Morais-known in the artistic community as "Rei Mix"-the audience's reaction demonstrated that cultural expression continues to transcend regional and linguistic barriers in a country characterized by profound ethnolinguistic diversity. "We came from a region where the language isn't understood here in the east, yet we were welcomed with energy and applause. Culture continues to prove that it can unite different peoples," he stated. During the performance, the collective performed four traditional songs, including "Nguele Mocandumba," a song inspired by a community ritual involving the counseling of girls as they reach adulthood. The group also showcased traditional dances representing cultural expressions that accompany various moments of community life in Cuanza-Sul-specifically in the municipality of Quibala-ranging from family celebrations to farewell and mourning ceremonies. Founded in 1987, Kumbi Lixia consists of eight members and is distinguished by its use of improvised, handcrafted instruments, including adapted hoses that produce part of the group's signature sound. The Ngueya Festival, held at the Monument to Peace Tourist Complex, brings together 13 cultural groups from various Angolan regions this year for an event dedicated to promoting national la nguages and traditional music, as well as preserving Angola's intangible cultural heritage. It is part of the social programs developed by the mining company Catoca and aims to establish itself as a key platform for cultural exchange among different Angolan communities.