After a two-year absence, the Bissau carnival is back: it is a major cultural event in the region, bringing together the majority of the country's ethnic groups. "For me the carnival means a lot, because it allows me to feel truly Guinean," explains Alfredo Sylvestre Nanque, one of the participants. "It is with the carnival that we can represent our culture and our way of life. I would like every Guinean to be able to show and live his or her culture, because every day our cultural heritage is disappearing". IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES