The World Military Music Festival in Tripoli, Libya, took place in the Libyan capital of Tripoli in September 2009 on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Libyan People’s Arab Jamahiriya.

16 nations from 5 continents were represented in the mix of military and civilian performers involved in the show: featured nations including Algeria; Australia; Austria; Egypt; France; Italy; Kenya; Libya; Malta; Mexico; New Zealand; Pakistan; Russia; Senegal; Tunisia; and the UK.

The cast, numbering in excess of 1000 people, was a spectacular combination of military and civilian bands, medieval flagwavers (Sbandieratori Italia) and dancers (Waza Afrika Kenyan Dancers; Russian State Ballet Company and Nalmes State Academic Dance Company).

The Festival proved to be a great coming together of different peoples from different nations, with an air of friendliness and unfettered cooperation from all parties pervading throughout the rehearsal and performance process. Lasting friendships were made as a result of the event and a superb impression of each nation involved was left with all performers, production staff, and even more so with the audiences of thousands that were present at the performances and dress rehearsals

September 1 - 40th Anniversary Parade

The massed bands of the World Military Music Festival performed before the Libyan Leader, Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi, Leaders of the nations of the African Union, and other VIP guests, and also accompanied a flypast and parade of troops from all member states of the African Union and troops of the Libyan forces through Green Square. 



VIP Guests included:
President Ali Abdullah Saleh, of the Republic of Yemen
President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, of Algeria
President Zina El Abidine Ben Ali, of Tunisia
President Hugo Chavez, of Venezuela
Sheikh Hamad Ben Khalifa Al Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar
Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jabber Al-Sabah Amir of the State of Kuwait
King Abdalla II, of Jordon
President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir, of Sudan
President Amadou Toumane Toure, of Mali
President Yayi Jammeh, of Gambia
President Leonel Fernandez, of Dominican Republic
President Idriss Deby, of Chad
President Rupiah Banda, of Zambia
President Boris Tadic, of Serbia
President Mamadou Tandja, of Niger
President Denis Sassou Nguesso, Of the Republic of Congo
President Blaise Compaore, of Burkina
President Francois Bozize, of Central African Republic
President Jakaya Kikwete, of Tanzania
President Foure Ayadima, of Togo
President Yayi Boni, of Benin
President Ahmed Abdullah Sambi, Comoros Islands
President Mohammed Ould Abdelaziz, of Mauritania
President Pedro Verona Pires, of Cape Verde
President Fradique Menezes, of Sao Tome and Principe
President Pierre Nkurunziza, of Burundi
Prime Minister of Ethiopia Meles Zenawi
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, of Philippines
President Mahinda Rajapakasa, of Sri Lanka
President Mahmoud Abbas, of the State of Palestine
President Zeliko Komsic, of Bosnia & Herzegovina
President George Abela, of Malta
President Filip Vujanovic, of Montenegro
Acting President of Guinea-Bissau Raimundo Pereira
President Mohamed Abdelaziz, of the Saharan Republic
President of the Council of State of the Sultanate of Oman Yahya Ben Mahfoudh Al-Mundiri
Representative of the Sultan Qaboos Ben Said
Sheikh Mansour Ben Zayyid Al Nahyan, Minister of Presidential Affairs of the United Arab Emirates
Representative of the President, Viktor Lukashenko, Assistant to the President of Belarus for National Security Affairs
Vice President of Gabon Didjob Divungi Di Ndinge
Vice President of Ghana John Dramani Mahama
Vice President of Nigeria Goodluck Jonathan
Vice President of Iraq Tariq Al-Hashimi
Prime Minister of Namibia
Prime Minister of Morocco Abbas Al-Fasi
Prime Minister of Pakistan Yusif Rida Jilani
Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Lesotho Pakalitha Mosisli
Prime Minister of Equatorial Guinea
Prime Minister of Somalia Omar Abdel Rasheed Sharmarki
Prime Minister of Singapore
Marshal Mohammed Hussein Tantawi, Minister of Defense of Egypt
Vice President of Liberia
Speaker of the Duma Council of the Russian Federation
Speaker of the Indian Parliament
Foreign Minister of Spain Miguel Angel Moratinos
Alain Joyandet, Secretary of State for Foreign Cooperation
Jiang Wexixin, Minister of Housing & Urban-Rural Construction of China
Former President of Ghana Jerry Rollins
Former President of Nigeria Olusegun Obasanjo
Former President of Chad Coconi Waday
Former President of Mauritania Ali Ould Mohamed Fal
Foreign Minister of Guinea Bissau
Chairperson of the AU Commission Jean Ping
Assistant Foreign Minister of Ecuador
Deputy Foreign Ministry of Vietnam

September 2 - The World Military Music Festival in Tripoli, Libya

Each individual band / performance group undertook their own short performance before being brought together for a huge and colourful massed international finale. The performance took place in Green Square, in front of a seated audience of invited guests, senior military figures and thousands of members of an incredibly appreciative general public.

September 3 - Additional Performance

UK; Algeria; Kenya; Mexico; New Zealand; Pakistan

The bands present at the Festival from the UK, Mexico, Algeria and Pakistan, along with Pipes & Drums from New Zealand and the Kenyan Dancers came together to give an additional impromptu street performance for the Libyan people in Green Square. Thousands of members of a very appreciative general public were in attendance

World Military Music Festival in Tripoli, Libya

Performers

Algeria - National Guard Band

Australia - Rats of Tobruk Memorial Pipes & Drums

Austria - Military Music Band Tyrol

Egypt - Egyptian Military Band

Ethiopia - Ethiopian Army Band

France - French Foreign Legion Marching Band

Italy - Banda della Brigata Maccanizzata Sassari - Sbandieratori Gubbio - Sbandieratori Sansepolcro

Kenya - Waza Afrika Troupe

Libya - Joint Band of the Libyan Armed Forces

Malta - Band of the Armed Forces of Malta

Mexico - Symphonic Band of the Mexican Navy

New Zealand - Pipes & Drums of Christchurch City

Pakistan - Three Arms Band of the Pakistani Army

Russia - Chief Military Band of the Ministry of Emergency Situations - Nalmes State Academic Dance Company - Russian State Ballet Company

Senegal - Principal Band of the Senegalese Armed Forces

Tunisia - Tunisian Army Band

Ukraine - Central Air Force Band

UK - Band Pres Porth Tywyn, Wales


Algerian or Austrian; French, Russian, British, Libyan, whichever nationality; each and every person involved with, or who was witness to, the World Military Music Festival in Tripoli, came away with incredibly positive and lasting good impressions of every nation that was involved. These impressions, and the friendships made there will remain with them for the rest of their lives.

A demonstration video of the World Military Music Festival can now be found online

Part One
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6blgBKwSpk
Part Two
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ttyskZ4oY0
Part Three
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFAKp7nIlBY
Part Four
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxVUBmJQRu0&feature=PlayList&p=A3998BC9A7B2923D&index=3