ARTS, CULTURE & SOCIETY

Poor attendance almost mars Kijiji 'Festival'

 Reported by Laura Brown

Fashion & Samba delighted the crowd

Low turnout, most especially the invited guests almost spoilt the Kijiji Africa ‘Festival/Expo’ which took place at the weekend at the popular China Mart in Budapest district 15.

The two day event ‘is meant to promote the continent of Africa as well as to bring Africans and Hungarians together’, according to the organisers who obviously were disappointed at the low turnout experienced on Friday’s opening ceremony.

Responding, Mr. Tunde Komolafe, the event coordinator, expressed his disappointment at the number of audience who graced the event, saying the people he wished to see had failed to honour the invitation.

Komolafe admitted it has never been easy to organise African events in Hungary unlike in the United Kingdom where he engaged in similar thing for some time before returning to Hungary late last year to reproduce Kijiji Africa.

Although some people agreed that organising African events in Hungary could be problematic in terms of pulling crowd, they pointed out that the personality and past record of  African events organisers are becoming a determinant factor for successfully coordinating cultural events in this Danube region.   

The event could have recorded high turnout if logistics, and other little things had been adequately taken care of, claimed some. They argued that organisers of African events in Hungary must endeavour to give the best – at all times - instead of mediocre performances that  have become typical of such events.

Responding to African News Hungary’s questions, some people used the occasion to chastise organisers of African cultural events in Hungary, saying they are fond of putting up shows that belittle African heritage in its proper context.

“It’s quite different in other places,” quipped an African living in France but holidaying here. “It is either you project African culture in its proper way or nothing”. 

The French-African who has been living in France for over 20 years advised Africans involved in cultural activities in Hungary to showcase country by country culture instead of muddling up African cultures with one another which often causes confusion.  .

Meanwhile the attendance on Saturday erased the fear of total failure as the audience was treated with both fashion parade and contest with the introduction of  Rosana Samba group and others which apparently delighted the crowd.

Declaring the event open, the Nigerian Charge d’affaires, Mr. Adedotun Adenrele Adepoju, said that he hoped this event would have tremendous impact, especially by creating ‘hope for the hopeless’.

Sharing Adepoju’s sentiment, China Mart representative believed the event might enhance everlasting relationships between China, Africa and Hungary.

Written by Hakeem Babalola