(EMAILWIRE.COM, January 12, 2009 ) Washington, DC - Government of the Republic of Kenya, African Diplomatic Corps, African Union, African Professionals in Washington, DC, and The Corporate Council on Africa to Co-Host “Africa on the Potomac: The Pan-African Inaugural Celebration of President Barack Obama”

Kenya Minister of Foreign Affairs, President-Elect Obama’s Paternal Grandmother, and the Boys Choir of Kenya to travel from Kenya to join more than 1,000 guests for celebratory pan-African inaugural ball


WHO: SARAH OBAMA, grandmother of President-Elect Barack Obama

H.E. ERASTUS J. O. MWENCHA, deputy chairperson, African Union Commission

H.E. MOSES WETANG’ULA, minister of foreign affairs, Republic of Kenya

AFRICAN AMBASSADORS TO THE UNITED STATES

Boys Choir of Kenya

Samba Mapangala, Congolese recording artist

1,000 friends of Africa, including private and public sector leaders from the U.S. and Africa



WHAT: In celebration of the African heritage, election and swearing-in of President-Elect Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States of America, the government of the Republic of Kenya, African Diplomatic Corps, African Union, African Professionals of Washington, DC, and The Corporate Council on Africa will co-host “Africa on the Potomac: The Pan-African Inaugural Celebration of President Barack Obama.” The event is by invitation only, and is nearly sold out.

WHEN: Tuesday, January 20, 2009

6:00 p.m. – 1:00 a.m.



WHERE: Crystal Gateway Marriott (1700 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA 22202)



More information

Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Samba Mapangala has been on the music scene in Africa and abroad since the early 1970’s. His career began to flourish in his homeland of the DRC, and continued to flourish as he and his band moved to Uganda, and then Nairobi in the late 70’s. In the early 90's Samba gained international popularity through album releases like "Virunga Volcano" and "Feet on Fire". He has continued to record, and is still one of the leading musicians in East Africa. A current fan favorite is the band’s “Obama Ubarikiwe” (translation: Obama Be Blessed).

The Boys Choir of Kenya has earned acclaim in Kenya and abroad as a disciplined group with a work ethic that parallels the King’s College Cambridge Choir and the Harlem Boys Choir of New York. The group performs a wide-ranging repertoire - from traditional Masaai and Samburu chants to contemporary pieces from around Africa. As part of their last U.S. tour, they delivered a memorable performance on CBS’s “The Early Show.”

Established in 1993, The Corporate Council on Africa is a nonpartisan 501 (c) (3) membership organization of nearly 200 U.S. companies dedicated to strengthening the commercial relationship between the U.S. and Africa. CCA members represent nearly 85 percent of total U.S. private sector investments in Africa. The organization is dedicated to bringing together potential business partners and to showcase business opportunities on the continent.

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Contact Information:
The Corporate Council on Africa (CCA)
Adina Ellis
Tel: aellis@africacncl.or
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