The African Student Association held its first annual Tamsha Afrika -- an arts, dance and music festival -- on Sunday night in the Student Union, celebrating 50 years since ASA was established in 1968.
The event featured Nigerian artist Teni the Entertainer alongside other local performers such as Mystique and God’s Favorite Poet. The event was a mixture of different forms of rap, music, dance and poetry, celebrating the cultures of different African countries, ASA Vice President Ashley Wiah said.
Members of the ASA e-board said they were wearing different styles of dress made from the same African fabric for the event. Wiah said the colors of the fabric were an expression of culture and the different styles were an expression of the members’ own creativity
ASA President Aniyah Turner said that, while other groups like Caribbean SA often bring Caribbean artists to UB, this was the first time ASA hosted such an event.
“We applied for so many grants, the program grant and the senate grant to finally bring an afrobeat artist to campus because we feel like this campus doesn't really have much of an African culture diversity aspect of it,” Turner said.
Turner said the event was a “celebration of African culture” and that she hoped to create a “home away from home” for African students at UB.
Tanveen is a co-senior news editor and can be reached at tanveen.vohra@ubspectrum.com and on Twitter @TanveenUBSpec.
Tanveen Vohra is a former senior news editor and covered international relations and graduate student protests.
