Lowell Sun Online

African Festival stands tall in Lowell
June 16, 2002 By DENNIS SHAUGHNESSEY
Sun Staff

LOWELL -- The rain and cold temperatures could not dampen the spirit and enthusiasm of the several hundred people who gathered for the second annual Greater Lowell African Festival at the JFK Civic Center yesterday.

A diverse group, representing the various nations of the African continent, gathered to celebrate their culture through music, dance, food and traditional African dress.

Zoe Kamara, who is of Ghanese descent, sat behind a table of homemade dolls dressed in African garb, which she peddled. Kamara lives in Lowell and was impressed by the turnout.

"If the weather was a little better, we would have seen many more people, but we're having fun anyway," she said. "I think this is great. It brings us back to our culture."

Her fiance, George Arthur, came to the United States from Ghana in 1998.

"The festival is for the enlightening of the American people," George said. "It also gives us a sense of being home. To be a part of the unity that exists from all the African countries is an honor."

The light drizzle falling on the plaza could not hinder the revelers from dancing to the music of Rumbafrica, a Congolese band based in Stoneham.

"We love music. We love to dance and play," said guitarist Ouffwet Konan. "It is part of a very rich culture."

In the various food tents lining the plaza, people feasted on samosa, a deep-fried roll filled with beef, pepper, onions and tomato.

"It is the food of Africa," said Lowell resident Daniel Kimemiah, who came to the United States from Kenya 10 years ago.

"Getting together, united, enjoying freedom and prosperity, that is what the African festival means to me," he added.

The festival kicked off yesterday morning with speeches from local officials, including Mayor Rita Mercier, and featured a keynote address from Ambassador Amadou Kebe, executive secretary of the Organization of African Unity to the United Nations.

"Think about the role that Africa plays in the 21st century," Kebe said. "Africa is a credit to humankind. By creating the OAU, the objective is to create a framework of cooperation and integration among African nations. We need to work with the American authorities and respect the laws of the land and promote our culture."

The OAU represents a federation of 54 African countries.

Brightly colored costumes from many of those countries, including Mali, Morocco, Senegal, the Gambia and the Ivory Coast, gave festival-goers a sense of the homeland.

Sam Stevquoah, a social worker from Lowell and one of the organizers of the festival, jumped in time to the music as he prepared hot, spicy pork ribs with his wife, Edith.

"The festival is an opportunity for me to showcase my culture, and to get my neighbors and my American friends to sample our food and music, and to create an awareness of the pressures and triumphs of the Africans in our community," Stevquoah said. "It makes me happy to be here, and in spite of the bad weather, we had a good turnout. Next year will be even better."

Elaine Harding, a Boston resident who hails from Sierra Leone, sampled Stevequoah's ribs, which are seasoned with lots of pepper and other tongue-tingling spices.

"I love the African festival." she said. "I came from Boston today to rejoice with by beautiful African brothers and sisters."