ANNUAL REPORT 2015 - 2016

In its first year, Regina AfroFest
featured music from West Africa
with its traditional drumming and
in 2015, the festival celebrated
music originating in East Africa
with a strong rhythmic influence.
The festival has been fortunate
to have some of the best African
performers grace its stage including
award winning artists such as Adam
Solomon from the African Guitar
Summit, Njacko Backo, Master
drummer Amara Kanté and his
Kouraba Folila Troupe, and Casimiro
and NAfro band from Zimbabwe.
The event drew over 1,500 guests
over two days. The marketplace,
AfroFest attendees participate in Kizomba dance lessons.
food and craft vendors, drum and
dance workshops and relaxed atmosphere are some of the things that make this event unique and enjoyable.
This year’s festival is slated for Saturday, July 9 th at Victoria Park in Regina. It will feature the best line up to date
with performances by top international groups and local African musicians and artists. Enjoy all that AfroFest
2016 has to offer!
Multicultural Celebration: Drumming Across Cultures
On November 15, 2015 a Multicultural
Celebration took place at the
Mackenzie Art Gallery in Treaty
4 territory hosted in partnership
with the Multicultural Council of
Saskatchewan. This event is part
of Saskatchewan Multicultural
Week. The focus of the event was
celebrating cultural diversity through
drumming across cultures. Four
experienced drummers and groups
from several cultural traditions
(Ranch Ehrlo pow wow drum group,
Uganda Canadian Association of
Saskatchewan (UCAS), Carol Daniels
and Muna De Ciman) took turns
sharing their styles and teaching
everyone to join.
Muna De Ciman and Carol Daniels join together to
create an intercultural drumming experience.
Allen Ssemmanda, a member of UCAS, and one of the featured drummers shared her experience of the event,
“I love to hear how the others play their drums and see how they relate with others. I appreciate having the
freedom to play my music.”
With the recent terrorist attacks and the Syrian refugee crisis in mind, the Honourable Mark Docherty, Minister
of Parks, Culture and Sport stated, “We should recognize just how lucky we are to be in this country, to be in
this province, to be together and know full well that this kind of gathering isn’t welcome in a lot of places around
this world.”
The conclusion of the event was a traditional Indigenous round dance. All drummers joined the Ranch Ehrlo
pow wow drum group, while the audience participated in this dance of friendship. It was an expression of the
intercultural connections formed at the event.
26 Multicultural Council of Saskatchewan