DATE: Sunday, September 14, 1997            TAG: 9709120194

SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS     PAGE: 08   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: STAFF REPORT 

                                            LENGTH:   44 lines

DRUM CALL WILL SIGNAL UMOJA FESTIVAL OPENING

The seventh annual Umoja Festival, an African-American cultural celebration, will be held Friday through Sunday.

The festival will open with the traditional drum call at 5:15 p.m. Friday at High Street Landing. City leaders, City Council members and citizens will form a processional to Portside, where the festival will begin after approval from the Council of Elders.

Musical entertainment will begin after the opening ceremonies, with Magic Island playing at 6:30 Friday. Contemporary jazz artist Forte will preform at 7:45 p.m., and Against All Odds will perform at 9 p.m.

On Saturday, the musical entertainment continues with Plunky and Oneness at 4 p.m. on the UMOJA stage. Opium, SHARRRP and Positive Sounds round out the entertainment for the afternoon. Perfomances will continue with jazz musician Alphonzo Blackwell at 6 p.m., Portsmouth's own CaReam at 7 p.m. and R&B legends Chi-Lites at 8:30 p.m. on the UMOJA stage. Gospel Explosion will conclude the 1997 UMOJA Festival.

Children's activities include making friendship boxes and cards, clay sculptures, weaving and learning about African-American cultural celebrations. Children's activities will be held from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Exhibitors from area non-profit organizations will provide a creative atmosphere to present information utilizing games, dramatization, open discussion and educational literature. This year's exhibitors include the Department of Social Services, the American Red Cross, the Portsmouth Health Department and the Portsmouth Community Service Board.

Numerous vendors and concessionaires will be on hand to sell their goods.

Food connoisseurs can chose from a variety that includes seafood, fish, curried or grilled chicken, oxtail, rice and beans and garden salads.

African-American Heritage Trolley Tours will begin running at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The tours will depart from the Lafayette Park site located on Crawford Street and are free and open to the public. Departure times are 12:30, 2:30 and 4:30 p.m. on both days.

For more information on the trolley tours, contact Lynette James at the Portsmouth Convention and Visitors Bureau at 393-5327 or 1-800-767-8782. For more information about the children's activities, call Judy Burgess at 393-5258. For more information on the festival, call the Department of Parks and Recreation at 393-8481 or the Public Affairs Office at 393-8481.

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