Cameroon: Ndungated Fondom Showcase Culture

Cameroon: Ndungated Fondom Showcase Culture
Fosung David
14 January 2010
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A one week cultural festival that held at the court yard of the Ndungated Fon's palace from 14th- 20th December aimed at giving traditional farewell to their ancestors was marked by cultural, choral and tradition rites as provided by the tradition of the Lebialem people. For one week over 300 traditional dances were performed.
Each Fon among the 17 fondoms that make up Lebialem Division produced one or more traditional dance as a mark of good relationship. It was an occasion for the people of Ndungated Fondom in particular,and lebialem in general to display their rich and varied cultural heritage which Fon Asongna Felix II, says the Fondom's is on UNISCO's world heritage list.
Addressing the huge crowd of over 10.000 people Fon Asongna felix II, of Ndungated village called on his subjects to jealously guard those customs and traditions that can foster spiritual, social and Economic development of the village, and warned against the creation of hybrid cultural associations that can transform the culture of the people into forums for political discussions, power struggle or image-seeking avenues. He said the cultural festivities to thank their ancestral spirit and parents, should also help the youths trace the history of their fore fathers as well as help these youths in cultural up-bringing, cultural revival and promotion.
"Know that the land of the living was not far from the ancestors because we must consult them every time for benedictions" Fon Assongna noted. He thanked the over 20 fons and chiefs who came from Manyu and Northwest and called on the gods of the land to guard them back. For his part, the National president of the Ndungated Cultural and development Association (NDUCUDA) Ndi Nkemasong Lawrence, thanked both external and internal elite of Ndungated Fondom for their moral and financial support in what he described as the "preservation of Ndungated cultural heritage". He called on the entire elite to turn this rich culture and make it a driving force for the development of their village.