Hip Samba Festival will take place at Space 2000 Event Centre in Barnawa, Kaduna State, on 26 December. The Northern Nigerian Boxing Day event, which is in its fifth edition, will feature a mix of music, cultural performances, games, cuisine, visual arts, exhibitions and live shows, with contemporary artists showcasing their talents and entertaining concertgoers.
Hip Samba is produced by independent electronic and print media outfit Villageboi Communications & Technology. The festival is a fusion of urban and traditional entertainment content. Hip stands for ‘urban’ while Samba stands for ‘culture’.
The event will feature local vendors and a display of artworks. It will also be streamed live online to reach a wider audience.
“We want our streaming audience to become immersed in Africa and to witness an unforgettable experience through ancient poetry, traditional and contemporary music, eclectic dancing, theatre arts, comedy and cultural dance,” the event’s project manager, Vayan Joseph, said.
“Kaduna is popularly referred to as the capital of Northern Nigeria, a multicultural city with a large youth population. It is evident that Kaduna has suffered from continued ethnoreligious and political crises, which have slowed down social, cultural and economic growth.”
Northern Nigeria has experienced a number of censorship cases in the creative sector, with many artists in the region facing limited opportunities to perform and showcase their abilities.
“We believe a festival is not just about entertainment and enjoyment but also a platform for constructive freedom of expression, artistic promotions, cultural rights and relations, sharing meaningful messages, inspiring people to self-discover, encouraging tolerance and peace, and providing the foundations for nation-building. That is why Hip Samba Festival was conceived,” Joseph said.
The organisers have also presented a mission statement, which includes such goals and as to raise awareness about the need for young people to be agents of positive change, youth entrepreneurial education and promotion of self-reliance through creativity, awareness against the use of drugs, and the development of collaborations, among others.
