The first African Carnival will take place in Zagreb on October 1st, and will be modeled after the famous “Carnival” in Nigeria that has been named “Africa’s Biggest Party”.
Your chance to see Zagreb dance to the rhythm of Africa is right around the corner. Feathers, beads, costumes and great music will light up Zagreb on October 1 – beginning on Mimare with a colorful procession that will move towards Ban Jelačić Square.
Kikelomo Tope, the woman behind the first African Carnival in Zagreb, is an artist who has chosen Zagreb for her home.
Image by Croatian African Festival
Tope moved to Zagreb 3 years ago, and states that the city chose her. She currently lives in Trešnjevka, but first lived in Dubrava and Novi Zagreb. Tope considers the climate in Zagreb as distinctly different from the climate in Africa, stating that the summers in Zagreb are hot but the winters are terrible – but that seeing the snow for the first time was a truly beautiful experience. Tope’s favorite food in Croatia are cabbage rolls (sarma), but she also enjoys entertaining her friends in Zagreb by cooking Nigerian specialties. Today, Tope survives by making genuine, indigenous, afro hairstyles on Kranjčevićeva Street in Zagreb.
Tope’s plan to bring the exotic music, culture, food, and customs of Africa to Zagreb for the first African Carnival truly admirable. The Carnival will also offer workshops of African dance, hairstyles and plenty of food and dance – certainly delighting all lovers to experience the magic of this continent. A warm-up party for the carnival will be held on Saturday, September 17th at Khala Bar.
Image by Croatian African Festival
All details about the carnival can be found on their Facebook page.
