The 34th April Spring Friendship Art Festival took place in the DPRK in celebration of the 114th birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung, amid the interest of the audience.

The festival brought together famous art troupes, dance groups and circuses of dozens of countries and overseas Korean art troupes. They staged hymns in praise of the Korean great men and other numbers on diverse themes.

An official of the Ministry of Culture said that the festival which originated in April 1982 has so far made a great contribution to strengthening friendship, unity and cultural exchanges among peoples of different countries and jointly developing the musical art of mankind. The international prestige and distinctive features of the festival are evidenced by the participation in it of a total of nearly 20 000 foreigners and overseas Koreans of more than 2 090 art troupes, cultural delegations, visiting groups and supporters’ organizations of many countries in the past 40-odd years, he added.

This year, too, art troupes and artistes of many countries spared no efforts for the preparation of their performances to make the festival a big success.

Russian artistes devoted themselves to perfecting their works, saying that it has been an excellent tradition for them to take part in the April Spring Friendship Art Festival.

Chinese artistes, who had sung in a lofty style of the friendship and fraternity between the DPRK and China with a long history and tradition in the previous festivals, also made great efforts for the artistic interpretation of works, saying that they wanted to put on the stage good works reflecting the friendly feelings of the peoples of the two countries.

Such sincere efforts of the artistes of different countries were displayed on the stage of the festival.

Russian artistes well showed their people’s trust in the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un, who made an immortal contribution to the development of the DPRK-Russia friendly and cooperative relations, through the revolutionary hymn “Ode to General Kim Jong Un” and other numbers.

Artistes of the Chinese art troupes also put on the stage the immortal revolutionary hymn “Song of General Kim Il Sung” and other songs.

Many people who watched the performances say in excitement that they could feel deep admiration for the great men overflowing on the stages, adding that they are filled with boundless reverence and yearning for President Kim Il Sung and the pride and self-confidence in being the people holding in high esteem the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un.

Other foreign artistes made deep impressions by wonderfully representing the Korean songs with high artistry.

“I still remember a festival which I saw in my childhood. A foreigner earnestly sang the song ‘Leader, the Night Is Far Advanced’. Though her pronunciation was not correct, I was very impressed to see her singing. I have felt such impression again at the current festival. ‘Care of My Destiny’ and many other Korean songs were sung by foreign artistes, who admirably represented the content of the lyrics and even the emotional sentiments reflected in the melodies with good pronunciation. Seeing them, I could feel their passion and wanted to present bouquets to them on the stage,” said a resident in Moranbong District of Pyongyang.

The artistes of Russia, China, Mongolia, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and other countries who took part in the festival also gave a beautiful artistic description of the national sentiments peculiar to their peoples and their romantic life.

The audience unanimously said that they came to have a better understanding of the life of the peoples of relevant countries and their patriotic feelings and desires to defend justice, watching performances including the dances, songs and national instrumental music widely known to the Korean people on different occasions in the past.