Africa Night 2014 brings food, dance, traditions to UI
Beat-heavy, stomp-inducing attendees, shouting loud and smiling in the middle of a whirlwind of patterned fabric and rhythmic movement characterized the outro of the University of Idaho’s Africa Night Saturday in the SUB International Ballroom.
Dancing feet shuffled inches from the stage’s edge, but shoulders rolled unbothered as the energy of the event gathered guests together and pushed the maximum capacity limit of the performance space.
Sophomore Ricky Ruiz, after breaking free from the dancing, provided one explanation for the masses attracted to the active energy on stage.
“The music, it just gets into you,” Ruiz said.
Junior Carlie Beasley danced in the crowd and said she felt similarly motivated.
“There is something about African music that gets into your body and just makes you want to let loose and dance,” Beasley said. “It was a breath of fresh of air to experience an event that felt really alive.”
Africa Night 2014 was hosted by the Idaho African Students Association and featured many performers who are members of the organization. The event was titled ‘Jabulani Africa,’ “jabulani” being a Zulu word meaning rejoice.
The event began at 5 p.m. and attendees experienced a mini-African marketplace – selling jewelry, accessories and other wares. Next to the market place were a gallery of educational posters, where curious minds could learn about the Mombasa Carnival in Ghana, the achievements of Olympic athlete Blessing Okagbare, how Ethiopia fared under Regent Haile Selassie in the early 1900s and other remembrances of African history.
After members of the ASA welcomed the audience in a variety of different African languages, attendees were swept into the event by a flag ceremony introducing African countries by their respective banners.
Following the flag introduction, guests rejoiced in cultural presentations, including songs rooted in Nigerian culture, dances based out of Ethiopia and other areas of East Africa and spoken word poetry by members of the ASA.
Local band Simba and the Exceptional Africans performed while crowds formed lines snaking around the ballroom to be served African cuisine. On the menu was goat light soup, Ampesi (boiled potatoes and plantains), Suya (goat meat with sautéed vegetables), spinach and egusi stew and a variety of other meal items patrons could wash down with sobolo (hibiscus tea).
In celebration of November birthdays in the audience, daring Africa Night attendees also ate a habanero-spiced hard-boiled egg as per a certain African tradition, President of the ASA Yvonne Nyavor said.
Junior Amaya Amigo said the many different things to rejoice over regarding the annual Africa Night event inspired her to take a trip to Africa last summer.
“Everyone should come to Africa Night, it’s an amazing event,” Amigo said. “Not only is it educational, but it’s a lot of fun … Maybe it will inspire you to go to Africa.”
George Wood Jr. can be reached at [email protected]