Story and Photos by Claire Okeke
Is a celebration showcasing the rich culture and diversity of our Edmonton diaspora through African dance, music, food and art. The event is an annual cultural night, with performers of African descent who sing, dance, recite poetry, and also for engagement and empowerment. The event serves as platform to introduce none African the opportunity to learn and experience the diverse cultures from the “Motherland”.
Speaking to Akran Hammami, president of AFSA, on the objective of the event, he says, “We want to show how rich Africa is, to showcase how diverse our continent is by giving a platform to different performers whether its music, dance, fashion show, poetry slam. Providing a space for our young performers in the city to showcase how talented they are and how Africans are talented and diverse”. He goes on to say, the association is trying to have a more inclusive event to all African nationalities because African is really diverse in ethnicity – language, food, music – it is the most diverse continent in the world. We try to work with other student groups to promote the African culture to fight stereotypes, and stigma about Africa.
Being a part of the event has not only become a celebration of African cultures but an expression of that culture through different art forms. Speaking to Betty, a poet of Ethiopian descent, “Have been a part of AFSA for the longest time, so I always perform for them. Started writing poems from a younger age, five maybe, didn’t know what I was doing just write down little notes and then I developed it as the years went by”. Performing two original pieces; “Times Beauty” – “I find young black people have this pressure of being a part of the norm but the norm keeps changing and yet the essence of them is forgotten, the history is forgotten, the struggle that they have overcome, the accomplishment they have made is forgotten and what’s left is the physical objectification”. The second piece, “The Book of Struggle” – “Is the repetitive history that is repeated through different era’s in the modern world, I just reflect on the experiences that I had”.
