(happy upbeat music) - In the very beginning, God created heaven and earth, I'm just kidding.

In the beginning of Afrocontigbo, we actually, well I started the company in 2014.

But prior to that at Winona State University, that's where I got the idea when I was going to college.

Because there seemed like there had to be, there was something missing.

(happy upbeat music) So that's when I really realized that there's a need for it, not just a need for us as the Africans in diaspora to get together and celebrate our culture, but there's a desire for the residents around us to be a part of that, to understand it, to share it with us.

So of course, I had to go to school and graduate and get my master's degree and I was following the corporate ladder path.

But then after a while I wanted to get back to dancing.

But I didn't have that school community, so we had to kind of start from scratch.

(happy upbeat music) I was born in Nigeria and I identify as Nigerian American now.

I left the country in 2002 after I finished high school, we call it secondary school, and I came here to college in Winona State University.

My mom, my dad, my other sister, my other brother, you know their families, my cousins and everyone else is in Nigeria.

So you do get kind of homesick.

But yeah, Nigeria is my country.

And in Nigeria I'm from the southeast, which is the Igbo, Igboland, I'm Igbo.

My village is called Owerri, Imo State.

Over there we speak Igbo and we do Igbo things.

We're Igbo and part of that is what defines me and it actually informed the company name, which is Afrocontigbo.

Afrocontigbo means African contemporary Igbo.

So all of our dances, whenever I have like an hour workshop, there's always some kind of education about my Igbo roots and we always do like a couple Igbo songs as well.

- The head dancer at Afrocontigbo and that is no other person but Korma Aguah-Stuckmayer!

(audience applauds) (audience cheers) - Hi, guys, we are very excited to present eme ememe to you today.

Eme ememe means to celebrate.

There's so much that's happening in the world that can kind of halt your celebration, right?

But one thing about a lot of people from my tribe, we're Igbo, we like to enjoy life.

We like to enjoy life to the fullest.

(speaking in foreign language)?

- Yes!

- Hey, right here.

So the red beads is very Nigerian and very Igbo.

So in my culture we wear a lot of red beads, especially the women.

The men wear it too, but the women wear it, it's just a thing for fun, beauty.

So whenever we're dancing, a lot of times the Igbo dance you would see a red bead either on the waist, hand, sometimes on your hair as well.

But yeah, we're really fond of our red beads.

(chuckles) (gentle upbeat music) Now, I remember going way, way back to like when I was really young and my grandma was alive and she would always dance.

Whenever you go visit grandma right at the door, she welcomes you with a dance.

We'd come in.

She's just excited, dancing.

All of her daughters were also dancers and they just enjoyed dancing.

So to me that was like a part of what we did.

Not necessarily like scheduling an hour to dance.

It's just dance whenever you get a chance to.

And she's actually the one who inspires me the most because while I was young dancing with her, she told me I was a good dancer.

So now I'm like nobody can tell me I'm not a good dancer.

If grandma already (claps) put a stamp on it, right?

So it's like this is it.

(upbeat music) The Nigerian culture I think we can all agree, and I'm not speaking for all Nigerians but I kinda am, the perspective of which we have of ourselves is one of joy, greatness, pride in our culture, right.

It's kind of like if you're going to eat a frog, don't just eat the frog leg, eat the whole frog, you know.

So like whatever it is that we want to do, we tend to put our whole heart and mind into it.

The hardest part is just having the desire to do it.

But as soon as we desire that, we tend to overdo it.

(joyful upbeat music) My name is Korma, the full name is Katukaokma, which means talk about good things.

So I always try to talk about good things and sometimes I can't help it.

I have to say a few bad words or talk about bad things.

But then I feel bad because my whole life, my whole name is talk about good things.

You know so it's kinda like a burden, but it's also like who we are and I enjoy it.

I love that part of our culture.

(lively rhythmic music) (lively rhythmic music continues) This is a very popular drink back home.

Vita Malt, actually, the one we have is just called Maltina and it's very yummy.

But if you've never had it before is like a learned taste.

Kind of like coffee, you know, you don't like it at first and then you get addicted.

Oh hold on, it's a twist off.

What are we doing?

Okay, ta-da.

(bottle cap clinks) (chuckles) All right, now if you're gluten free you can't have it, but it's very yummy.

So you guys are gonna try it.

(upbeat music) It is also nutrition.

Like people that if you haven't eaten all day and you have a bottle of this, it probably hold you up for a little bit until your next meal, so.

(glasses clink) (lively upbeat music swells) Part of the reason I love Minnesota is that the arts and culture scene is thriving.

Last year November marked a big milestone for Afrocontigbo.

We are 10 years old and it was amazing because we didn't know for sure how we're gonna go about it.

But we had a grant from the Minnesota Arts Board to do this film, the 3-D film.

And so we were gonna be able to watch the film with some light entertainment.

So we figured, oh, why not merge it with our 10-year own anniversary?

So it worked out, it was perfect.

(audience applauds) (audience cheers) - Give it up Afrocontigbo, everybody.

(audience applauds) (audience cheers) 10 years of celebrating culture through dance.

- We invited a hip-hop dancer here in the Twin Cities, Darrius, he did his thing.

Carolyne Naomi, she's a guitarist and a vocalist.

She's amazing.

She came and she performed as well.

And then we did our thing, which is getting everyone to dance.

(lively upbeat music) I don't know that it's a Nigerian event proper if there's no music and dance and it doesn't have to be organized, you know, it's just happening.

(lively upbeat music) My company, even though I'm Nigerian, it's actually a big mix and there are only two Nigerians on our team.

That's myself who's Igbo and Kemi is Yoruba.

Everybody else is from somewhere else.

We have Togo, Cameroon, Congo, Kenya, so it's a nice mix.

But if you're looking for a Nigerian community and you found Afrocontigbo, we're a good place to start 'cause we can point you in the right direction, yeah.

So it looks like we're not there, but we are.

(gentle upbeat music) I think Afrocontigbo has really helped me with staying focused with being well, my health and wellness goals.

So it helps me take better care of myself.

It also helps me stay engaged with my community because Afrocontigbo relies on the community, because without the community there's no Afrocontigbo.

And I think that the community relies on Afrocontigbo to bring them great music, great routines, great joy, great choreographers.

And so the amount of people that I have met while doing Afrocontingbo is immense.

(gentle upbeat music) I really hope that my baby, my 2-year-old, that he does love his Igbo side.

But being who I am, I know that he's gonna stay connected.

Even though we don't really, in Nigeria the women are not really known to like own land and then pass it on to inherit it, but fortunately for me, my dad gave me land and so what am I gonna do with that land?

I'm gonna give it to my boy.

So he's going to have a nice foot in, in Nigeria in his mother's village.

So that's the goal.

(gentle upbeat music) I feel like it's making such an impact and that helps me I think, in general, just to be like a better human person because I feel like I'm giving back to the community so much.

(lively upbeat music) (dramatic lively music) (dramatic lively music continues) - [Announcer] "Postcards" is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the Citizens of Minnesota.

Additional support provided by: Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies; Mark and Margaret Yackel-Juleen on behalf of Shalom Hill Farms, a retreat and conference center in a prairie setting near Wyndham, Minnesota, on the web at shalomhillfarm.org; Alexandria, Minnesota a year-round destination with hundreds of lakes, trails and attractions for memorable vacations and events.

More information at explorealex.com.

A better future starts now.

West Central Initiative empowers communities with resources, funding and support for a thriving region, more at wcif.org.

(dramatic lively music) (dramatic lively music fades)