Cleveland Public Theatre Kwanzaa celebration is not to be missed

Kwanzaa is the annual celebration of African-American culture and takes place from December 26th to January 1st. It culminates in a communal feast that is called “Karamu” that is traditionally held on the sixth day.

Kwanzaa was created by activist Maulana Karenga who based the holiday on African harvest festivals that took place in various parts of West, East and Southeast Africa. He wanted to create something as an alternative to Christmas that allowed African-Americans to celebrate themselves and their history. Kwanzaa was first celebrated in the United States in 1966 and has slowly gained popularity through the years. It is now estimated that in America up to 2,000,000 people of all faiths celebrate Kwanzaa every year.

Each of the seven days are dedicated to one of the principles that include:

1. Umoja (Unity): To strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.

2. Kujichagulia (Self Determination): To define and name ourselves, as well as to create and speak for ourselves.

3. Ujima (Collective work and responsibility): To build and maintain our community together and make our brothers' and sisters' problems our problems and to solve them together.

4.  Ujamaa(Cooperative economics): To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together.

5. Nia (Purpose): To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.

6. Kuumba (Creativity): To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.

7. Imani (Faith): To believe with all our hearts in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.

Cleveland Public Theatre is presenting “The Light Of Kinara: A Kwanzaa Celebration” produced by Djapo Cultural Arts Institute. The show has to be seen and heard to be believed. It begins with an introduction of the elders followed by a ceremony honoring those who have gone before us.

From there there is the laying of the table along with the Kinara (the holder that has the seven Kwanzaa candles). Then the show truly takes off with a spirited dance from Guinea. The drumming is precise to the point of perfection, the singing harmonies angelically superb and the costumes blindingly colorful. There is also poetry, acrobatics, various styles of dance, a harvest montage and a story teller.

The Djapo Company Members include: Talise A. Campbell, Malana Broome, Inaya Carrington, Alexis Cuevas, Yvetta Eley, Kehinde Lockett, Chinnara McCants, Samantha Ray and Ayodeji Songofunmi.

The Community Members include: Melina Broome, Barbara Finley, Cenithia Selinas, Sage O’ Reggio, Manon Regans and Marisa Nieves.

The Musicians include: Weedie Braimah, Kurton Harrison III, Solomon Leonard, Sjamba Musa Muhammad, Noah Sherman, Durotimi Troy and Nasir Wilson.

The Tanzanite African Acrobats include: Zawadi Gorofa, Matiga Koba, Kauzeni Lyamba, Happyness Niclata Ngwena, Hawa Rajabu and Husna Rajabu.

The Hue People include: Anita Rose Banks, Cenithia and Steven E. Boyd.

This exceptional show will only be on stage through this coming Sunday, December 22nd and should not be missed. Kwanzaa has grown from a celebration of African-Americans to one of all colors, beliefs and traditions. Come join the celebration and be awed.

The Cleveland Public Theatre presentation of Djapo Cultural Arts Institute production of “The Light of Kinara: A Kwanzaa Celebrarion” will be on stage in the Gordon Square Theatre at 6415 Detroit Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio through December 22, 2024. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.cptonline.org/ or call (216) 631-2727 ext. 501.