The opening weekend’s musical journey starts with the Congolese rumba, whose roots are connected to West and Central African sonic imaginaries and are affiliated with son cubano and jazz. This musical genre, played by many bands in the Democratic Republic of Congo, is very important for the history and development of music worldwide, and has been recognized as a World Intangible Cultural Heritage due to its pan-African values and contribution to African memory. Also stemming from Congolese rumba, soukous is a high energy, faster tempo, and highly danceable genre, which conserves elements of rock, gospel, and soul in the history of its development. Techno-soukous, a variant of soukous, is showcased by legendary musician Awilo Longomba and his band.