To enhance the value and promotion of the cultural heritage of the populations of the Dzanga Sangha Protected Areas (APDS), from April 29 to 30, 2025, the APDS organized, under the initiative of the local association Ndima-Kali, the first edition of the APDS cultural festival called FESTICULTURE APDS 2025, under the theme “A people without culture is like a tree without roots”.

These festivities took place in the town of Bayanga, organized in collaboration with other local partners, namely the Union des Communautés Ba’aka (UCB), the Maison de L’Enfant et de la Femme Pygmée (MEFP) and Radio communautaire Ndjokou.

The main players in this festival were representatives of the Ba’aka communities from 07 APDS villages: MonaSao, Nguengueli, Kanza, Koundapapaye, Mossapoula, Bayanga and Yandoumbé, and representatives of the Sangha-sangha and M’piemon communities from Bayanga. Also invited were two groups of local artists: the Super Tempo group from Nola, who came with their full orchestra, two professional dancers and a dancer; and the Kingo Ya Ndima group from Bayanga.

The program included:

• traditional dance and song competitions with several traditional dance groups from Ba’aka, Mpiémon and Sangha Sangha,
• traditional games (hunting games),
• exhibition of objets d’art, pharmacopoeia and other traditional hunting and fishing tools,
• live music concerts featuring local and international artists, notably the Super Tempo orchestra from Nola, and Kingo Ya Ndima from Bayanga;
• several awareness-raising sessions and video screenings on a variety of subjects including respect for human rights, human health, zoonoses, tourism, conservation issues at APDS (protection and surveillance department, Sapeli, research, etc.).

Over 1,000 people took part in the two-day festival, feasting to the rhythms of local Ba’aka, Mpiémon and Sangha Sangha culture, young and old alike, highlighting the great cultural wealth of the APDS in all its diversity and splendor.