Hey, guys! Welcome back to Culture Canvas.
I’m not sure if you stopped in for the afrobeats festival over the weekend, but I caught part of the final night of the event at Bedrock’s Douglass Site. The Scorpion Kings kept the crowd going with their energizing music. And, as people started heading out onto Beaubien Street afterward, there was a peacefulness in the air as people talked about the night.
Overall, it seemed like people were having a good time. But I’ve heard from a few festival goers and on social media that there was also a bit of disorganization.
One frustration among attendees was the last minute announcements for set times — Afro Nation posted Saturday’s schedule on its Facebook page Friday evening and Sunday’s set times weren’t posted until that morning.
BridgeDetroit contributor Quinn Banks said people were asking him about the set times while he was taking photographs of the event Saturday and Sunday.
There also were cancellation of acts like Adekunle Gold, Amaarae and co-headliner Lil Wayne.
According to a Facebook post from Afro Nation, Amaarae and Adekunle Gold could no longer perform “due to reasons beyond our control,” while Lil Wayne’s flight was grounded because of weather conditions. The rapper posted about the situation on X at 10:10 p.m., 40 minutes after he was scheduled to perform at Afro Nation.
Chelsea Carson was looking forward to seeing the canceled acts. The Detroiter said there were some cancellations at last year’s event as well and she hopes the festival can become more organized in the future.
“They need to have the set times posted earlier, so people can plan,” Carson said. “And I know you can’t control the weather, but it would be nice to not be rained out. They need to get it correct next year.”
BridgeDetroit reached out to Afro Nation Monday, but organizers weren’t immediately available for comment.
VIP ticket holder Daniel Subdiaz said there wasn’t much of a difference between the VIP and general admission sections, in terms of the crowds. Subdiaz said he traveled to Detroit from Miami and, while he had a good time, he preferred the Afro Nation festival lineup held in the Florida city last year.
Subdiaz did enjoy amapiano group Scorpion Kings and he and Carson both said they liked seeing DJ Uncle Waffles and afrobeats singer/rapper Rema.
If Afro Nation comes back next year for its third outing in Detroit, hopefully it will be a smoother experience.
As always, have a great week!
Cheers,
Micah
313 Scene
- BridgeDetroit freelancer Martina Guzman writes about La Cuscatleca, a beloved Central American grocery store in southwest Detroit.
- Rocker Jack White will reunite with his former Hentchmen bandmates for a Sept. 2 concert at the Hamtramck Labor Day Festival.
- Joe Muer Jr., a longtime metro Detroit restaurateur noted for the legendary restaurant formerly on Detroit’s east side died Aug. 11 at the age of 88.
What’s Going on in the D?
- Detroit Poet Laureate jessica Care moore is hosting a free, outdoor screening of her film, “He Looked Like a Postcard” Thursday at Michigan Central Station. Food trucks will be available at 5:30 p.m. and the movie will begin at 7 p.m.
- The Hannan Center is hosting its Emerge! Art Festival 12-8 p.m. Saturday at its Ellen Kayrod Art Gallery in Midtown. The social service agency’s event will feature artwork from the center’s “Emerge” exhibit, where a majority of the artists are 55 and older. This year’s theme is “The Art of Caregiving.”
- The Redford Theatre is showing 35mm film screenings of the first Indiana Jones movie “Raiders of the Lost Ark” Saturday and Sunday and 500 tickets are available for free. For each show, 400 tickets are available online, and additional 100 tickets will be available at the door.
- The Detroit Historical Museum is opening its new exhibit, “Detroit Lions: Gridiron Heroes” Saturday. The display will explore the franchise’s roots and the NFL of the 1930s, period of dominance in the 1950s, Hall of Fame-level star power players and the Dan Campbell era of the Lions. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for students, seniors, first responders and active military and $6 for children.
- Nerd out with the “Return of the Start” exhibit at the Norwest Gallery of Art. The show celebrates the “Star Wars” film series through an Afrofuturist lens. Some of the artists in the exhibit include Ainsley Harvey, Glenn Taylor, Super Cy and Trae Issac.
- Enjoy some music and a drink at the Detroit Bourbon and Blues Festival Sunday at Eastern Market. Attendees can head over to Shed 5 for food trucks, vendors and bourbon and whiskey tastings. Tickets vary between $45-$50 for the tasting experiences. A VIP ticket, which includes a “bloozy brunch” is between $85-$95.
