National Black Arts Festival, July 7 - July 17

NBAF is by far one of the expansive arts festivals celebrating the culture of people of African descent. If you've never experienced it, than it is time to make a trek to Atlanta.

For two weeks, the city is teeming with cultural, education, and social activities and entertainment that whet an array of appetites. This year, one of the musical features is a personal favorite, Omar Sosa.

Local Festivities: Odunde Festival in Philly

If there was ever a time black people needed to be blessed by the spirits for prosperity, good health and a great year it is now.

I love, love, love the Odunde festivals' morning ritual of offering sweet things to the Orisa or Goddess Osun for a prosperous year full of good loving, good fortune and a happy home.

Covering 12 city blocks, it is one of the largest African-American street festivals in the country. The food, vibe and entertainment is spectacular.

Odunde means "Happy New Year" in Yoruba. Activities begin on Friday, June 10 and goes until June 12. The offering is on Sunday morning at the Schuylkill River.

And by far, the vending varieties of various African and African-American artifacts, food, and clothes/jewelry teem in diversity.

For more information visit odunde.org

Local Festivities: Ancestral Ceremony @ Coney Island in Brooklyn

Photo Credit Nubian Knights Network

Question: Where is the largest burial ground of African people?

Answer: The Atlantic Ocean due to the Middle Passage.


Article taken from http://Blackstarnews.com

Photo Credit Nubian Knights Network

On Sat., June 11, from 12 noon to sunset, the 22nd Annual Tribute to Our Ancestors of the Middle Passage will be held on the boardwalk at West 16th Street --Ancestors Circle-- in Coney Island, Brooklyn, the site where some of the earliest slave ships once docked.

Sponsored by Akeem Productions and the People of the Sun Middle Passage Collective in conjunction with Medgar Evers College Student Government Association, this annual tribute is in remembrance of the tens of millions of Africans who, after being kidnapped from their homeland, died during the Middle Passage - the voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to the Caribbean and North and South America.

Prayers for all ancestors will start precisely at noon, rain or shine, in coordination with other gatherings around the world carrying out this same rite at exactly the same time. It will begin with a libation ceremony, followed by a drum invocation led by Guyanese Master Drummer Menes De Griot and his Shanto Troupe. He will be playing the ancestors' Ngomas, made for him in South Africa by the Venda people. These drums are played only three times a year, and the trinity drum - so named because it can be played on all three sides - is the only one in the world.

This year's drum tributes will be made to Dr. Manning Marable, Mr. William Daly, Nate Dogg and all other recent ancestors, with a special remembrance of Dr. Mary Umolu.

The tribute will feature stirring performances by many singers, drummers, dancers and spoken word artists, including Grandmaster Kham, Ngomo, KowTeff African Dance Company, Crown Heights Youth Collective and the Congo Square Drummers and Dancers.

The event will culminate at sundown with the final Ancestral Offering, during which the Ancestral Drummers will lead participants to the water's edge where each person will place flowers into the Atlantic Ocean, the largest African burial ground in the world.

Attendees are asked to wear white or African attire and bring flowers to place in the ocean. If you do not have a drum, bring a shekere, whistle, cowbell, or shac shac. No vendors please.

For more information, contact Akeem at (718) 270-4902 or email him at Akeem827@yahoo.com. Transportation: D, F, N or Q train to the last stop, Coney Island/Stillwell Avenue, or B36, B64, B68 or B82 bus to Stillwell Avenue/Surf Avenue (Coney Island Train Station). 

"Speaking Truth To Empower."

Osun-O

As people who follow the Christian doctrine prepare for the Easter holy day, and those who follow Judaism finish up Passover, there are others who are ensconced in spiritual or religious rituals older than those.

Many acknowledge the Spring Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere through ceremonies that predate the appearance of Christ, Mohammad & Moses. There are those who engage in fetes that celebrate the essence, beauty and exquisite powers from Africa.

Throughout the African Diaspora in the Americas and the Caribe, there are folks who have retained or recaptured the spiritual gatherings in the celebration of the West African-based Orisa spirituality.

It is during this time, until the summer, there are many festival celebrating the Orisa named Osun. This Orisa is spelled and called many ways in the Diaspora Ochun, Oshun, Shola, Erzulie.

Osun Reference in Love Jones, A Blues for Nina


Osun Festival, Odunde Festival, New York


Osun Performance, Havana Cuba


Osun Festival, Oyotunji Village, Sheldon South Carolina


Osun Festival, Oakland, California


Osun Ceremony, Candomble, Brazil


Osun Festival, Osogbo, Nigeria


Osun Festival, Asheville, North Carolina


Osun Festival, Ode Remo, Nigeria


Odunde Festival, Celebration of Osun, Philadelphia


Cosmic Slop, Pt. 2 Virgin Mary (This is the trailer to all of the Cosmic Slops, but do you remember the second one with the priest and the Virgin Mary)

Things to Do: Free Weekend Festivals

Philadelphia
Odunde Festival
Odunde means "Happy New Year" in the Yoruba language, a culture and people currently living mostly in southwestern Nigeria. It is a festival that was started in the 1970s to pay homage to African spirits, in particular, Osun, the Goddess of Fertility, Love, Wealth, Art, Refinement, Children, etc. You cannot miss this "cultural jewel". It is an uber fest of black folk. Great dancing, food, singing, clothes, and good vibes. It gets hot and it is rainy this weekend so bring an umbrella and comfortable shoes.

I've gone to Odunde twice and the first time was breath-taking. The part I enjoy is the Sunday ritual where people make offerings into the Schuylkill river. Oh yeah, and I love the great food, especially the vegan jerk goat. Oooh weee! I MUST also recommend that folk who love the music that comes out of Philly attend because the live performances are outstanding. You will see a plethora of African ensembles with popular soul & r&b performers. The last time I went Kindred was performing, but the sound outta Philly is incredible. You will not be disappointed.

June 13, Saturday
Saturday the African Business Roundtable - 9AM - 1PMBusiness Roundtable Ambassdors include: Guinea and Sierra Leone.Location:
Philadelphia Department of Commerce1515 Arch Streets - 18th FloorPhiladelphia, PAFREE!!ODUNDE Cultural Center – 2308 Grays Ferry Avenue (23rd & South Streets). The Egungun Procession celebrates the memory of our elevated and honorable African ancestors. We humbly request that everyone wear white clothing. Bembe (a drum and dance celebration) will follow the procession.

June 14, Sunday
ODUNDE Festival and African Marketplace 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. South Street and Grays Ferry Stage Performances…Following the river procession, performances begin on ODUNDE's stages and end at dusk. As a cultural celebration designed for families to enjoy together, ODUNDE emphasizes performers and craft artists from throughout the African Diaspora whose work celebrates the diversity of traditional African or African-American art forms including: African dance, hair braiding, stepping, roller dance, drill team formations, hip-hop and tap dance, traditional African instruments, drumming, rhythm and blues, and traditional African American popular dance forms. Each year ODUNDE employs over 40 artists. Many have launched their careers from our stage. The ODUNDE Festival was an originator of authentic African Marketplace festivals, featuring traditional foods, art, crafts, clothing and jewelry. The most colorful aspect of the festival which continues throughout the day, The African Marketplace draws return customers every year. We are grateful to its vendors, who are major supporters of our organization. http://www.odundeinc.org/

Newark
Portugual Heritage Celebration "Dia de Portugal"
Ironbound Section of Newark (East of Newark's Penn Station)
This section of Newark has legacy of housing immigrant populations over the centuries. Portugues migrants began settling en masse into this neighborhood in the early 1900s. Today it is a combination of Portuguese Americans and Brazilians, and currently is experiencing an influx of Mexicans. If you come to Newark, you gotta eat at one of the famous eateries in the area, Forno's of Spain or Iberia's. The food is plentiful and delicious. The service is impeccable. The ghetto grapevine told me that the official end of the party only starts a night of dancing, eating and drinking until about 3 am.
Saturday: 2PM - Midnight
Sunday: 9AM - 11PM
Just go down Ferry Street and you will not miss a thing.
http://ironboundnewark.com/