Chief Executive Officer, Signal Media Links Olasunkanmi Olanrewaju has said that hosting the annual All African Festival (AAF) in the United States has helped Africans in the diaspora promote their unique cultural heritage while also helping their children to appreciate their roots.
Olanrewaju said that he decided to come up with an international festival to showcase genuine and indigenous rich African culture.
He said that the maiden international festival held recently in the US holds a very promising future as participants were serenaded with various African performances, dances, cuisines, displays by masquerades (Egungun), among other captivating displays.
Speaking during the post-festival briefing, Olanrewaju said with the continuous population increment of African immigrants in the US, it is important for stakeholders to develop a project like this, to provide African children with a glimpse of their ancestral roots, beyond what they read on the internet.
He said: “This festival will serve as a mirror of reflection on our indigenous socio-cultural values and uniqueness, orientating our kids about importance of mastering their history.
“It would also serve as an opportunity for African immigrants and US-born alike to come together, share experiences, and support each other. This maiden edition allowed the African children to demonstrate their talent in music, dance, arts and crafts as a means of stepping into the future.
“Lastly, we believe that the All African Festival 2025 would be bigger, greater and better, as we intend to work with various reputable private and government agencies to make it more relatable to everyone.”