Kwanzaa Nashville, in partnership with Plaza Mariachi Music City, is bringing a special Kwanzaa celebration to the Greater Nashville Community.  This will be a FREE family friendly event where all are welcome and children and adults can learn about the rich traditions of the Kwanzaa holiday through hands-on activities, cultural music, live performances, African American cuisines, dancing and interactive community engagement. 

 

The Umoja Marketplace opens at 6pm, and the 7pm program features Sankofa African Drum & Dance Company, Shackled Feet Dance and Special Guest Performers. 

 

Kwanzaa is a time for families and communities to come together to remember the past and to celebrate African American culture.

 

Kwanzaa is an African American and Pan-African holiday that celebrates history, values, family, community and culture. The ideas and concepts of Kwanzaa are expressed in the Swahili language, one of the most widely spoken languages in Africa. The seven principles which form its core were drawn from communitarian values found throughout the African continent. These principles are: Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani (Faith). Kwanzaa gets its name from the Swahili phrase, “matunda ya kwanza” and is rooted in first fruit celebrations which are found in cultures throughout Africa both in ancient and modern times.