The story
International Roots Festival in Banjul/Juffureh/Janjanbureh
A biennial May festival launched in 1996 to mark 200 years since the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade, opening with a ceremony and carnival at July 22 Square in Banjul before a pilgrimage to Juffureh, Albreda, and James Island, mixing traditional African music, kora, and reggae across roughly a week.
International Roots Festival was first launched in 1996 to mark the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade, and it has run on a biennial schedule ever since, staged every two years each May across Banjul and several historically connected towns.