Queen Quet Marquetta L. Goodwine, Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation, who is the head-of-state, and the official spokesperson for Gullah/Geechee people announced that September 2-4, 2005 will be the inaugural Gullah/Geechee Nation International African Music & Movement Festival. This year's festival will be held on St. Helena Island in the South Carolina region of the Gullah/Geechee Nation.

Although there are many festivals that are now held from Jacksonville, North Carolina to Jacksonville, Florida on the Sea Islands and in the Lowcountry (which is now the Gullah/Geechee Nation), this will be the first festival that shows the African and Caribbean diasporic links to the Gullah/Geechee people. Over the three days of celebration, the music, historical and cultural continuums and connections, as well as the physical movements that have become dances and spiritual movements such as the ring shout, will be presented by authentic artists from the Gullah/Geechee Nation, Sierra Leone, and Haiti.

The Gullah/Geechee Nation International African Music & Movement Festival will be moved to Charleston, SC during 2006 to Africa during 2007 and back to St. Helena Island in 2008. It will operate as a sphere of connection re-linking the elements and the people that created the Gullah/Geechee culture that formed due to chattel enslavement that occurred on the Sea Islands of the southeastern United States. It will serve as an opportunity to pay homage to those who have worked to maintain their culture in spite of the odds against them holding on to their African traditions while being transplanted in other parts of the world.

The first selected and elected Queen Mother of the Gullah/Geechee people, Queen Quet is one of the founders of and will host the event. The educational marketplace will be an arena wherein business owners and artisans teach the history of the items and services that they have created and will sell. There will also be a number of after parties hosted at the Gullah/Geechee owned, Touch of Class Convention Center.

Amongst the many scheduled presenters are De Gullah Cunneckshun, histo-musical presentation troupe; Gullah storyteller, Louise Miller Cohen; Haitian artists, Kongo; the creator of Frogmore Geechee/Gullah Spit, Ras Solo; Gullah music griot, David Pleasant; living historian, De African Spirit of Dayclean; Carlie Towne of the Gullah/Geechee People Show, organic percussion artists; Heritage O. P.; numerous traditional Gullah/Geechee crafts artists; and De Brer Rabbit Players of Sierra Leone. Friday and Saturday historic tours and traditional dance and music workshops will be offered. On Sunday there will also be a gospel/inspirational music contest. All activities will take place on St. Helena Island which is one of the last of the Sea Islands that has a contiguous Gullah/Geechee community throughout the entire island.

Special rates and activities will be provided for groups of all ages. Anyone who has ever been interested in truly learning about this rich African culture that has continued to sustain itself in the soil of North America should attend this event. For more information on tickets, travel, contest and vendor/merchant details, and/or the programming schedule for the weekend, call 843-838-1171 or e-mail sponsors, All Mobile and African Movement Productions at AMPTurnItUp(AT)aol.com or the Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition at GullGeeCo(AT)aol.com.

Disya gwine be a time fa yeddi wi storee frum wi!

CONTACT: Kwame Sha
917-449-6046
843-838-1171
email: AMPTurnItUp (AT) aol.com