EXPERIENCE TANZANIA NYC 2019 EVENT!
Are you curious to seek new places but unsure about its destination, beauty & its culture? Imagine if you had the opportunity to experience that desired country in your hometown? Would you attend?
However, Justa Lujwangana of Curious on Tanzania launched Experience Tanzania NYC experiential event on Saturday, June 15th at Punto Space for all curious travelers to get a taste of her homeland for the day. No passport or luggage was required but only a great attitude, open-minded, an empty stomach, as well as comfortable shoes. This fantastic event was also co-curated by Curated Vibes Group as well as us! Yes, we were a part of it too! Experience Tanzania NYC festivities were also sponsored by photographer Jermaine Gibbs, Juliana, A Swahili Musical Drama written and produced by Ma Vicky Rugakingra, musical artist Kokugonza and Kuumba Media. We also had influencers Erika Star and Jo involved in Experience Tanzania NYC.
Guests arrived in their stylish African attire, ready to learned and danced the night away to traditional Tanzanian music. Guests were served popular Tanzanian dishes and street foods such as Mtoro Supo which is a Banana soup from the Chagga Tribe, Pilau ( spiced rice ) from the Swahili coastal people, Nyama ya Mbuzi ( goat meat ) from the Maasai Tribe, Kachumbari ( tomato and onion salad ) from the Swahili / coastal people. Besides, Chapati ( flatbread), Samosas, Mandazi ( East African doughnut ), Vitumbua ( rice cake ), and Maembe ( mango slices ). Doesn’t it sound tasty?
We hosted a fire chat session with guest speakers Professor Carlos, Dr. Frank Manja, and Photographer Jermaine Gibbs discussing exploring Tanzania, its imagery, music, and more. One of the beautiful moments during the session was when we played Tanzania National anthem to conclude the fire chat session. If you have a moment, listen to it. While the guest was mingling with one another, we also had Zawadi Zetu, and Guika markets shops displayed local and handmade goods from local artisans.
Later in the evening, the audience saw a Juliana, A Swahili Musical performance led by Etoo Tsana and Ebony Rae, written and produced by Ma Vicky Rugakingra. Juliana is a traditional Swahili drama performance that highlights Tanzanian history.
The rest of the evening was filled with many more surprises when a lucky attendee name Cey won a round-trip fare to anywhere to Africa courtesy of Ethiopian Airlines. The lucky attendee automatically decided she’s going to Tanzania! In addition, Shana of The Global Taste and Chef Aya of Curated Vibes Group was surprisingly gifted with Tanzanian hot sauce and decorative pillow cover from Justa Lujwangana. The rest of the night ended with dancing, mingling and of course eating!
Here are our Experience Tanzania NYC recap photos to give you a taste for next year! Check out our Instagram The Global Taste for more.
