Sunshine returns to Kitchener this month
Bring on the Sunshine returns to Kitchener City Hall on Monday. This annual celebration of Africa, culture, community and family during Black History Month has brightened Family Day in our region for seven years now.
Founded in 2011 by a group of local citizens with connections to Zimbabwe, the festival was conceived as a means to strengthen ties among African immigrants and to “empower them to use their cultural identity in positive contributions in the community.”
The project has been a success from the outset. The first Bring on the Sunshine took place in the basement of Forest Hill United Church on Westmount Road. About 100 guests were expected; more than 700 turned up. The doors opened at 10 a.m.; the food and beverage supply ran out by 11.
When it outgrew the capacities of the host church, the event moved to Kitchener City Hall. Last year some 5,000 people took part in the festivities.
The prime mover here is Jacqui Terry, who was part of the original founding circle and has served as festival co-ordinator from the beginning.
It was Terry who explained to me, when I wrote about Bring on the Sunshine four years ago, that the name is meant to reflect the aim to “offer some African light and warmth” at a time when we can all use some relief from the cold and dark of winter.
Although she is still active with the project, Terry has stepped aside to make way for a new generation of leadership. She is pleased to see “a talented team of diverse young people” taking charge and “enjoying an intensive festival and events learning experience.”
The new festival co-ordinator is Amara Ifeanyi-Okoro. She’s a recent maths and economics graduate from the University of Waterloo who is currently pursuing a career in event management. She was born in Nigeria and moved to Canada at age 16.
“I love this kind of event,” Ifeanyi-Okoro
declares; “interactive workshops and live performances express the best of who we are as Africans ... We pride ourselves on offering a uniquely interactive and creative experience. And, she emphasizes, it’s a lot of fun for all the volunteers who help make this happen, and for the people of all ages who come to enjoy what is essentially a gift to our community.
As always, food, music and dance will be the heart of the program this year.
Africa, of course, is a diverse entity — multicultural in itself. Add the cultures of the African diaspora, and the range becomes wider still.
In addition to Zimbabwe, nations represented in this year’s programming include Cameroon, Guinea, Ghana, Kenya, Somalia and Egypt.
The eKhaya (Zulu/Ndebele for “home”) music ensemble will return to the Bring on the Sunshine stage, representing “a coming together from different tribes,” including Zimbabwean, Micmac, Odjibwe, Irish and Acadian.
Other mainstage highlights include the Oshungo Drum Circle, the UW African Student Association Dancers, and DJ/producer and hip-hop artist DJ Slykiz.
Storytelling, spoken word, juggling and magic show performances round out the program.
Participatory offerings include yoga, an Afrobeat fitness workshop, Yensa fitness — Afro Zumba, and a belly dancing workshop.
It is expected that the fashion show will, once again, be a crowd favourite. If you go, you can volunteer “to be arrayed in the finest of African fashion.”
All the offerings are family friendly and there are all sorts of activities specifically for children and youth.
Bring on the Sunshine is an autonomous, volunteer-driven endeavour hosted in partnership with the African Canadian Association of Waterloo Region and Area, Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Centre, and the City of Kitchener.