Kakolo dancers
Kakolo dancers   All photos copyright Black Ottawa Scene

Saturday 22 July

About two hundred friends and families of the Sudanese and South Sudanese communities gathered on Saturday at the Jim Durell Community Centre on Walkley Road, to raise funds for thousands of people at serious risk of starvation and death in South Sudan. The event featured the renowned Kakolo war dancers, singer/dancer Adarob, emerging songstress Margaret Leek, and veteran singer Ruth Mathiang, whose signature song ” Mama Africa” brought  the crowd to its feet, as the audition joined in a spontaneous dance in celebration of all things African.  A significant presence at the event was Alex Neve, Amnesty International representative to Canada, who urged the audience not to relent in raising their voices against the tyranny, violence and corruption that have beclouded the situation in South Sudan and elsewhere.  Kudos to the Canada-wide ad hoc committee of Sudanese and South Sudanese in diaspora for leading this important initiative.