Asian and African Cultural Infusion
On the 23rd of September 2017, an inspiring Asian and African Cultural Evening took place at Ilford High Road Baptist Church from 4:30pm to 8:30pm, where different cultures came together to show-off their own, and to enjoy other peoples' cultures. This astounding evening entailed of singing and dancing performances by people of different cultures, an exhilarating fashion show, and a delicious cultural food buffet!
During the event, multiple ethnic communities came together to enjoy: Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Nigerian, Ugandan, British, Arab; the list is endless! Everyone was welcome to join the exciting event.
Moreover, audiences were fortunate enough to witness delightful performances involving drums and pianos, as well as multiple different languages of songs. With every dance performance captivating, and every musical performance a pleasure to the ears, this "evening was one to remember!" Said Hannah Chowdhry (daughter of Juliet Chowdhry, one of the event organisers). A beautiful classical Sri Lankan dance was performed, as well as an astounding Bollywood dance performance from the Asian cultures. Apart from this, a fascinating traditional Nigerian folk song was performed, along with an upbeat Israeli song.
After these great performances came the cultural buffet: there were all types of mouth-watering traditional foods available, both sweet and savoury, including; Biryani, Karhai, Plantain Rice, Fufu, Dodo, Kheer, and multiple other foods. Not to forget a large variety of drinks and refreshments to choose from.
The evening ended with a blast as fabulous models walked down the runway in stylish clothing for the fashion show. They exhibited great prowess as they modeled gorgeous outfits of exotic colours, as well as darker colours that made the look more sophisticated and elegant. With eye-catching outfits from both Asian and African countries, the fashion show was an enormous success.
Overall, the spectacular evening allowed people of different ethnicities to admire cultures other than their own, and have a lot of fun whilst doing so. Due to the success of the evening, another cultural event will be held in April 2018 during Easter! More information can be found about the event closer to the time- look out for posters and banners near Ilford High Road Baptist Church. You could join in on the fun next time too and witness all the splendor first-hand!
By: Mahnoor Shoaib from Woodford County High School
