Black is Gold Festival

Black is Gold Festival is an Afrocentric Festival in Kaduna, Nigeria.

Nigeria is a heterogeneous land with multiple ethnic groups and few religions. A country where one can encounter the good, the bad and the ugly pending on the criteria one is in search of. Nigeria is a microcosm of Africa. Africa, a land with abundant resources where you simply scatters seeds and harvest fruit and a place where everyone is a friend and welcome guest. A place where stories are told under the stars and songs are sung around fire. A land blessed with a beautiful culture and a great sound of music sung by our thick African lips accomapanied by the continuous beating of our fingers on the end product of an animal to spice up the rhythm. Our clothings were made from connected strings of threads supported by rods planted to the soil and we wore them with pride. Africa whose music is mostly displayed at night and among these so-called "backward" and "primitive" people (Africans), lies genuine happiness. An Africa blessed with lovely weather and when shown to the world, many cannot quite fathom. A land where our mothers will cook and will always take account of extra people who may visit unannounced, and all these only because everything in Africa is in abundance.
But all of these is only nostalgic. A feeling that one may wish to have again but cannot because these Africa, is suffering under cultural enslavement. Cultural enslavement is even more dangerous than colonialism or slavery because it is perpetrated by African leaders. Africans have in no time adopted the ways of the West: Western lifestyle, dress, food, religion e.t.c without even thinking whether or not it is good for them. Meanwhile on the other hand the Western world is doing all it can to preserve it's culture because it knows how important cultural identity and pride is. It is pathetic to see that cultural heritage and. Pride is lost not only in architecture, design, dressing, food e.t.c particularly when it is driven by leaders and churches. Africa where it's museums are now dilapidated, where local languages are forbidden in schools. Culture and history are undocumented because it was only passed on to generations after via the words of mouth. We believe that consistent practice of our individual traditions should revive and keep them alive. Should the African culture go extinct, our children will never forgive us when they go into diaspora and realize that they cannot be identified to a culture. We believe that teaching culture to the young ones is the key to Africa's transformation and a key to reviving Africa's dying culture. African music is only performed separately in individual localities and only during festivities or functions but BLACKISGOLD is putting it on a bigger stage for the whole world to see, we are out to showcase Africa to the world and make them know that even as a literate, practicing your culture is not prohibited but appreciated....