The University of Idaho Argonaut

Women in Ethiopian outfits perform at African Night on Saturday. Kate Kucharzyk/Argonaut

Saturday, the Student Union Building Ballroom was filled with smells of African cuisine, vibrant colorful robes, music and laughter.
“I never thought they would have such an elaborate program, especially for such a small number of Africans in a small community,” said Alhassan Abubakar, a professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Media Department. “On a whole, it’s a great event.”
Africa Night, a University of Idaho African Student Association event,  was last held in 2004 and gave audiences a cultural insight into the beautiful side of Africa — its people, food, music and dance.

In Tiecoura Traore’s welcoming address, the student group dedicated the event to those in African countries (especially Sudan) who are experiencing daily hardships.
“Usually you see sadness, hunger, kids with extended bellies,” said Simba Teirima, the host of the event. “But Africa is also full of music and color and is full of life.”
The event centered on the observance of African culture rather than the HIV/AIDS, hunger and conflicts depicted in the news.

Each table represented a country in Africa with corresponding artifacts.  People of all ages, nationalities and professions attended the festival.
“I flocked to the opportunity to learn about other cultures,” said environmental science graduate student Keith Bickford.
The program was heavy with artistic expression of the “mother land.”
Hasiah Belloe, an architecture student from Ghana, participated in a few dance performances.

“I am very excited to show (the audience) about Ghana,” she said. “We have a really rich culture.”
Fafa Asiseh, dressed in vibrant orange and blue “Kaba” clothing from Ghana, said she was surprised to see the good turnout.
“Initially we were worried about how many would come, but I’m very impressed,” she said.

There are 25 African students on the UI campus and Eudoxie Peckham, a dancer from Gabon, estimated approximately 20 African countries were represented at Saturday’s event. Pechkham taught dance courses at Washington State University, and with some of her students she performed the Coupé Decalé and Django dances.

“There are 53 countries in Africa,” she said. “Here we can show the different sides of the different parts of Africa.”
There was also a fashion show to display some of the different clothes worn by various African cultures.
“I will call my continent my native land … music and dancing the best to ever see,” Abu Mansaray said delivering his poem “Land of my birth.”

The University of Idaho African Student Association hosted Africa Night in the Student Union Building Ballroom on Saturday to celebrate African culture with food, dancing, and music. Kate Kucharzyk/Argonaut

Mansaray said one of the greatest things about Africa is African culture is inclusive. 
“We’re not just displaying our culture, we invite people to join and experience,” he said.
A marimba band made up of non-African people from the community opened the event and showed African culture and music aren’t just for Africans.
“It’s great to showcase our culture and for (the audience) to join us,” Peckham said. “We’re bringing out the positive of Africa.”

Mansaray said Africa has a lot to offer and that environmentally, the continent is still intact.
“We have a lot of natural resource potential and I want to bring that out to the world and ask leaders to upkeep that natural beauty, the environmental quality,” he said.

As an environmental science graduate student, Mansaray enjoys Moscow for that same quality — the well-preserved nature.  Mansaray wore a rust-red colored robe showing his Sierra Leonean culture. He plans to go back to Africa after earning his degree.
“We have to go back and develop Africa,” he said, “share our skills and technology with the people.”

Samha Ayoub, an engineering student from Tanzania helped organize Africa Night and said the whole event took a month of intense planning. She said the group would have liked to see more people but was very content with the outcome and hopes to do it again.
Kofi Akamani (from Ghana) said his favorite performance was the professional drum band that was brought in from Boise.
“The drumming was incredible,” Mansaray said, “especially the complexity of the rhythms.”
The event ended in dancing, and for many Africans, with pride and homesickness for “the motherland.”