DAKAR, Senegal – Working with its French distributor, Avab, ETC supplied a range of fixtures, dimming and control equipment to the third Festival Mondial des Arts Nègres (World Festival of Black Arts and Cultures), illuminating the event's venues, the Théâtre National Daniel Sorano, Centre Culturel Blaise Senghor and La Biscuiterie de Médina. "The brief was to supply all the equipment they need, with an emphasis on high spec and ease of use," said Jean Louis Pernette, Avab sales director. "We were also told that they needed the equipment fast – in fact, we only had a couple of weeks from the time we received the quote request to the delivery date."
Because ETC keeps all its major products in stock in Europe, Pernette knew the delivery schedule wouldn't be difficult – the entire 42 pallets making up the delivery could come straight out of the warehouse.
"We supplied two Congo and two Congo jr control desks across the three festival venues, to make sure they had enough backup. Each hall also took delivery of Source Four PAR and profile luminaires and Selador Lustr LED fixtures, as well as SmartPack rack-mount dimmers," Pernette said.
Following the festival, some of the equipment stayed at the venues while the rest went into flight cases supplied by Avab, ready to be transported across the country wherever it might be needed.
"Part of the appeal of the ETC Selador line is that it does not require dimmers, and so it can be plugged straight into the lighting control desk," noted Pernette. "This is a real plus point, because it makes it so much easier and quicker to set up than many other types of lights. And with electricity being limited across much of the region, the Selador family's low power usage makes it much more practical."
"The project was managed by Syndiely Wade, the President's daughter, and we were in direct contact with Abdou Diouf, the technical manager of the festival," Pernette continued. "They both were very appreciative of the efforts we put in to get everything on site in time, and making sure all the staff was fully trained in its use.
"The Senegalese technicians particularly appreciated the ease of implementation of the various fixtures and their easy setup, especially the advantages of the Source Four PAR optics," Pernette added. "They also noticed the simplicity of Lustr's wiring and DMX allocation, and all the colors that could be provided directly from the Congo control desks…The Théâtre National Daniel Sorano's lighting manager, Sorano Amadou Waly Diouf, told me that he thought it was superb."
ETC's Lustr luminaire is one of a range of Selador LED fixtures designed to give lighting directors the specific colors they're looking for. The Lustr illuminator produces warm or cool pure, white light that slowly evolves into the softest tints and color shadings, offering theatrical-quality light that renders pigments and skin tones in a natural way. The frosted optics create a soft beam of light that is designed to blend well with traditional luminaires.
For more information, please visit www.etcconnect.com.
