Africa is an entire continent, not one country. This large feat to feature African cultures is done so by selecting a few countries per show and showcasing the cultural dances and music from that region.
Africa Pavilion
Venue: Holy Cross Gym (290 Dubuc St.)
Dates: Sun. Aug 6th to Sat. August 12th
Extended Shows: Fri & Sat – 11:15pm
** For a complete, updated listing of pavilions I have visited so far, please click here.
Cultural Display
Head down to the basement and see the cultural display on one of the walls. The rest of the space is designed to look and feel like you’re walking through a marketplace. Colourful displays of products and services invite you to talk to local artisans, organizations and businesses to learn more about everything they are selling or providing.
There’s also a section for drumming hosted by the drum cafe. The drums are set up, and you can hear about ways that you can get involved as well. This is the group that played at the beginning of the show.
Food
We tried their meat patty and something called chin chin which are like tiny, crunchy snacks from Nigeria. These were honestly pretty addictive. I ended up with another bag to take home. They also have moi-moi for vegetarians and plantains! We also had their non-alcoholic African punch. There’s also the Tusker beer originally from Kenya.
Entertainment
The show opens up with a number by the Drum Cafe playing lively music to a group of dancers. We also were taken to Sierra Leone that had a music theatre style production of Mama Saylah about a woman who is unable to bear her own child and is hoping to adopt one.
There was a performance of poetry, and also a few numbers by a group called Mosaic Dancers. The dancers are named Mosaic because they seek to celebrate the different cultures of the continent.
Above and Beyond
Poetry! As previously mentioned, the art of spoken word is featured and celebrated in their show. A poet, Abdul Smith, came up to do an original poem, Dear Black Child talking about the importance of self-love and being proud in your ancestry. He dedicates the poem to his future sons or daughters.
Thank you again to the folks at the African Pavilion! We hope you had a wonderful week!
** For a complete, updated listing of pavilions I have visited so far, please click here.
xoxo,
Judianne