Western’s African Students’ Association will hold its third annual cultural showcase on Saturday, full of lively performances and dazzling outfits.
The theme of this year’s showcase was “Ancestor Echo.” The event organizers were to pay tribute to those who came before them and highlight their impact on modern culture. The event featured a fusion of contemporary music and traditional music, dance and costumes.
Approximately 200 community members gathered to watch the performance in the Faculty of Education auditorium. The charming and comedic hosts featured the act with an emphasis on travelling to different parts of Africa, including dance teams, choirs, fashion shows and games from different countries.
“I’m really grateful for the echo of my ancestors because we’re always talking about how we can connect with and reunite with our past as students and as African students.”e Co-president of the Advanced Research School of Arts and Humanities and the ASA.
Temitayo Babalola, director of Genetics Student and Culture Show in Year 4, is Nifemi Apantaku, director of Media, Information and Technology Student and Assistant Culture Show in Year 3, both known as “PWI,” a predominantly white facility. According to Western University’s first time Stock Census Results Since 2022, approximately 49% of Western student respondents have identified themselves as visible minorities.
They highlighted how such a cultural showcase reminded us that students are not alone, but that there are community members who are connected throughout the school.
“We try to remove the story “There is one type in Africa.” Africans can see in one particular way, in one way, because they are so diverse in terms of how we look and what we celebrate, not just in our music, our culture,” Babarola said.
This year, the ASA added dance teams from Ghana and Somali to its showcase. These are two countries that were not participating in the previous year. The organising team contacted various students and cultural groups to diversify the representatives featured at the event.
“Our main driving force this year has been to ensure that every group in every edge of Africa, every region, is successfully represented in at least one or other ways,” Apantak said.
Noah Matakawa, a fourth-year medical science student, was a member of the Ghanaian dance team and was the first participant in the ASA showcase. As Elgin Hall residence Sov, he met other Ghanaian students who urged him to participate in the event on behalf of Ghana, despite not being a dancer.
On March 8th, 2025, a stage performance was performed in the auditorium of the Faculty of Education and Architecture as part of the ASA’s African Culture Showcase.
“The community you get from having a showcase like this is huge,” Matsukawa said.
Fashion show students dressed to express their culture and nurtured the show with a wide range of intricate and beautiful outfits.
In the middle of the performance, there was also a break from the game to attract the audience, but there was a break for food and drinks. Ngobila said finding licensed caterers that reflect a variety of cultures was a challenge, but said chicken and rice – a beloved and, importantly, halal-friendly option – was offered.
The team strived to accommodate the event for Muslim participants observing Ramadan. Babarola and Apantak agreed to that. It was It is important to know that incoming students have access to cultural clubs like the ASA.
Ngobila said the media can portray Africa in negative and misunderstood light, leaving people with a distorted perception of ideology and practices. She said the showcase can change perspective.
“I hope that people who don’t know much about the continent will be able to learn more throughout the process, whether it’s through songs, through songs, through communities and food,” Ngobila said.
