UNESCO hosts Ghanaian produced play ‘Mansa World’ at headquarters in Paris

By: Doreen Ampofo

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization , UNESCO, will today host the epic Ghanaian theatre production ‘Mansa World’ at its headquarters in Paris.

Based on UNESCO’s General History of Africa (GHA) volumes, ‘Mansa World’ revives the continent’s history – as seen by Africa and African diasporas.

The show will feature original colourful costumes, live music and a troupe of 60 young African actors, singers and dancers.

The epic theatrical production vividly portrays the life of Mansa Musa, the legendary Emperor of Mali and one of the most prominent figures in African history.

This legendary King of the Ancient Empire of Mali is believed to be the wealthiest man to have ever lived and is one of the key figures of African history. In 1324 his extravagant and ambitious pilgrimage from Mali to Mecca caused quite a stir around the world. And now his story is brought back to life in the epic theatre production ‘Mansa World’, conceived by Bambu Heritage and Ghanaian producer Chief Moomen.

By engaging interactively with Africa’s past, the event aims to promote the teaching, learning and dissemination of the GHA through different means to learners of all ages and underscore the role of African youth and the creative industry in Africa in this process.

UNESCO is organizing the show in partnership with the Africa Group, within the Flagship Programme 2 of the Operational Strategy for Priority Africa 2022-29.

The story behind “Mansa World”

In 1324, Mansa Musa crossed the desert with tens of thousands of soldiers, servants, and courtiers. His caravan, an entire city on the move, carried along an extraordinary amount of gold that the King spent and gifted to other nations.

This pilgrimage served to glorify his name and reign and turn his kingdom into a thriving civilisation of arts, culture and learning. Mansa Musa brought back from his journey experts and knowledge from across Africa and the Middle East, whose potential he invested in developing cities such as Timbuktu and Gao, establishing schools and universities, and funding literature, libraries and mosques.

Representing a “Golden Age” of the Mali Empire, his legacy remains a little-known chapter of African history.

In ‘Mansa World’, by Ghanaian producer Chief Moomen, this chapter unfolds before the eyes of six young heroes – Bamba Kouyate and his friends. Through their adventures, the show will reveal rich African heritage and cross-cultural influences to the viewers.

The play will be shown in English at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris at 7pm today.