As usual, some Caribbean islands including Trinidad and Tobago, Haiti, Barbados, Dominican Republic, Saint Lucia, Jamaica, Saint Vincent and Grenada as well as Guyana, Suriname and Belize were heavily represented with Jamaica being arguably the most conspicuous. Pockets of continental Africans also made a presence at the parade.
This year’s event had a somewhat covert but irrefutably conspicuous African presence with a truck decked out in a large Nelson Mandela banner in the fleet. Another unmistakable sign of African presence was Nigerian artist Flavour’s remix of the popular tune ‘Ashawo’ which could be heard on at least 3 of the trucks as they drifted past the thousands who had lined the Eastern Highway to partake in the revelry; not to mention the kente costumes and the occasional red, gold and green flags of different African countries intermingling with the similar colors of the Caribbean and other nations.
Perhaps an even more obvious sign was the presence of an exhibitor from Antigua who was teaching the history and the techniques for playing the popular African game known as ‘ayo’ in Nigeria and ‘oware’ in Ghana. Apparently it is also called ‘warri’ in Antigua and is played in other Caribbean nations like Jamaica and Haiti.
Some of the patrons who spoke to SaharaReporters after the event lauded the African connection and called for more collaboration between Africans and people of African descent in the diaspora on all levels; especially cultural.
The African Day Parade, which is about a month away, also incorporates some elements of the African diaspora. For example a Haitian drum and dance troupe whose repertoire of choreography are heavily influenced by Yoruba traditions have become an integral part of the Africa Day Parade.
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