To be honest, when I got into Harvard one of the things I was most excited about was the opportunity to meet influential people. Students here often shared stories about the amazing people they'd encountered, and I couldn't wait to experience that for myself. My first chance to do so came through the Harvard Foundation’s Annual Cultural Rhythms Show which is actually the oldest and largest cultural festival at Harvard! However, Cultural Rhythms isn’t just about meeting celebrities; it’s about making space to honor individuals who have made significant cultural and community contributions and honoring Harvard’s amazing and diverse community. Previous recipients have included global icons like Shakira, Jackie Chan, Will Smith, John Legend, Lady Gaga, and many more.
Cultural Rhythms has quickly become one of my favorite weeks of the year. During this time, I have the chance to fully immerse myself in the vibrant diversity of the Harvard community and experience the artistic aspects of many different cultures. Over the course of Cultural Rhythms Week, the Harvard Foundation team, of which I’ve had the privilege of being a part for the past two years, organizes a series of events that highlights the richness of the cultures represented at Harvard. The week then culminates in a spectacular showcase featuring performances from a wide array of cultural student groups. From Afrobeat dancing representing West Africa, to a performance by the Kuumba Singers, the oldest Black organization at Harvard College, to an instrumental and vocal performance by Mariachi Veritas, the variety of talent is awe-inspiring. One of my personal favorites is the tinkling performed by the Filipino Forum because every time I watch, I’m left in wonder at how they manage it so seamlessly. After the performances, the event ends with an inspiring conversation with the artist of the year.
This year, we celebrated the 39th Cultural Rhythms Show and had the honor of recognizing Becky G as our Artist of the Year. She made history as the first Latin artist to receive this recognition in a decade, and hearing her story was truly inspiring. Sanders Theatre was filled to capacity with around 1,000 attendees, and the energy in the room was electric. But as I mentioned, the Saturday show is just the grand finale. There are incredible events all week, and I want to share some of my favorites below.
The Fashion Show
To kick off Cultural Rhythms, we started with an exciting fashion show. During the show, several students proudly walked across the stage, showcasing their cultural attire. This was my second time participating, and as someone who’s incredibly proud of Ghanaian cultural wear, I couldn’t wait to share it with everyone. The evening began with an impressive performance from the Harvard Taekwondo group, which had the audience in awe. Personally, I was completely flabbergasted and definitely wanted to learn Taekwondo after that! Then the fashion show began, with about 25 students walking one by one in groups based on their regions of origin. As cultural music played in the background, models showcased outfits from across the globe, from the South Asian kurta to the Kenyan kitenge dress to the Vietnamese ao dai, and every single participant looked absolutely stunning. The night culminated with the reveal of the Cultural Artist of the Year, and the honor went to none other than BECKY G!
Food Festival
This year, two of my fellow coworkers and I had the opportunity to take the lead on organizing the Food Festival, and I couldn’t have been more excited! As a huge foodie, what could be better than coordinating a festival with food from all around the world? At the event, we had food from over 20 cultural student organizations represented, and over 400 student attendees!! Personally, I had to make a beeline for the Ghanaian Student Association table first, because there's no way I could miss out on Ghanaian jollof and kelewele. For those who may not know, jollof is a flavorful, spicy rice dish, and kelewele is spiced, fried plantains, and of course both were absolutely delicious! However, some of my favorite new foods were from the Dominican Student Association, where I tried some mouthwatering beef steak, and from the Vietnamese Student Association, where I tasted Bánh Bột Lọc, steamed tapioca dumplings. Of course, everything I tried at the festival was incredible!
Music Lab
This year, the Harvard Foundation also introduced a new event—the Music Lab! During this event, several student musicians who played cultural instruments came together at the Harvard Foundation to share the history and significance of their instruments, as well as demonstrate their unique sounds. I even had the chance to try some of the instruments myself! As a big music fan, I thought this was such a fun and creative way to encourage people to engage with music from all over the world. If you play any cultural instruments, I highly recommend signing up to share your music with the Harvard community at next year’s Cultural Rhythms Festival. And to top it all off, we had boba from one of the popular boba spots near campus, Ten One. All in all, it was another incredibly fun and memorable event!
Overall, it was incredible to be part of a week that celebrates and uplifts students from all cultural backgrounds and I can't wait for the 40th (Wow !!!) Cultural Rhythms Festival next year!
