Killeen Afra’Am Festival

ABC proudly represented Senegal and Africa by and large in the 2nd Afra’Am Festival in Killeen, Texas on August 6, 2011.  We thank Mr. ElHadj Aziz Gueye, Head of the Senegal Tourism Office in Atlanta, GA for providing ample brochures and other Senegal informative materials for our numerous visitors during the one-day event.  The performance of Sabar and Djembe drumming by the young coed band under the leadership of Souleye Kante (the grandson of the world renown Senegalese master drummer Doudou Ndiaye Rose) kept the crowd asking for more under the joyfuleyes of the proud parents.  A real family event indeed. 

We had the opportunity to visit with Honorable Timothy Hancock, Mayor of Killeen who took time to come and meet us.  Ms. Darlene Golden and Mr. Raymond Gray (Aka) Jay Ray J,  the two wonderful organizers selected Senegal and Jamaica as the two countries to be highlighted in the 2011 event.  We are still harvesting the fruit of the event through possible visits to Senegal and formal ties between Killeen and Senegal cities as well as Jamaica and Senegal through the very organic global citizen effort. 

ABC also provided to the kids a new game of  “mbegue”: rolling a bicycle ream by pushing a stick in its grove or from a rope tied on the ream and the stick.  A challenge that kept adults trying more than the children who had their time well spent that day…they said!