LUNCHEON WITH THE AFRICAN UNION: Building Diaspora Engagement and Mutual Opportunity

Music carries history in a way few other things can. It can tell the story of struggle and victory, reflect cultural identity, and bring people together in celebration. In the Spring 2019 issue of Voices Magazine, the event West Africa Music Vibes is presented not only as a concert experience, but also as a cultural celebration connected to West Africa’s independence history — and as a platform that supports community empowerment through the Cavalla Sound Foundation.

The magazine announces the event with clear details: West Africa Music Vibes was scheduled for March 30, 2019, at 8:00 PM, at the River Centre in Saint Paul. These details ground the event in place and time, making it accessible to the community. But what gives the event deeper meaning is how the magazine frames its purpose. It states that West Africa Music Vibes highlights West Africa’s struggle and ultimate freedom from imperialism and colonialism. This framing is important because it places the event in historical context, connecting music to the reality that independence in West Africa was achieved through sacrifice, resistance, and resilience.

Voices Magazine describes the event as the “official celebration” of independence for most West African nations. That statement is significant because it reflects how diaspora communities often preserve and celebrate national milestones even while living abroad. Independence celebrations can carry emotional weight — pride, remembrance, gratitude, and cultural unity. And when they happen through music, those emotions become shared, collective experiences.

The magazine emphasizes that the show will feature music from West Africa, the Caribbean, and the Western Hemisphere. This detail highlights cultural connection across the African diaspora. Music from these regions often shares rhythms, histories, and influences shaped by movement, diaspora, and shared experiences. By including multiple regions, the event becomes broader than a single-country celebration — it becomes a cultural bridge across the diaspora.

The event lineup mentioned includes multiple categories of music and artists. Voices Magazine notes “African favorite classical reggae beats” including T-Blaze, Lucky Dube, Burning Spear, and Inner Circle. It also lists Afro beats such as Burna Boy, Wizkid, Davido, and Mr Eazi. These names matter because they indicate the event’s musical range — blending reggae influences with Afro beats. It signals that the night was designed to attract different age groups and musical tastes, combining classic sounds with modern energy.

But the most powerful part of the feature is that West Africa Music Vibes is presented as more than entertainment. The magazine states that the event has used its annual festival to create a platform for the Cavalla Sound Foundation to “empower lives and give hope in many ways.” This shifts the event from being simply a concert to being a cultural gathering with a mission. A festival that entertains can be enjoyable; a festival that also empowers can become transformative.

The magazine lists the Cavalla Sound Foundation’s focus areas with clarity. It states that the foundation provides mentoring and scholarships. It mentions that it helps young men and women and aims to promote positive behaviors. It also focuses on stimulating academic excellence and creativity and raising moral standards. Finally, it includes support for the less privileged and underprivileged. These points show a strong youth-centered and community-centered purpose. The festival, therefore, becomes a gateway: people come together for music and celebration, and at the same time they connect to a mission that supports young people and community wellbeing.

This is an important model because it demonstrates how cultural events can serve multiple roles. They can preserve identity and celebrate history while also addressing present needs. For diaspora communities, cultural events often become places where people reconnect to heritage, build relationships, and support community initiatives. West Africa Music Vibes is presented in that exact way: a celebration of independence through music that also fuels empowerment through mentorship and scholarships.

The magazine also includes a message about West Africa’s independence story — highlighting the struggle against colonialism and imperialism. This makes the festival’s celebration more meaningful because it encourages remembrance. Independence isn’t framed as “just a holiday.” It is framed as a victory achieved through struggle. Music becomes the language through which that history is honored — a way of celebrating freedom while acknowledging what it took to achieve.

The connection across West Africa, the Caribbean, and the Western Hemisphere also suggests a broader diaspora understanding: music connects stories across oceans. Rhythms travel. Cultural expressions evolve. But the shared roots remain visible, especially when communities gather intentionally to celebrate.

In short, Voices Magazine presents West Africa Music Vibes as an event with two powerful layers. First, it is a cultural and historical celebration: honoring independence and reflecting on West Africa’s journey from colonial control to freedom. Second, it is a community empowerment platform: using an annual festival to support the Cavalla Sound Foundation’s work in mentoring, scholarships, youth support, positive behavior promotion, academic excellence, creativity, moral standards, and care for the underprivileged.

That combination is what makes the event stand out. It isn’t only a night of music. It’s a night where history, identity, celebration, and community service come together in one space — and where cultural energy is used not only to entertain, but also to uplift.