ORATURE: An Evening of African Storytelling
An experiential and immersive private dining experience exploring stories at the foundation of the African diaspora.
Stories are a communal currency of humanity
- Tahir Shah
The stories we tell shape the way we see both ourselves and the world around us. For the African diaspora stories are powerful repositories for the histories, worldviews and cultures that make us who we are. Stories don't just live written in books or spoken in words, rather, every thought we think, action we take or morsel we eat has a past, a present and a future.
Orature began with a casual drinks reception. Before dinner, guests mingled and were invited to participate in co-creating a "Cage of Proverbs" installation.
"Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe, often referred to as the "father of African literature", is full of details that reveal the role that food plays in his cultural world.
Orature's four-course menu was inspired by the food of Achebe's Igboland.
Entertainment was interspersed between courses and included a presentation by historian Jade Bentil on oral history in the African diaspora.
Griot, Kadialy Kouyate, wrapped up the evening with an intimate kora performance.