Dundo - The Tchianda and Kizomba dances and music, as well as the marimba and quissanje musical instruments were declared National Intangible and Tangible Cultural Heritage by the Ministry of Culture this Thursday.
The official announcement was made at a ceremony that took place at Palácio de Ferro, in Luanda, as part of the celebrations of the International Day of Monuments and sites, which is marked today.
The recognition of the traditional musical instruments marimba and quissanje and the music and dance genres tchianda and Kizomba results from their wide dissemination internationally, as assets of Angolan identity that enjoy high prestige.
The director of the National Institute of Cultural Heritage, Cecília Gourgel, made it known, on the other hand, that the Churches of the Catholic Mission of Cuvango and the United Methodist of Malanje and the São José de Cluny infrastructure, in Luanda, were also declared as monuments and sites.
According to Cecília Gourgel, the Ministry of Culture considers the need to recognize dances and moments, as a way of safeguarding the Angolan matrix of belonging and guaranteeing the pass down to future generations.
She also informed that the country currently has a total of 323 classified monuments and sites and around 1,239 inventories.
The International Day of Monuments and Sites was established on April 18, 1982, by the International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), which this year takes place under the motto "Heritage Resilient to Disasters and Conflicts - Preparation, Response and Recovery”.
According to the Ministry of Culture, the national program for this year's celebration seeks not only to pursue the objectives formulated by ICOMOS, but also reflects, above all, the concerns and purposes of the Angolan State within the scope of public policies in favor of heritage, combining a set of actions and different cultural activities.
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