On Friday, May 22 at the classy Le Cirque in midtown Manhattan, Cocody Productions and Nollywood NYC came together for the first of many monthly events that aim to become THE pan-African dance party in the city of New York. Judging by the bounce on the dance floor—and the diversity of folks who were dancing—they are already well on their way. A quick survey of the room revealed folks from Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Haiti—just to name a few places. And it wasn’t just Africans present—white, Asian and Hispanic faces were also lit up with joy as everyone danced to the music.

Architects of the evening were Ken Oriwa and Jake Bright, who—along with partner Tunde Agboke—form Cocody Productions. Jake, also known as DJake, provided the grooves; spinning folks like D’banj and Seun Kuti. (You can also catch DJake up at The Shrine in Harlem from time to time—keep an eye on Afropop.org for more details.) Cocody Productions teamed up with Nollywood NYC (another terrific trio: Oji, Ora and Akin) to expand on their monthly events, which do a great job at tapping into the African communities (especially the Nigerian community) here in NYC.

The evening started with contemporary Nollywood hits projected on the back wall, and the introduction of some of the stars featured in the films. Guests sipped champagne and enjoyed tasty finger foods in the elegant atmosphere of Le Cirque. The famous restaurant has recently made a move to diversify the events that take place at its facilities, and “Le Cirque Afrique,” with its attendants dressed to the nines and swaying to the sounds, fit in perfectly. Aside from this recurring African dance event, there will also be a number of international Lounge nights at the restaurant.

All in all, it was a fantastic evening at a classy venue filled with a really great crowd. We’re certainly looking forward to the next.

First published: www.afropop.org