This is an exciting and groundbreaking season for Amani ya Juu. I came on with Amani full-time at the end of the summer, just in time to dive in headlong to planning for Sankofa: Look Back. Walk Forward., a high-end fashion narrative produced by the women of Amani on tour this month in the United States.Through brilliant costumes, choreography, lighting and music, women from six countries - Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Burundi, and Uganda - use the fashion runway as their stage to depict courageous journeys from warn-torn pasts to their new community at Amani ya Juu. The narrative highlights separation from homelands, transformation through brokenness, celebration of hope in the midst of difficulties.
“Sankofa” is an Akan word that means “We must go back and accept our past so we can move forward. We do this so we can understand why and how we came to be who we are today.” We can all learn our past experiences in order to understand both who we are today and celebrate our future.
A fashion narrative uses the medium of a fashion show to share a story through clothing design, accessories, movement, music, lighting, and narration. In the case of Sankofa, the women of Amani will share their collective story of looking to past hardships and walking toward hopeful futures. Sankofa provides space to explore the painful yet redemptive journeys of Amani women through traditional dances and evolving motifs.
Creative design and ingenuity in Amani’s products reflect the restoration and transformation process at work in every person in the Amani family. Amani’s new clothing line Amani Pamba (meaning “Peace Adorned”) reflects this essential element. Amani designers have created “wearable art” using colorful motifs and patterns of African cultures to create pieces that reflect this process.
I've been thrilled to participate in preparations for the Sankofa tour. Sankofa presents a unique opportunity for the women of Amani to share their stories through their own creative stregnths. They will also be doing outreach through schools, community organizations, and churches during the tour to allow them to interact more personally with people of many walks in the US.
Sankofa is already underway! The first show takes place in Orlando this Saturday, October 4th. Then we're off to Dallas for a special event on Tuesday, October 8th before the next show in Charlotte, North Carolina on Friday, October 10th. The tour will conclude on Friday, October 17th with the DC area show.
If you live in one of the areas Sankofa will visit, I hope you'll consider attending an event. Tickets and donations opportunities are available in Amani's online shop.
Here's a link to the Sankofa announcement on Amani's blog.
