2nd Annual A Touch of Africa Las Vegas

Da’African Village is proud to announce the 2nd Annual A Touch of Africa Las Vegas Da’African Village a nonprofit organization, in partnership with Africa Love, is excited to host the second annual A Touch of Africa Las Vegas. The two-day family friendly event is the perfect way to experience African cultures right in Las Vegas between Aug. 10th and 11th. Las Vegas residents and tourists are encouraged to attend and enjoy authentic live music, dancing, food and fashion from Africa. Each day of A Touch of Africa Las Vegas features West African music and dance, creating an immersive cultural opportunity for guests. This program has been funded, in part, by the Nevada Arts Council, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. On the first day, Saturday Aug. 10th, the event will kick off in the evening with a welcome reception and vendor bazaar, and continue with live dance and drumming. The show will commence with an African fashion show featuring gorgeous outfits and collections from Africa Love and other afrocentric fashionistas. Most notably, guests will be treated to live performances by Olabisi African Dance and Drum Ensemble of Las Vegas, NV, Le Ballet Dembaya of Los Angeles, CA and Thiossane West African Dance Institute (pronounced cha- sahn) of Columbus, OH. The highlight of the first day of events will be that Thiossane West African Dance Institute will be joined by special guest, Massamba Diop, a world renowned artist most famous for his mastery of the Tama, a talking drum from Senegal. Fans of Marvel’s Black Panther will be familiar with his musical stylings. All Saturday events will take place at the Clark County Library Theater located on 1401 E. Flamingo Rd. The second day of A Touch of Africa Las Vegas will be held at the UNLV Department of Dance located on 4505 S. Maryland Parkway and features a full day of activities that also includes local vendors and dance and drum workshops. Saturday, August 10, 2019 | Clark County Library Theater 1401 E Flamingo Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89119 6 PM | Meet & Greet Welcome Reception & Vendor Bazaar Join us for a meet & greet welcome reception and vendor bazaar at Clark County Library Theater that will feature local vendors and small businesses. Mix and mingle with other attendees and have your picture taken at our step-and-repeat. Theater doors will open at 7:00 PM. 7:30 PM | Olabisi African Dance and Drum Ensemble Based in Las Vegas, Nevada, Olabisi African Dance & Drum Ensemble is dedicated to teaching West African drum and dance. Their repertoire celebrates West African traditions including music through joyous rhythms, electrifying drum and dance workshops, performances, storytelling and song. Olabisi creates energetic performances that are exciting and filled with cultural details and will be performing an exciting opening act for us during this performance. 7:45 PM | African Fashion Show Featuring the latest in African fashion, our African fashion show will highlight the diversity of the African culture with styles from Africa Love and afrocentric collections from other fashionistas. Discover colorful African trends/collections and one-of-a-kind signature pieces. 8:15 PM | Drum & Dance Showcase featuring Le Ballet Dembaya A 45-minute drum and dance showcase with Le Ballet Dembaya. Le Ballet Dembaya is a professional West African drum and dance company based in Los Angeles, California. With Guinea being their primary country of study, they practice traditional percussive rhythms, typically played on djembe and dundun drums, accompanied by intricate, polyrhythmic dances from various regions throughout West Africa. 9 PM | Intermission & Awards Ceremony Africa Love and Da'African Village will be honoring community members who share in our mission and vision of promoting, educating and bringing the cultural traditions of Africa and its people to our local community and beyond. 9:15 PM | Drum & Dance Showcase featuring Thiossane West African Dance Institute A 45-minute drum and dance showcase with Thiossane West African Dance Institute. Thiossane pronounced (cha- sahn) was formed with the express purpose of bringing authentic West African cultural representation to the world. Its purpose is to introduce, increase, and enhance cultural awareness to better understand and appreciate the richness of the African Diaspora. 11 PM | African After Party Enjoy an African After-Party after the show at Soul of Afrika Nigerian Restaurant. Sunday, August 11, 2019 | University of Nevada Department of Dance 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas NV 89154 • 10 AM – 11:30 AM Johanna Blunt (African Dance workshop, Guinea) • 12 PM – 1:30 PM Idy Ciss (African Dance workshop, Wango Dance | Senegal) • 2 PM – 3:30 PM Dandha Da Hora (Afro-Brazilian Dance workshop) • 4 PM – 5:30 PM Suzan Bradford-Kounta (African Dance workshop, Mali) • 6 PM – 7:30 PM Idy Ciss (African Dance workshop, Kuturo Dance | Senegal) • 6 PM – 7:30 PM Kenneth Brown II (African Drumming workshop) For ticket sales, visit www.africalovestore.com, www.daafricavillage.org or buy them in person at Africa Love Store in Town Square Las Vegas, 6539 Las Vegas Blvd South X-114. Tickets for Aug. 10 events are $20.00 for adults and $10.00 for children 12 years and under. On Aug. 11, tickets are also available for the dance and drum classes. Adult tickets are $20.00 per class or $75.00 for all five dance classes, children tickets are $10.00 per class and drum rentals are $10.00 each. Businesses and organizations interested in providing support or participating as vendors for this annual cultural event should contact the following: VENDORS Vendor Relations Manager, A. Ifayomi Stanton at 702.782.3515 or via email at Ifayomi@daafricanvillage.org or click on this link for more information https://africalovestore.com/products/atoalv-2019-vendor VOLUNTEERS Persons looking to volunteer and assist on the day of the events should contact Volunteer Manager, Dre'chir Whitfield at 702.984.0396 or via email at dre@daafricanvillage.org Or click on this link: tinyurl.com/y58homgt DONATE Help us bring African culture to Las Vegas by donating today! We are raising money to help offset the costs of producing this high caliber event! And because Da'African Village is a nonprofit organization, we are 100% dependent on your generous donations and the help of our faithful volunteers. Click on this link to donate tinyurl.com/y34wd4q7 SPONSOR THE EVENT Our mission to educate and unite our local communities through African song, dance and culture. We are currently seeking monetary and in-kind sponsorships (hotel rooms, rental cars, food & beverage sponsors etc.) If you or your organization would like to partner with us as a monetary sponsor you may purchase the A Touch of Africa Las Vegas Sponsor Package by following this link: https://africalovestore.com/pages/a-touch-of-africa-las-vegas-sponsors Your generous support will help offset expenses and defray the costs associated with producing this captivating, family-friendly event. More questions or would like to explore other ways to sponsor this event? Contact Mara Diakhate at 424.703.0784. About Africa Love Africa Love opened in 2017 and is located inside Town Square Las Vegas. It features products from Senegal and across continental Africa, all the while focusing on conscientious and sustainable product development that helps support African-based artisans, their families, and their communities. Founded by world traveler, entrepreneur, and Senegalese-born native Serigne "Mara" Diakhate, the store is the first of its kind in Las Vegas, and showcases all that Africa has to offer by way of music, fashion, customs, dialects and entertainment. About Da’African Village Established in 2014 as a "bridge of togetherness" between the United States and Africa, Da' African Village is a joint venture/collaborative network, specializing in cultural immersion, tourism, West African art and artifacts. Operating as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the organization operates cultural tours, sponsors cultural exchange and youth development programs, and is building a cultural center in Senegal. It also supports local, grassroots efforts in Africa that develop sustainable communities by way of commerce, community involvement, musical performances, and education. For additional information, follow @africalovestore and @daafricanvillage on social media or visit www.africalovestore.com or www.daafricanvillage.org. P: 702.600.5841 | C: 424.703.0784 | E: info@africalovestore.com