AFRICA FEST 2009
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Warner Park
Madison, Wisconsin
11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
The African Association of Madison, Inc (AAM) and its partners will co-sponsor and produce AFRICA FEST 2009 on Saturday, August 15, 2009 at Warner Park in Madison. The festival is an educational and enjoyable event devoted to grassroots cultural heritage that will feature musicians, artists, performers, cooks, craftspeople, and scholars who will be demonstrating, presenting, and discussing the cultural traditions of recent African immigrants in the Madison area.
On this the eleventh year, AAM has chosen the theme: “Fulfillment of the Diaspora” to showcase the influence of African immigrants on modern day America, its music, arts and culture. The festival will in part celebrate the rise and experiences of the current most prominent direct descendant of an African immigrant, President Barack Obama. A week of film, workshops and lectures tracking the life of President Obama will precede the festival.
On the day of the festival, African immigrants in the Madison area will sing songs, demonstrate crafts, tell stories, cook everyday and celebratory dishes, illustrate various occupational skills, discuss how they live their daily lives, and address issues of cultural identity, history, and heritage. Food vendors and vendors of authentic African crafts and wares will be at the perimeter of the main tent, and spread across the park.
The new segment introduced last year will be augmented. The “African Village Tour” which was perfect in the park, will continue to bring a physical representation of a real African village. Themes of African traditional life will be re-enacted in the village, such as engagement, marriage and naming ceremonies. Visitors will join in and learn songs and dances, ask questions, eat foods, try their hands at things, and learn about grassroots African culture and traditions directly from Africans living in the Madison community. Presenters will share their skills and discuss their perspectives on the role of culture and familial traditions in community building, and the potential of culture in bridging racial divides in the community.
The goals of AFRICA FEST 2009 include:
(1) To educate and teach our children about the rich cultural heritage of Africa.
(2) To create an annual community event that celebrates African culture as a tourist and commercial potential for Dane County that each year can build on the previous year.
(3) To educate and showcase to the community the kaleidoscope of African cultures and values through dance, music, art, and foods.
(4) To build a stronger sense of community, reach new audiences and discuss public policy issues relating to racism, prejudice and ignorance by demonstrating how communities are interdependent on each other.
AFRICA FEST 2009 is a wonderful opportunity for Madisonians to learn about African culture and traditions directly from the African people who live here. For a more family oriented event, there will be no beer or alcohol sales.
People come to AFRICA FEST for a variety of reasons. Some come to get their fix of African rhythms; others come to spiritually connect with their ancestry, or to study African culture as expressed in dance and movement, or just to have fun. Whatever the motivation, one thing guaranteed is the experience for a deeper appreciation of Africa and Africans. As AAM has shown in past 10 years, a folk festival of this nature goes a long way in building, bridging and indeed strengthening our community through grassroots artistic expressions created and passed on through the generations.