Marriage and family therapy graduate student Rocio Escobar belly dances on stage during Afrgoganza Saturday at MacDonald Middle School, 1601 Burcham Drive. Put on by the African Student Union, Afroganza was a culture show which included singing, dancing, a fashion show and other performances to celebrate African culture. It was the final event of African Culture Week.
Students and community members packed into MacDonald Middle School’s auditorium Saturday to catch a glimpse of African life.
The Afroganza: Bridging the Gap gala was the finale to MSU’s African Culture Week, featuring African singers, drummers, stilt dancers and an array of African fashion.
“It was so emotional to see that the seats were full compared to last year and the year before,” said Baba Koumare, president of the African Students Union, or ASU.
“For 23 years now we’ve been doing this, but I believe that we’re getting better and better.”
Rudina Alhamzi, an MSU English language program student, said her favorite performance was the ASU dances. After seeing the show, Alhamzi tried convincing her friends to travel to Africa.
“I didn’t know about a lot of the accomplishments the country did,” Alhamzi said. “I saw pictures of Africa and I didn’t know about all of these beautiful places. It seemed modern and not a third-world (nation) like the way it’s always presented.”
Ellen Odoi, an ASU dance coordinator and human biology sophomore, said she enjoyed the excitement of the audience when she took the stage but was so nervous she could barely look at them.
Odoi sang a traditional African song, performed with the ASU dancers, and participated in a fashion show that displayed richly colored African clothing, where she wore a gold-laced gown made by her mother.
“It’s our fashion, but people think we walk around naked … We’re trying to show people that it’s not too bad to think of Africa as something other than what’s portrayed in the media,” she said. “Every time the media goes into Africa, they go to the bad parts.
“They never focus on the parts that are growing — seeing families together, seeing buildings, highways and cars — you never see that. You just see jungles and the little guy holding the spear. That’s not what it’s like at all.”
The African DJ Kaboog emceed the show, and the Naija Boys, who have appeared on YouTube.com after putting an African spin on popular American music, also performed.
Following the show, a dinner reception allowed people to try traditional African foods. Koumare said ASU sold more than the 300 tickets anticipated.
“I don’t know what food belongs to what culture, but it tastes good,” said Daniel Okuka, a Lansing Community College student.
“I’d go for a double dose — take some home, give it to our people and come back with a caravan and tell you how sweet it was.”
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