A Soulful Showcase

The Monarch Event Center here in Austin was host to a hip-hop pounding, barbeque cooking, and African paraphernalia exposition this past Sunday, January 31st 2009. The first annual Austin Black Expo, presented by the Capital City African-American Chamber of Commerce, kicked off Black History Month with the assistance of local businesses as well as out-of-town vendors.

Tenants of the center were greeted with the delicious aromas of barbeque on the grill and booty-shaking music (courtesy of KAZI 88.7 FM) upon entering the facility. Inside, various booths were set up embracing the walls of the center's main entrance with nothing but smiles on the faces of the volunteers behind them. Everyone from AllState Insurance to the Austin Toros basketball team were on hand to partake in the festivities. The breadth of the event, however, lent itself to the handful of exhibitions that served to educate visitors of African cultures and traditions. My partners and I came across an exhibitor who is currently in the process of building an actual African village in the Cedar Park area. I meant to recover his purpose for doing so, but he was occupied with other passersby. Sorry guys! The pictures below show an ensemble of uniquely African statues and jewelry.

I also came across a vendor who was selling an array of African tribal instruments. Most of the instruments in his inventory were quite the norm (drums, shakers, etc.) but the one he was toying around with really caught my eye (or rather ear I should say). It was a petite, wooden frog with a series of ridges on it's back that made a ribbit-like sound when rubbed with a mallet.

Unfortunately, I had to cut my visit to the expo short due to prior engagements but I learned a good deal during my short stay. I was introduced to new dishes (Crawfish Jumbalaya) and hand lotions that are native to Africa. One could easily sense the pride and patriotism in the eyes of those involved and the jubilant spirit of this community. It was definitely a worthwhile experience.