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As summer heat hits Philadelphia, Odunde Festival brings South Street to life

    By
  • Emily Cohen
    • June 12, 2017
  • A cart filled with offerings to honor Oshun, the Yoruba goddess of the rivers, will be given to the Schuylkill River to begin the Philadelphia Odunde Festival.

    A cart filled with offerings to honor Oshun, the Yoruba goddess of the rivers, will be given to the Schuylkill River to begin the Philadelphia Odunde Festival. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)

  • A woman carries offerings for the river goddess Oshun at the begining of the Philadelphia Odunde Festival.

    A woman carries offerings for the river goddess Oshun at the begining of the Philadelphia Odunde Festival. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)

  • A physical representation of Egungun, or ancestors, dances in the procession toward the Schuylkill River to bring offerings to the Nigerian river goddess at the begining of the Philadelphia Odunde Festival.

    A physical representation of Egungun, or ancestors, dances in the procession toward the Schuylkill River to bring offerings to the Nigerian river goddess at the begining of the Philadelphia Odunde Festival. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)

  • E Iya Olakunle Olundia (center) leads the procession toward the Schuylkill River to bring offerings to the Yoruba river goddess at the opening of the Philadelphia Odunde Festival. Dancers in white surround the two costumed dancers to protect the spirits of their ancestors.

    E Iya Olakunle Olundia (center) leads the procession toward the Schuylkill River to bring offerings to the Yoruba river goddess at the opening of the Philadelphia Odunde Festival. Dancers in white surround the two costumed dancers to protect the spirits of their ancestors. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)

  • Celebrants toss fruit and honey into the Schuylkill River as an offering to the river goddess Oshun to start the Philadelphia Odunde Festival.

    Celebrants toss fruit and honey into the Schuylkill River as an offering to the river goddess Oshun to start the Philadelphia Odunde Festival. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)

  • Celebrants toss fruit and honey into the Schuylkill River as an offering to Oshun, the Yoruba river goddess, to start the Philadelphia Odunde Festival.

    Celebrants toss fruit and honey into the Schuylkill River as an offering to Oshun, the Yoruba river goddess, to start the Philadelphia Odunde Festival. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)

  • Offerings for Oshun, the Yoruba river goddess, float away on the Schuylkill River.

    Offerings for Oshun, the Yoruba river goddess, float away on the Schuylkill River. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)

  • Alisha Wiley, from Mount Airy, tosses her offering to Oshun, the Yoruba river goddess, into the Schuylkill River at the begining of the Philadelphia Odunde Festival.

    Alisha Wiley, from Mount Airy, tosses her offering to Oshun, the Yoruba river goddess, into the Schuylkill River at the begining of the Philadelphia Odunde Festival. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)

  • Counter-terrorism police patrol the festival grounds during the Odunde Festival.

    Counter-terrorism police patrol the festival grounds during the Odunde Festival. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)

  • (From left) Niya Ogundana, 12, Bayo Ogundana, 9, and Chase Brown, 9, run around the South Street bridge after the religious ceremony at the beginning of the Philadelphia Odunde Festival.

    (From left) Niya Ogundana, 12, Bayo Ogundana, 9, and Chase Brown, 9, run around the South Street bridge after the religious ceremony at the beginning of the Philadelphia Odunde Festival. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)

  • The Odunde Festival has celebrated the cultures of the African diaspora with a street fesitval every year since 1975.

    The Odunde Festival has celebrated the cultures of the African diaspora with a street fesitval every year since 1975. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)

  • Lois Fernandez, 80, who helped to found the celebration of African culture in 1975, talks with Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf at the 42nd Annual Odunde Festival.

    Lois Fernandez, 80, who helped to found the celebration of African culture in 1975, talks with Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf at the 42nd Annual Odunde Festival. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)

  • Antiwane Freeman, of Dancers Inspired Visions United, dances with his son A'shan, 5, during the 42nd Annual Odunde Festival.

    Antiwane Freeman, of Dancers Inspired Visions United, dances with his son A'shan, 5, during the 42nd Annual Odunde Festival. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)

  • The 42nd Odunde Festival has celebrated the cultures of the African diaspora with a street festival every year since 1975.

    The 42nd Odunde Festival has celebrated the cultures of the African diaspora with a street festival every year since 1975. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)

  • African Heritage Dancers and Drummers performer Kofi Hunt, 11, plays during the 42nd Annual Odunde Festival in Philadelphia. The dance group has performed at every festival since 1975.

    African Heritage Dancers and Drummers performer Kofi Hunt, 11, plays during the 42nd Annual Odunde Festival in Philadelphia. The dance group has performed at every festival since 1975. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)

  • African Heritage Dancers and Drummers dance and play during the 42nd Annual Odunde Festival in Philadelphia. The dance group has performed at every festival since 1975.

    African Heritage Dancers and Drummers dance and play during the 42nd Annual Odunde Festival in Philadelphia. The dance group has performed at every festival since 1975. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)

  • Ebony Zuudia stands with her two daughters, Ynobe, 4, and Auset,1, and brother Shalamar Bey. They work for the Drop Squad Kitchen, a vegan restaurant in Wilmington, Delaware, a vendor at the Odunde festival.

    Ebony Zuudia stands with her two daughters, Ynobe, 4, and Auset,1, and brother Shalamar Bey. They work for the Drop Squad Kitchen, a vegan restaurant in Wilmington, Delaware, a vendor at the Odunde festival. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)

  • Abundence Child prepares a vegan Jamaican jerk salad from her restaurant Drop Squad Kitchen.

    Abundence Child prepares a vegan Jamaican jerk salad from her restaurant Drop Squad Kitchen. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)

  • A vegan Jamaican jerk salad from Drop Squad Kitchen.

    A vegan Jamaican jerk salad from Drop Squad Kitchen. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)

  • The 42nd Odunde Festival has celebrated the cultures of the African diaspora with a street festival every year since 1975.

    The 42nd Odunde Festival has celebrated the cultures of the African diaspora with a street festival every year since 1975. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)

When South Philadelphia residents Lois Fernandez and Ruth Arthur launched the Odunde festival 42 years ago, the celebration took place within one city block.

“I wanted to bring more African culture to Philadelphia,” said Fernandez, now 80. Her desire was a success. The festival now takes up more than 10 blocks of South Philadelphia and is attended by thousands every year.

Odunde is derived from the traditional Nigerian New Year celebration of the Yoruba people. This year’s celebration took place on a sweltering June Sunday, but the heat didn’t stop the dancing and celebrations.

Lois Fernandez, 80, who helped to found the celebration of African culture in 1975, talks with Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf at the 42nd Annual Odunde Festival.
Lois Fernandez, 80, who helped to found the celebration of African culture in 1975, talks with Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf at the 42nd Annual Odunde Festival. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)

To begin the day, members of the Ile Igone Church, of the Ifa religion, led the ceremonial procession to the Schuylkill River where they threw offerings of fruit, honey, rum, and even money into the water to welcome Oshun, the Yoruba goddess of the rivers. From on top of the bridge revelers dropped their offerings, dotting the river below with beautiful colors of fruit and flowers.

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By the time the ceremony was completed and participants returned to the festival grounds, the 2017 Odunde Festival was in full swing. Bright colors and bold food lined the streets. Vendors peddling homemade art and body products mixed and mingled with other members of their community.

The festival was rounded out by two performance stages at opposite ends of the festival grounds. African and African-American music and dance was performed on the stages throughout the day.

A standout of the day was the African Heritage Dancers and Drummers. They have performed and wowed at every Odunde Festival since 1975, and this year was no different.

Founder and director Melvin Deal led his group of drummers through several songs. Deal began the group in 1959 because, as he puts it, there was “so much ugly and ignorance in the black community.” He thought that if he could introduce the community to their rich African heritage, “they would maybe act better and better themselves.”

At 75 years old, Deal still teaches dance at Duke Ellington School for the Arts. His ninth grade girls and boys performed classic African dances at this year’s Odunde Festival.

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