LIS News

Honoring the struggle, celebrating our future — Angola Independence Day Assembly

The LIS community gathered on November 8th to celebrate the 49th anniversary of Angola's Independence (November 11th). With the theme “Honoring the Struggle, Celebrating Our Future”, we started the morning singing the National Anthem to kick off the festivities with moments that reminded us of the immense pride in this land that has become a home for all members of the LIS.

Guests and members of the community showed off their splendid traditional attires, turning LIS into an authentic Angolan fashion show. The harmonious and tuneful Roaring Pride choir performed spectacularly. Some students were able to show off their dancing skills with synchronized choreography in styles such as hip-hop, kuduro and ballet. 

The Abadá group, with their incredible Capoeira moves, had the students vibrating with every acrobatic move. The guest artists, Frank Abreu and the Quartet, gave an excellent musical performance, presenting a fusion of semba, jazz and bossa nova, playing “Mbiri Mbiri, by Rui Mingas” and “Muxima, by Waldemar Bastos”, songs of great symbolic value for Angola. 

One of the most memorable moments was the Rebita performance done by some Angolan parents. It was amazing to see people from the audience getting involved and experiencing the traditional dance. 

The event ended with an exhibition of paintings produced by Angolan artists at LIS from November 5th to 8th, expressing the resilience and strength of the people, the theme of the assembly.

We thank all the members of the Angola Independence Day Assembly Committee for their fantastic organization. It was a day of immense appreciation of Angolan culture.