St. George’s, July 29, 2010 – The weekend celebrations of Emancipation Day activities were launched with style on July 29 with a joint African exhibition involving Grenadian Ogundula Isaac and Nigerian Oluwasegun Olaoye.
Isaac and Olaoye hosted a two-day exhibition of African arts, craft, clothing and accessories at the Department of Culture, Ministerial Complex, St. George’s.
Emancipation Day commemorates the end of the legalised enslavement of Africans in Grenada and other then British colonies, including Canada, in 1834.
Isaac, head of Rastafari Dynasty, said the exhibition commemorates this year’s 176th anniversary of the proclamation ending slavery. It’s also to promote African culture in Grenada and to make Emancipation Day “bigger from this year onward,’’ he added.
Olaoye, who is part of a family-run business in Nigeria, said he has had a “wonderful experience’’ in Grenada since arriving here in June.
According to Olaoye, “there is a lot of commonalities’’ between Grenada and Nigeria, such as in the use of some foods. For example, he said, farine is popular in Grenada. The same food commodity is also widely used in Nigeria but goes by the name, “gari.’’
Emancipation Day is Sunday, August 1, with major activities, including a church service and street parade, to be held in Grenville, St. Andrew.
