VOLUME 7 • ISSUE 11 • WEDNESDAY, JULY 11TH 2018
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AFROFESTIVITIES!
PHOTO: ANESHA PREMRAJ/TORONTO CARIBBEAN
ALYSSA MAHADEO/TORONTO CARIBBEAN
Beautiful clear blue skies stretched out over Woodbine Park this weekend and the scent of food and sounds of rhythmic drums enticed visitors from the surrounding area and across the city to join the festivities at AFROFEST 2018, a beautiful and colorful cultural celebration of Africa and her people. AFROFEST is North America’s largest free African festival attracting 125,000 visitors to Woodbine Park, Toronto over two days. The festival celebrates beauty and diversity in food, fashion, art, crafts African music and culture, and performers. This year marked the 30th anniversary of AFROFEST, and Music Africa of Canada has modified its program to commemorate this achievement and organizational growth. “In 2018 we will extend the duration of the festival by changing its length from 2 days to a 9 day celebration starting on June 30, 2018, with a
themed event called, “Africa Celebrates Canada” AFROFEST is about inclusion, showcasing diversity, building community and uplifting Africans in the diaspora. Toronto is a melting pot of cultures, known for its rich diversity, inclusion, and acceptance of everyone who lives here. Over the past few months, the city’s crime rates have unfortunately increased, and it has many citizens worried about the negative media impulses and the communities they reside in. Many people are questioning their safety in the city and whether or not Toronto is still a place where they can feel at home. As we are a city in need of positive and hopeful narratives, AFROFEST draws over 125,000 visitors to Woodbine Park each year to celebrate African culture. Each year is larger than the last and many who attend have returned from the past year’s annual events. AFROFEST is a rare opportunity
to speak to the African diaspora in a space that celebrates African culture. Music Africa, the organizer for AFROFEST, is also growing, with year-long programming bringing positive stories and experiences of African culture into schools, parks, and communities. Music Africa is a not-for-profit community-based organization that promotes African music in Toronto through its annual flagship music festival AFROFEST. Established in 1990, Music Africa is among the oldest and most respected organizations promoting African music in Canada. Through its activities and events, such as the annual Black History Month Concert Series, Music Africa is committed to enhancing appreciation and awareness of African music among Canadians and continues to strive to establish Toronto as a thriving global center for African music. Continued On Page 8