A CELEBRATION of the rich and diverse culture of Africa was held in Aberdeen at the weekend bringing together North-East community leaders, business delegates and guests.
Organised by The Africulture Network, in partnership with International School Aberdeen (ISA), Spirit of Africa was the first event of its kind for the city to promote African heritage and improve cultural diversity in Scotland.
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Over 150 guests enjoyed a fusion of African and Scottish cuisine followed by a presentation of African fashion with models showcasing a variety of clothing.
The headline act for the event was a performance by award-winning UK saxophonist, YolanDa Brown, OBE, who delighted the crowd with an eclectic mix of reggae, jazz and soul. The line up also featured a host of talented cultural groups featuring the Aberdeen African choir and a journey through Africa with music by the cast of Shona the Musical.
The event was the launchpad for The Africulture Network – a group of passionate professionals dedicated to showcasing African heritage at its best in Scotland.
Mavis Anagboso, Co-Founder of The Africulture Network, said: “We are still on a high and well and truly blown away by the success of our inaugural event.
“The Spirit of Africa was truly magical, and we are extremely grateful that we took the opportunity to highlight the rich history and culture of the Africa continent. We were thrilled to bring an event of this scale to Aberdeen to project our voices, our culture and our unique history.
“A huge thank you to all our event partners, sponsors and supporters, and to our friends at ISA for hosting such a fantastic event in a beautiful venue, it was an incredible backdrop to a very special evening.”
International School Aberdeen, which is celebrating its landmark 50th anniversary this year, said it was honoured to work in collaboration with The Africulture Network to bring an event promoting cultural infusion to Aberdeen.
Nick Little, Head of School, said: “As an international school, we were delighted to support an event that aligns with our mission to instil values of cross-culture acceptance, inclusion and respect.
“Our diverse international community in Aberdeen is undeniably worth celebrating and the Spirit of Africa offered the ideal platform for a wider audience to experience a different way of life and opened many conversations surrounding the understanding and acceptance of other cultures and traditions.
“The presence of so many talented artists and performers under one roof to celebrate the essence of Africa was truly wonderful.”
For more information on The Africulture Network, visit, www.africulture.org.uk or email [email protected]
