Luanda — The eighth edition of the Pan-African Music Festival (FESPAM), which was to happen from 09 July, in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, was cancelled on Sunday.

ANGOP learnt that the reason for the cancelling of the festival is due to the death of seven people, last Saturday, following the overcrowding of the entrance gates when people started to get inside of the Félix Eboué Stadium, venue of the show, at the opening of the event.

According to the director of the centre for documentation and information of the Culture Ministry, Fidelino da Esperança, who confirmed this fact to ANGOP, the Angolan delegation that was scheduled to leave for Brazzaville on Wednesday has already been told to unpack.

The delegation was to be led by Ndongadi Ngolo Mpovi, head of the department for international events, and included the singers Bela Chicola and Claudeth Tchizungo, the Akapana band and the dancers Ana Maria, Henriqueta Kulenga, Denise João and Maria Calungana.

Considering what happened, the government of Congo re-scheduled the event for July 2013.

Instituted in 1996, FESPAM is a biennial cultural and scientific event that essentially aims at promoting the music of the African continent and its Diaspora.