Members of the African Student Union will bring the sights, sounds and tastes of Africa to the community this weekend at their annual gala show, which caps off this year's African Culture Week.
The event is titled "The Faces of the Motherland" and is free for MSU students. It will start at 6 p.m. Saturday at Lansing's Eastern High School, 220 N. Pennsylvania Ave.
The gala combines traditional dance and drumming presentations with a fashion show, poetry performances and a play.
Nursing junior Diane Ikpeze, who will be performing at the event, said she learned traditional African dances while growing up in Nigeria.
"It is part of our culture," Ikpeze said. "It's how we celebrate at weddings and special occasions."
She said she hopes the event will help to break the ignorance of African culture in the United States. Africans are a modernized people and proud of their culture, Ikpeze said.
"When I first came back to the United States, classmates would ask me if it was a new experience wearing clothes," Ikpeze said. "We don't live in huts - I've never seen a lion in my life."
Kelechi Nnodim, vice president of the African Student Union, said the gala would portray the rich culture of Africa with a variety of performances and presentations, and also help to dispel some of the stereotypes.
"When people think of Africa, they often think of it as one place," Nnodim said. "There are 54 countries in Africa, each with its unique heritage and traditions."
Ikpeze said one of the greatest things about the event is the dinner, which is held after the event and features traditional African dishes.
"It is just something nice to show our culture - what we do and who we are," Ikpeze said.
The food is being prepared mostly by students, although parents who live close will help out. Dishes from all across Africa will be served, including "Jelof" rice, plantain and "Moi-Moi," a type of bean cake.
During the performance, Ishmael Odamtten Jr., a premedical junior, will be playing Kpalogo music, which originated with the Ga people of Accra, a part of Ghana.
"I want to do this to show people about the polyrhythms of Africa: the many different musical styles," he said.
Odamtten grew up in Ghana, where he learned to play the drums at a young age. He said the event will help people understand the diversity of Africa.
"If we understood and respected different people's culture and religion, there could finally be peace between all people," Odamtten said.
