Afro Nation Ignites Detroit: A Global Fusion Of Music, Culture, And Unity
detroit. The birthplace of Motown and techno music. Power plant for automobiles. city of the fashion. It is the first and only US city to be designated a UNESCO City of Design, recognizing the city's commitment to the design industry. Its dining scene features award-winning restaurants and food entrepreneurs, as well as organizations working to combat food insecurity.
So when Afro Nation first came to Detroit, a dynamic cultural experience was guaranteed. Blacks from around the world have traveled to one of the blackest cities in America for the prestigious two-day Afrobeats Festival.
The Afro Nation events, in association with Detroit-based real estate firm Bedrock, took place August 19-20. Thousands of people watched performances by international artists Afrobeats and Amapiano, as well as the singers, rappers and DJs who call the Motor City their home. Josh Coram, who manages artist bookings for Afro Nation, told ESSENCE that it's important that Afrobeats be at the center of the group to "fuse music and create culture" by integrating Detroit's hip-hop and R&B history. ".
Afro Nation has hosted events outside of the festival's main days, including panel discussions, a comedy show, and a welcome night with Jerk x Jollof, a traveling dance party showcasing African and Caribbean food and music.
"Detroit has many causes. The black community is number one," Afro Nation co-founder and CEO told ESSENCE SMADE on the second day of the festival. I paused; the day after Afro Nation Detroit closed, organizers threw a party for festival staff at a Motown museum and made a $100,000 donation to the organization.
Many Detroiters who have developed intentional practices in the city have asked to contribute to the event. Creative consultant and event producer Amber Lewis is widely known in her hometown of Detroit as Social N The City, which is also the name of her consulting work. As an ambassador for Afro Nation Detroit, Lewis handled pre-holiday promotions and was a member of the influencer content team.
"I'm very happy that Afro Nation has come to Detroit because it put Detroit on the world stage that we were always meant to be on," Lewis said. "It showed people that there was a place for black and African music and culture in Detroit."
Environmentalist and event producer Eradjir Ollita, who was born in Nigeria and lives in Detroit, echoed these sentiments. Come here, live, grow and raise a family.” Oleita helped the organizers with logistics and printing with SMADE and Koram. Through The Chip Bag Project, an environmental justice organization, Oleita has organized temporary late-night food events with local chefs and restaurants. "It reinforces that Detroit is not only a musical mecca, but also a black mecca in the United States."
Having small local businesses in the Afro Nation was also a priority. Food vendors serve up delicious food to the hungry crowd, while merchants sell clothing, jewelry, and more. Detroit vs. The main brand of the city, Money, joined the festival against Afro Nation. storewide. The shirts featured the slogans "Afro Nation vs All" and "Afrobeats vs All" and festival goers could customize their shirts with a small African flag of their choice.
"I was definitely excited to be a part of this because my family is from Ghana and I feel right at home," said Scott Boateng, founder of Detroit-based skin and hair care brand Priva Body. Nature: This was the first time that an event of this size was sold out. In fact, the festival has introduced local businesses to an international clientele, and artist Masigo even told ESSENCE that his first discovery in Detroit was visiting restaurants like Que and Breadless Kitchen.
When attendees returned home, there was a consensus that people experienced the power of Detroit, an African First Nation, and hopefully left any preconceived notions of Detroit within the city limits.
"Everyone wanted to support him and everyone wanted him to succeed," Coram said. "Detroit deserves it. There's a lot of negative media about Detroit, but it's a great place and we want to shine a light on that."
