Yaounde, Cameroon Africa. Janaury 2011. (Cameroon News) – Cincinnati Museum Center brings Africa into life by hosting the African Culture Fest.

On Saturday one walking into the Cincinnati Museum Center would be perturbed for a moment thinking that they had mistakenly walked into Africa.

Cincinnati Museum Center

A section of the museum center has been converted into an African village, the transformation being made to look so realistic what with African style houses, artwork, programmes and seminars.

Yet another part of the museum could see young kids concentrating impeccably on putting together precisely collected African masks and mats which have been made using construction paper and paper plates.

The premises of the museum have suddenly become lively and filled with sounds of all kinds as drummers from Africa and their colorful dancers are just pulling on huge crowds of people with their display of various art forms, dances and music of Africa.

Cincinnati Museum Center

Around 20 stalls have also been set up in the museum grounds to play host to African vendors who are being given a chance to showcase statues, woodwork, music CD’s , ornaments and colorful clothes.

This blast of colorful festivity is all part of the annual African culture fest, which was kicked off on Saturday and will run through the weekend till Monday.

The festival is being showcased as a part of the Museum Center’s Passport to the World series of festivals, which aims at commemorating each of the various cultures all across the world.

This year’s festival commemorates the 26th anniversary of the series for which entry is free. Museum officials expect that there would be an estimated 4000 to 6000 visits to watch the very colorful and vibrant African culture Fest which showcases the culture of the African continent and has representatives from various countries like Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana and many of their other neighbors.

Cincinnati Museum Center

Guest who had flocked in to see the Fest in huge numbers seem to be really taken in by what is of offer and stated that they are very impressed by the variety that is on display.

“There were quite a few nations represented,” said Glenn Scott, 37, of Liberty Township as he was finding his way out of the Museum Center with his arms overloaded with his kid’s African crafts.

“They (the kids) learned a lot and had a lot of fun,” said Scott. “People from different countries would talk about the culture. The volunteers were really great.”

Hannah, 7, and Joshua, 6 said that they had a great time and their favorite moment inside was when they were taught how to make paperweights -plaster blocks following which they were asked to paint it and decorate it using themes from Africa.

The motive of the African Culture Fest is to familiarize the residents of Cincinnati with the rich and varied culture of Africa.

“We want people to come here and spend a fun time with their family and get their children to know images of Africa other than what’s on TV,” said Clara Matonhodze, program manager for the Museum Center.

“African culture promotes happiness and well-being. It’s uplifting, not violent or savage like it’s sometimes portrayed on television,” said Roger Nyam, a native of Cameroon.

He stated that he focuses on such trivial yet serious issues when he speaks about the culture of his country Cameroon to the people who visit his stall at the Fest.

Nyam is part of the Tri-State Chapter of the Meta Cultural and Development Association, a group of native Africans who have started chapters throughout the United States to educate people about what the African culture is all about and familiarize them with its various nuances.

Cincinnati Museum Center

This time, Nyam and his colleagues could be seen, dressed in colorful traditional African costumes, and were trying to replicate the regular activities that happen in a native African family with as much of originality as possible. They sang celebration songs , weaved colorful baskets and did dances.

For Curtis Karim, 55, of Lockland, the pleasure of the day was that he got to spend some choice time with his two granddaughters, Kennedy Sanders, 7, and her sister Alexis, 10, of Mason while learning a lot of things about Africa that he was not really aware of.

“It gives time for the family to spend time together,” said Karim as he fixed a strap on the back of a colorful paper mask gifted to him by his granddaughter.

The family makes it a point to mark their attendance every year.