Minnesota Hosts Igbofest
Saturday 14 of August was a truly festive day as St. Thomas
University in St. Paul Minnesota hosted the annual Igbofest
celebration. On an excellent day to be outdoors, lots of
Minnesotans and out of state visitors were on hand to witness
the event. The event, which is organized by the Umunne
society of Minnesota and is held every year showcases attributes
of Igbo culture and arts.
Igbofest was billed to start officially at 12:00pm but as African-time would have it, the event really started one hour later, when most guests began arriving at St. Thomas University. Shortly after 1:00pm, the event came to life as a woman in traditional Igbo clothing came dancing to courtyard, trailed by a man playing a traditional flute. The duo entertained the crowd with their music and dance for about fifteen minutes during which many guests came forward to spray the performers with cash.
One of the best performances of the day was by a group of dancers from Canada that thrilled the crowd with their excellent dancing and masquerade performance. The group consisted of adult males, young boys and one very tall costumed dancer wielding a machete. The group moved the crowd and had sections of the audience clapping and dancing along. Once again, members of the audience showed their approval by showering the dancers with money.
The event was largely successful. Guests attended the event from several states and even outside the United States. Also in attendance was Minnesota Secretary of State who gave a speech to the crowd and even participated in showering a group of female dancers with money during their performance.
Click here for images from Igbofest.
Saturday 14 of August was a truly festive day as St. Thomas
University in St. Paul Minnesota hosted the annual Igbofest
celebration. On an excellent day to be outdoors, lots of
Minnesotans and out of state visitors were on hand to witness
the event. The event, which is organized by the Umunne
society of Minnesota and is held every year showcases attributes
of Igbo culture and arts. Igbofest was billed to start officially at 12:00pm but as African-time would have it, the event really started one hour later, when most guests began arriving at St. Thomas University. Shortly after 1:00pm, the event came to life as a woman in traditional Igbo clothing came dancing to courtyard, trailed by a man playing a traditional flute. The duo entertained the crowd with their music and dance for about fifteen minutes during which many guests came forward to spray the performers with cash.
One of the best performances of the day was by a group of dancers from Canada that thrilled the crowd with their excellent dancing and masquerade performance. The group consisted of adult males, young boys and one very tall costumed dancer wielding a machete. The group moved the crowd and had sections of the audience clapping and dancing along. Once again, members of the audience showed their approval by showering the dancers with money.
The event was largely successful. Guests attended the event from several states and even outside the United States. Also in attendance was Minnesota Secretary of State who gave a speech to the crowd and even participated in showering a group of female dancers with money during their performance.
Click here for images from Igbofest.
