Students give JMU a ‘Taste of Africa’
African Student Organization open eyes to cultures of students native to continent
Posted on February 25, 2008
At 8 p.m. Friday, the overhead lights in a packed Festival Ballroom were replaced by strobe and black lights. An intense rhythm beating from Congo drums, chants and screams filled the room. Silhouettes of bodies danced on the runway with neon orange and green designs on their arms, and “Africa” echoed from the speakers.
The African Student Organization put on the program “Taste of Africa,” designed to inform students about African life and help erase negative stereotypes.
“We want to promote campus-wide knowledge of African life and clear up misconceptions, and show that there’s another side to Africa besides genocide, hunger, death, child soldiers, AIDS and poverty,” said senior Claudia O. Boateng, student adviser of ASO.
Music was a prominent feature of the show. The Eklectic Dance Troupe performed, along with singers, a belly dancer and an Ethiopian Dance Group, which wowed the crowd with traditional dances such as the “Shoulder Dance.” Music selections were drawn from many different parts of Africa to showcase cultural variety.
“Africa is not just poverty and no food,” said junior Sheila Ngongbo, ASO president. “Some parts of Africa are really rich; rich in culture, rich in food, rich in music and large parts of Africa are happy.”
Wardrobe trends and career fashions were also featured throughout the night. Models strutted and danced down the runway wearing everything from traditional dresses and shirts to modern business suits and heels.
“We want to show that Africa is westernized and to show that we have doctors and lawyers and things like that,” said junior Kojo Danquah-Duah, vice president of ASO and program coordinator for “Taste of Africa.” Danquah-Duah, a native of Ghana, was one of the fashion models.
“Taste of Africa” also touched on the serious side of Africa, informing the audience of different charities it could donate to such as Save Darfur and Books for Africa. Four short poems about genocide were read.
Audience members watched a short slideshow and learned about the impact of Africa on the world through trade, exports like coffee and tea, instruments, icons and even African Victoria Secret models.
Like Danquah-Duah, all members from ASO were born, or have lived, in Africa. Boateng is also from Ghana and Ngongbo came to the U.S. from Cameroon in July 2002. Members came from countries all across Africa, such as Zimbabwe, South Africa, Nigeria and Ethiopia.
While last year’s ASO members represented a total of six different countries, this year there are 16.
“We want the JMU campus to know that there are Africans on campus, and we are proud of culture and our belief,” Danquah-Dauh said.
Students, parents and faculty members from all different backgrounds attended the event, some coming to watch their friends and family perform and others just hoping to see a good show.
Sophomore Marly Flores said, “I feel like we should take advantage of what JMU has to offer.”
