Cultural Festival at Pitt-Bradford

Ewabo, a Caribbean-style steel drum band, will headline the annual “One World” Cultural Festival on Saturday, Feb. 21, at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford.

Different cultures and traditions will be showcased beginning at 6:30 p.m. on the first floor of the Frame-Westerberg Commons. Students, faculty and staff will share food and present entertainment at the event, which is open to the public.

Although there is no formal admission, those attending are asked to bring a dish to share or a $5 donation. The dinner begins at 6:30 p.m.

“The popularity of the Cultural Festival is seen in how broad the participation is –students, staff, alumni, faculty and all their families and a lot of their friends in the community all take part,” said Isabelle Champlin, co-chairwoman of the Cultural Festival and director of the international studies program.

Ewabo will perform on the steel drum, also called the pan, at 8 p.m. in the Mukaiyama University Room. The band derives its music from the traditions of Trinidad, Tobago, Virgin Islands and St. Martin.

Billed as one of the preeminent steel bands in the United States, the trio has played at an inaugural ball for former President Bill Clinton and has been featured at human rights day events, including Potomac Riverfest and the D.C. Caribbean Carnival Parade.

The band has also won two consecutive national steel band music festival championships.

During the entire evening, displays will include information and activities about India, Russia, Japan, Germany, Italy, Cuba, Mexico, the Peace Corps, Jewish culture, Native American drumming and face painting. Also featured will be a basket-making demonstration, the Enchanted Mountain Weavers Guild, an international studies booth and a Fair Trade Products group.

The international buffet will feature such samplings as Japanese cuisine and sushi and French, Italian, Polish, Russian and Greek dishes as well as fare from the Caribbean. Dishes will be prepared by Pitt-Bradford faculty and staff, guests, Metz and Associates and local restaurants. Scottish kilts, Indian Saris, a traditional Swedish dress and outfits from other cultures will be showcased by students during the international fashion show at 7:30 p.m. in the University Room.

Following the fashion show, three Pitt-Bradford student dance groups will perform – the Diamond Steppers, Bollywood Dancers and a student group presenting dance steps from Nigeria.

The Commons Café will also be adorned with flags, showing the nations that students call home.

The festival grew out of Black History Month activities in the mid-1990s by the Black Action Committee.

“The Cultural Festival is not an event that you view— it must be experienced by all your senses, from the sounds of the drums, to the wonderful aromas wafting from the buffet table, to the rich colors and textures of the traditional garments,” said Holly J. Spittler, co-chair of the event and associate dean of student affairs. “The energy and exhilaration of the evening is contagious and demonstrates what is possible when folks come together in the spirit of unity and good will.”

Contributors to this year’s event include the Cultural Festival Steering Committee, Alpha Phi Omega, the Anthropology Club, the Nontraditional Student Association (NTSA), Metz & Associates, History-Political Science Club, African American Student Union, Hospitality Management Club, the Student Activities Council, the Office of the President, Student Government Association, International Studies Office, Togi's Family Restaurant, and the divisions of Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Communication and the Arts, and the Social and Behavioral Sciences.

Photo of last year's international fashion show courtesy of Pitt-Bradford