Culture on display as Tombolo Multicultural Festival celebrates 10 years in N.L.
Festival first launched in Ferryland in 2009
If you like to hear Scottish bagpipes and Jamaican reggae while eating curry and watching a fashion show — the Tombolo Multicultural Festival had you covered.
Festival director Zainab Jerrett says it started in Ferryland in 2009 to give new Canadians the opportunity to see the rural communities in Newfoundland — and expose locals to things they might not be familiar with.
Things like the Kappa Malong Malong, a folk dance from the Philippines traditionally performed by women. It was displayed with a flourish Sunday afternoon at the Arts and Culture Centre in St. John's.
"It's a dance that originated in the southern tip of the Philippines," explained Hazel Ouano al Puerto of the Filipino Dance Group.
The name refers to the "malong," a piece of versatile "tubular fabric" sometimes worn as a shawl or skirt, she said. The dance shows off how many ways the garment can be worn.
"You can convert it to headgear, you can use it as your blanket," Ouano al Puerto said.
"It's our way of not only entertaining, but also, as well, to welcome."
It's performed barefoot as a gesture of respect for one's guests, and includes spiritual elements of gratitude.
Now in its 10th year, the festival has expanded to include workshops, music, food and a fashion show, all to share and explore a range of cultures.
Sunday evening, which Jerrett said would be one of the festival's busiest days, featured a multicultural variety show that included local country acts and a "Bollywood Jig" — a taste of traditional dances from India.
Craftspeople also sold their handiwork. Winifred Ohwoka, co-owner of African clothing company Signage Clothing and Crafts, says she started her business as a side project after moving to Newfoundland three years ago.
"We bring fabric from Africa, 100 per cent cotton," Ohwoka said.
"We use them to make throw pillow covers, we use them to make school bags, ladies' bags, lunchboxes, aprons, table runners … there's no limit, we could make anything."
Ohwoka says in Nigeria, where she was raised, "you aren't brought up in a way that you just go to school alone." Instead, everyone has a marketable skill, and hers is sewing.
"You learn something alongside," she said, "so that in the future, wherever you find yourself, you should be able to defend yourself."
With files from The St. John's Morning Show