“Umoja cultural flying carpet” is a cultural exchange programme under the auspices of Norsk kulturskoleråd, supported by Norad and the Norwegian Embassy in Maputo, among others. Participants are talented young amateurs from eight countries – Mozambique, South-Africa, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, the Netherlands and Norway. The grand Umoja-concert in Maputo has become an annual event. The concert is a colorful mixture of Circus, music and dance. Amateurs from Umoja share the stage with professional and popular artists from the region. This year, 21 international artists and local Mozambican groups were involved. The concert has achieved a reputation among the citizens of Maputo, and Praça da Independência was full of people on the night of the event. The concert lasted until 6 a.m., when the first buses started running in the city.
The concert will be broadcasted to 10 countries. The recordings were done both in English and Portuguese, with a Mozambican TV-personality and a popular comedian as hosts. The Norwegian Ambassador, Tove Bruvik Westberg, had a welcoming speech from stage. The Embassy has received a lot of attention in connection with the concert. Among other things, the Ambassador has given to interviews to national TV-channels. Umoja has received a lot of attention from the citizens of Maputo, as well as from Mozambican authorities. The fact is appreciated that Norway supports initiatives where Mozambique can present the outmost of the country’s rich culture and young talents to the world, and that African and Western performers can join forces on equal terms.
The Embassy was kindly allowed to host a reception inside the beautiful and well preserved City Hall of Maputo prior to the show. Also, the Embassy used the occasion to arrange an event for the business community – a seminar dedicated to the theme of corporate social responsibility. During the last years, the Embassy has successfully combined business related and cultural initiatives, creating synergy, and this concept will be further developed in the coming years.