African Culture Night Warms a Snowy Evening

While a heavy snowstorm raged outside on Saturday, December 6, the temperatures rose inside the ASEAN Auditorium at Fletcher for the annual African Culture Night. Despite the deep snow and blustering wind, more than 100 people came together to celebrate “Urembo wa Afrika”—Beautiful Africa—the theme of this year’s event.

Guests who arrived breathless and cold quickly warmed themselves with heaping plates of traditional foods from Ethiopia, Ghana, and Uganda. A drum circle formed and dancing members of the Africa Student Group led the attendees up into the Auditorium for the entertainment. The room had been decorated with fabrics and crafts from all over Africa, and the audience watched a slide show with photographs taken by Fletcher students during their time in various African countries.

Because of the severe storm, a few of the scheduled performers were unable to come. But in true African style, flexibility, resourcefulness and generosity prevailed. Fletcher’s Ambassachords sang the South African National Anthem, and first-year Fletcher student, Alyssa Wilson, dynamically performed a West Africa dance she had choreographed just hours before. Doreen Lwanga, a Ugandan first-year, was the mistress of ceremonies, and she regally orchestrated the night, dressed in a bright blue outfit and turban from Uganda. She told jokes with candor and spoke with spontaneity and verve, setting the tone for the night.

A stream of acts followed, including poetry and music. Grace Kibuthu, who had been on tour with a gospel choir last year, had people on their feet, dancing and clapping, while she sang. During the fashion show, students modeled outfits from all over Africa, including Ghana, Burundi and Kenya. The models posed and strutted up and down the aisles, to hoots and cheers from their fellow classmates. Then, Elizabeth Buckius read a poem written by a colleague she had met when she was a Peace Corps volunteer in Mali. The final act was a dance by a Ugandan Boston College student, who, wearing an orange bandeau top and tiny sarong, performed a highly energized Congolese dance that again brought the audience to its feet. An encore returned the student to the stage and invited the other performers and organizers to join her in an improvised finale.

Guests slowly moved out of the auditorium, reluctant to leave the warm heart of Africa to brave the cold winter of Somerville. They had been enthusiastic and supportive participants, and enjoyed the tastes, sounds and sights of beautiful Africa. Fortunately, the evening was not yet over, and everyone was invited to an after-party in the Blakeley Hall dorm, where dancing to African music continued well into the night.