“YES” New York City will witness the glamour of the four centuries old and the most popular traditional African social festivity in history based on the traditional 40th day calendar of the Akan People of West Africa the “Akwasidae Festival “ of the Asante People of Ghana right at their backyard.
The African Cultural Exchange at Fordham University and the Bronx African American History Project , the Department of African and African American Studies and Daasebere Anane Amponsah, The Asantefuohene of New York and the Asanteman Association of New York is happy to invite you to the first Akwasidae event in New York City at a major University and of the magnitude similar to that of the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi - Asanti Region , Ghana.
The day is Saturday September 18, 2010 at the O’Keefe Commons, Rose Hill Campus, Fordham University from 11:00 am to 4:00pm. Students, Researchers, Africans and every one living in the USA will take the opportunity to savor a real moment of an indigenous get together known for its social importance of entertainment, education and community building.
As part of the event, a former Presidential candidate of Ghana Doctor Arthur Kobina Kennedy will Deliver the keynote address on the theme “Africa in Perspective” which will touch on the Socio- Cultural development and challenges of the People of Ghana and Africa and there will also be traditional African Music performances as well as performances of the contemporary Ghanaian Hiplife Music by Nana Frema, Buk Bak, Ded Buddy and also Akua Naru, an emerging American Afro Hip Hop recording artiste.
“ We are meeting not just to celebrate African Culture but to eat African food and share African stories with the world,” said Nana Amponsah. “I hope to raise awareness of the rich and diverse African Culture present here in the City of New York today.”
In an exclusivelr interview with this freelance Journalist Dr Mark Naison, the Chairman of the department of African American Studies @ the Fordham University and the Principal Investigator of the Bronx noted that "his department will continue to provide a platformto highlight the rich and diverse African Arts Culture in the USA"
Mr.Kojo Ampah Sahara the President of the African Culture Exchange @ the Fordham University also on his part intimated that the students of the renowned University are anxiousely waiting to expreince the Special Akwasidea's event,"this is the first in it's kind to held @ the the siol of and Fordham University and USA ."
The Akwasidae Festival joins the list of the increasing number of African highlight events at Fordham University recently which includes Africa Week 2010, the teaching of Twi, a language of Ghana widely spoken in the Bronx and an Oral History Research project into African Immigration to the Bronx by the Bronx African American History Project (BAAHP webste).
FROM PRINCE OSEI BONSU ,BRONX NEW YORK.
