17. Yes 17. Let us leave you to have a moment for your imagination to run wild. Think of how you felt at 17. What you did, what you wished you did and what you did not do. At 17 people are getting to be sure of the choices they are making even if the still feel insecure. They are making strides, asserting themselves and making their voices and opinions heard. Most of all, they are getting aware of whom they are and/or whom they want to be. At 17 your whole world is beginning to take shape. Some are having their first dates, finishing high school, trying for their driver’s licence, going alone for the first time on vacation in faraway countries with friends.
So just imagine if Africa Night were to be that person. A baby that was conceived in 1996 and delivered in 1998 on the party boat Albatros in Tilburg is now at 17 almost a man in Horeca T Kwadraat. The year is 2015 and in spite of many obstacles that person is standing proud and tall. You the guests and the public have always acted like the adopted parents of that baby. Sometimes you gave it a spanking; sometimes you gave him a kiss. Sometimes you came in smiling; sometimes you gave it a diss. But as the relationship between parents and children grows over the years, both always realise whatever they do with each other is done out of love. Both want to make each other become a better person. It is that feeling of love that Africa Night has always felt over the years!
And when so many of the adopted parents turned up for Africa Night’s 17th anniversary, you knew it was going to be a party to remember! As usual on these occasions, Africa Night Productions mixed & provided a limited edition free CD to the first 200 people who came in! Many more missed out but it was their choice to come late! Work started on this 17th anniversary CD in December 2014 but that does not guarantee that the guests were going to like it. So it was with relief and joy that the crew watched as the guests stayed rocking the dance floor when the whole of the non-stop CD was played. Non-stop dancing!
Of course as usual we had some discussions with people who made the choice to come late and therefore did not get a CD. However the general tone of the night was positive and festive. So many new people are discovering Africa Night and you can see that in the pictures. 17 feels great. 17 feels like we are getting there. We will continue to have areas where we can learn. But with the kind of crowd that has adopted Africa Night over the years; we know if we fall, many of you will cover our back!
Perhaps the best illustration of the love we felt was Nicole who drove 2 hours just to come and celebrate with Africa Night. Okay, you might say 2 hours is nothing. Some of you drove 6 hours just to party with us. However, Nicole is also 34 weeks pregnant! Now if that is not love, tell us what it is! Nicole if you are reading this, you made our year! We hope you got back home safely. Enjoy the rest of your pregnancy and we wish you a safe delivery when the time arrives.
To all of you we say 2 words; Thank You!
See you all next month in Tilburg. The date is Saturday 20-06-2015.
