Kati Ozanic, our site artist, is putting the finishing touches on this year’s living museum for iFest.  You may recall the replica of the Great Wall of China at last year’s iFest.  Kati and her wild-and-crazy Austrian husband, Yolle, built that much-photographed edifice.  It was extremely popular.  Right now it is in South Texas and is the featured highlight of Borderfest.

This year’s living museum will depict the three diasporas of the African people (see iFest for the explanation).  The key element of the living museum will be a replica of one of the stone churches of Lalibela, Ethiopia.  It was built in the 12th century by the Christian - yes, Christianity was in Africa long before colinization - Emperor Lalibela.

The fascinating thing about it is this: it was once a mountain.  Emperor Lalibela had his minions carve out the inside and outside of 11 mountains.  The most famous, which is still being used as an active Christian church, is the Beta Gyorgis (the church of St. George). Ethiopians cite this as the eighth wonder of the world (see this link).

Our replica will be 22 feet high and surrounded by a faux mountain. You’ll be able to walk into it and experience it as some Lalibelans do with the origional in Ethiopia today.

I don’t believe anything quite like it has been done at any event in the US before. Am I right?

Flickr Photo by Ashley England

I hope someone out there can help me find a DNA ancestry research company.  Henry Louis Gates (Gates and DNA testing) has done DNA reveals for Oprah (Oprah’s African roots), Beyonce, Quincy Jones and many many others.  He traces their ancestry back to, in many cases, their African.  origins.  It all starts by taking saliva swabs which are sent to the company’s lab.  It takes several weeks but the results can determine a person’s origin to a particular region, normally in Africa. It is a moving experience for those whose ancestry is revealed.

The Houston International Festival is celebrating the African diaspora this year; so it would be super if a company were on site offering this service. However, I can’t get the only Houston company (FamilyTree) that does this to return calls or email.

Does anyone have any suggestions for us here at iFest?

Flickr Photo by Jon Irons Photography