Dear Kamajou Tadfor, Founder of Afreeka Santa Fe, Fiesta Fela, Remembering Mandela and related Local Celebrations of African Culture.
Some of my favorite gifts in life, include global and African culture, music, people, poetry, cuisine, arts, dance, and community. Warm people, indigenous culture, great food, and glorious landscapes beckoned me to live in Beautiful Santa Fe, after visiting over 20 years ago. As a Santa Fe local of 18 years, it has been a similar set of qualities I've cherished, through attending seven solid years of Afreeka Santa Fe's Annual Fiesta Fela Celebration.
Fiesta Fela, from its inception has gathered the community in revelry, cultural pride, savory flavors, colorful fabrics and head wraps, live beautiful rhythms and dances of Africa. The celebration centers around Fela Kuti, whom I was blessed to know and love, across the world from Africa, and even see and hear live, in Berkeley California, nearly thirty years ago. The experience of that live concert was like no other live music concert or presenter, I had ever experienced. It lives on inside me.
I am grateful to you Kamajou Tadfor, your Family and large community of Friends. One year the festival kept a large community of familiar guests dancing into the night, at El Museo de Cultural. Every year the event grows and changes in ways that always inspire, uplift and yes, surprise the community.
We count on you and our Community to come out and shine, via vendors of authentic African food and drinks, Nigerian Batik Arts, Fine Artists, visiting artists, West African Vendors of clothing, art, drums, jewelry, and more, from the Motherland. There are always some new variety of fine crafts, treasures, specialty drinks, foods, snacks and more. This year friends and I gathered at Chef Ahmed's mobile Jambo Food Truck, for the yummiest African Cuisine and drinks around.
The event itself, featuring African Dancers, Master Drummers, Activist Poetry, Music of the African Diaspora, North African Belly Dancers, lifts our spirits from morning, through mid day, and all the way to sunset. I don't think I've ever gone straight home after dancing, dining, and shopping my way through all of it. I even one a series of passes to yoga classes at Body, two years in a row. So many local and visiting friends gather each year for the festival, that a tradition grows, where we keep the celebration going long into the night, as we continue, often in restaurants and bars, a mere walk from the Railyard.
On more than one Fiesta, I have welcomed new African American guests to the event, and remained friends, after they live in Santa Fe and move on. It's always endearing to see, meet, and greet the people, who just happen by, on the event.
The artist who come and paint paintings, or sculpt live sculpture out of clay, astound guests, as their art grows energized from the music, admirers, and community alike. Dean Howell has sculpted impressive, monumental heads African Heads, three years in a row. This year the human theme was replaced by an endangered rhinoceros!
Some years the Tarnoff Art Center has set up easels, tables, painting and drawing supplies, and even pottery wheels and instruction, all for free. This year the Inspiration Squad hosted by Artist Laura Tarnoff, hosted a booth featuring our art and artists, as Laura masterfully juggled the music, community gathering, and live painting all in one day. I brought and showcased original abstract, yet between meeting new guests, socializing, eating, dancing and photographing the fun, I never touched brush and paint to a canvas. And that was perfectly fine with me. Sponanaity is the essence of the heart of the day. So I let it all show up as it did. And now I'm filled with inspiration to pour into my next painting and projects.
This year's highlights included the most colorful sea of trees backdrop I can recall in years, opening with The Swank's Brothers playing a rousing set, including an supremely funky rendition of Manu Dibango's Soul Makossa. The band from Haiti made me want to bilocate, to be in the food line, and the dance floor simultaneously. The final headliner Zimbabwean band, Prince Kudakwashe Musaruwa and the Main Ingredients of African Soul, stirred all the hearts around, activating souls and the main outdoor dance ground alike.
The event is a true treasure. I always love to donate to the event, yet love inviting guests to attend for free, as free is how it is presented.
Grants, gifting and donations help make the event the true success that it is. One of the most magical moments this year, was when our dear friend Kirsten Wing's name was called as the winner of a most gorgeous, original, hand dyed, batik quilt, by Yoruba Artist Rafiu Mustapha of Raf Remi Art. This had a lot of special meaning, symbolizing new life crossroads opening to this friend, who has newly rooted in her dream community, right here in Santa fe.
It was beautiful singing and dancing along to Nigerian Master Drummer and local Santa Fean of countless years, Akeem Ayanniyi and his local band of African Drummers. We contributed our joy, often, in call and response, as you, Kamajou, Akeem, and others shouted out, every body say "Yeah, Yeah"... "Yeah Yeah!"
We missed the friends and family, who came every year, yet now live outside of Santa Fe.
Joy was generously shared by all. Friends who came for the first time, were surprised, at all the years they'd missed. To attend one Fiesta Fela event, a Remembering Mandela Gathering, or even an impromptu African Rhythms DJ Dance Party, is to want to attend all offerings Afreeka Santa Fe Offers.
What grand expressions of your welcoming, generous, infinite African Heart for the Arts and the People. We may not be Africa officially. But for one, two, or three days a year, the Santa Fe Railyard, or some inspiring location becomes a glorious, beautiful, friendly African Village, and we all leave with our hearts, souls, eyes, ears, feelings, and bellies smiling, satisfied and full! We take this out and spill it over, into local community, family, and friendships alike, better for every precious moment of the festivities!
In Grace, Joy, Love and Gratitude.
May what you have created, collaborated, and set into motion, continue for countless years to come. People come and go in Santa Fe. May Fiesta Fela, and the triumphant Spirit of Fela Himself, live on in the people, here and everywhere!
Ever so much thanks. My spirit is forever renewed each time we share in this grand day!
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