It takes a great deal of time, resources and quick thinking to host a party for the entire City of St. Albert. However, organizers for the fourth annual Taste of Africa wouldn’t have it any other way.
“It’s important to share our culture and learn about other parts of the world. People in St. Albert may not ever go to Africa, but in this way, we bring Africa to St. Albert. And this is a way to preserve our culture in the community,” said Helen Agbonison president of the Africans & African Descendants Friendship Club of St. Albert.
She describes the continent with a warm passion in her voice.
“Africa is very diverse, very rich, very unique and very beautiful.” And when you have something wonderful, it becomes a great pleasure to share its charms.
Taste of Africa is St. Albert’s big showpiece celebrating Black History Month. The volunteer run event, taking place Saturday, Feb. 25 at the Arden Theatre, features dance, storytelling, poetry, drumming, a fashion parade and an array of African culinary delights.
Returning to the event is Armchair Travel, a crowd favourite where Lamia Sahmi takes the audience on a tour of Morocco while Dr. Lisa Belcourt-Rodriguez visits Ghana.
African entertainment has always been a hit at the Arden Theatre whether it’s traditional dancing or the more contemporary jazz and soul. As part of its mandate to share cultural art forms, Agbonison and her team have programmed 16 different acts that includes a fashion parade.
Six countries are represented through the colourful and lavishly patterned cultural attire. They include Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda, Somalia, Morocco and South Africa.
“People are intrigued by our fashion. People wonder where we wear it and they try to touch the fabrics,” said Agbonison.
Sangea Academy, one of the region’s top tier drumming and dancing studios, returns with a new catalogue of its flamboyant West African repertoire while Sizwe Marimba Group introduces the softer, mellower sounds of North Africa.
Danielle George, a steel pan percussionist with an instrument made from a 55-gallon drum, instead creates floating sounds with hit Trinidadian calypso melodies. And the music and dance segments are tempered with poetry, spoken word and storytelling from a group of local university students.
At the concert’s closing, theatregoers can pick up take-out boxes of African and Caribbean dishes. The boxes contain 17 food samplers and a hibiscus drink. The food is prepared by volunteers as well as several regional restaurants. Two contributing restaurants are The Bedouins, an Arabian/North African inspired restaurant and Olympia Ethiopian Restaurant Café.
Restaurant dishes are balanced with volunteer home-cooked snacks showcasing dishes from Nigeria, Cameroon, Morocco, Egypt, South Africa, Angola and Democratic Republic of the Congo.
“We pack as much diversity in one festival as we can. Throughout the year we plan and check out performers and restaurants that fit what we do. Last year we sold out.”
The festival is Saturday, Feb. 25 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Arden Theatre. About 50 per cent of seats are sold out. Tickets are $10 each plus GST and handling fees. Visit www.tickets.stalbert.ca.
