Odunde at 50: A half-century of African culture in Philadelphia (photos)

On the second Sunday of June Graduate Hospital one of Philadelphia s oldest historically Black neighborhoods hosts one of the country s the greater part expansive celebrations of Black and African custom Celebrating its th anniversary on Sunday the Odunde Festival transformed city blocks into avenues of music food and tradition steeped in the African and Caribbean diaspora Founded in by Philadelphia area leader Lois Fernandez the festival began as a one-block event supported by a grant The present day it draws more than attendees annually and is possibly the largest African American street festival in the nation An ancestral vision born in Nigeria Odunde Yoruba for the celebration has arrived was inspired by a pilgrimage Fernandez took to Nigeria where she witnessed a traditional celebration marking the new year Motivated to bring a similar observance to her own area she launched the first Odunde festival with a small group and modest funding The event has grown steadily over five decades in both size and significance Prayers were offered at the four corners of the South Street Bridge Hanbit Kwon The festival is now led by Fernandez s daughter Oshunbumi Fernandez-West Odunde CEO who has expanded its reach through the initiative ODUNDE ODUNDE offers year-round cultural teaching and youth initiatives in Philadelphia Just this year Fernandez-West welcomed her oldest son Adeniyi Ogundana as the Odunde COO Invoking the goddess The heart of the Festival s schedule is a sacred river ceremony held each year at noon on Sunday Participants dressed in white or traditional attire gather at rd and South streets and walk in a procession to the Schuylkill River There they offer fruit flowers honey and cakes to Oshun the Yoruba goddess of rivers fresh water prosperity and love This ritual sets the tone for the day and connects the festival to its West African roots This procession has become one of Odunde s largest part recognizable traditions Walking in solidarity towards the banks of the Schuylkill Hanbit Kwon Baba Akinkugbe Karade first participated in the procession in alongside Fernandez-West Sought what Odunde meant to him Karade explained that Odunde represented a great deal of history a continuation Baba Akinkugbe Karade center right preparing for the procession Hanbit Kwon Years and even decades later Karade is touched to see Odunde expanding to include a third generation of leadership with the naming of Ogundana as Odunde s COO Echoing Karade s sentiment about the legacy of group and ancestry that unites this festival Odunde attendee Kathy who came from Germantown with her daughter Kara goddaughter Aliyah and her mother Lola originally from Jamaica spoke of Odunde as a remembrance of our society and how it has changed Aliyah Lola Kathy and Kara came from Germantown to enjoy the Odunde Festival Hanbit Kwon Kathy has been attending Odunde for a great number of years now and she and her family especially love seeing the handmade crafts and creativity that the festival displays Following the procession Odunde floods the streets with performances vendors and food representing African and diasporic cultures A street festival and population celebration Two main stages at rd and South streets and Grays Ferry and Catherine streets host a full day of live music including Afrobeat jazz hip-hop traditional African drumming and more This year s th anniversary featured performances by Rakim and Doug E Fresh drawing large crowds to the South Street corridor The adjacent streets featured more than vendors selling handmade goods including African textiles jewelry natural body care products books and visual art Food stalls offer a wide range of African Caribbean and soul food cuisines Bubbles were also offered along the procession path Hanbit Kwon Zamunda Jewelry based in Central New Jersey has attended Odunde as a vendor for years now offering jewelry from Kenya Stacey from Zamunda Jewelry loves vending at the festival and especially enjoys meeting people from different cultures and sharing with people who ask about my values Odunde has maintained its status as a free and independently operated festival despite economic challenges and shifts in city endorsement over the years Odunde s organizers emphasize its continued role as both a cultural gathering and a public anchor Stacey alongside offerings from Zamunda Jewelry Hanbit Kwon District outreach aimed at mentoring Philadelphia youth Through ODUNDE the organization aims to connect Philadelphia youth to African heritage and to offer access to cultural experiences often missing from formal curricula Just this year Ogundana stepping into his role as COO launched Odunde Sports with plans to open a soccer lounge at th and South streets Now in its fifth decade Odunde shows no signs of slowing down Organizers have indicated that future festivals will build on the legacy of Odunde founder Fernandez while continuing to evolve with the requirements of the group it serves What began as a small neighborhood gathering has become a nationally recognized event and a permanent fixture of Philadelphia s cultural calendar one that continues to honor its roots while adapting to the future Scroll through these photos that capture the extraordinary gratification and colors of this year s Odunde Festival Jamie Merwin left a -year participant of the Odunde Festival preparing offerings for Oshun Hanbit Kwon Odunde Procession Hanbit Kwon Spontaneous dancing arose in the crowd as the procession kicked off Hanbit Kwon Several participants chose to approach the river more directly by heading down to the Schuylkill River Walk Hanbit Kwon Walking in solidarity towards the banks of the Schuylkill Hanbit Kwon The post Odunde at A half-century of African society in Philadelphia photos appeared first on Billy Penn at WHYY