Money they say can buy riches and make dreams come true, true talk but during my tour around Africa, I have met people of humanity, people who could not give money but gave all they could afford just in appreciation of our talent and knowledge, I mean those who could not afford to pay for what we offered but couldn’t get to the mountaintop of their gratitude, couldn’t reach out for expressions to lay down how much they appreciate and admire us. No matter how much funds we have been able to gather in the execution of this project can be swap over for the "Hold-Ups" we got from those that at one point or the other kept us moving, I have constantly searched for the most striking way to put my gratitude into few words, with all simplicity and humbleness that I’m filled with, I have searched for terminologies just as unprivileged as the naive good spirited faces i met during the tour, the numerous sudden populace who audience our performances in the public spaces.
For all the single and grouped difficulties we experienced, there is always one person or group of persons who already have a solution for us to cross our oceans, from language to material solutions, those who breezed away regret, worries and hard-times away from our faces and offered their spines to keep us standing, those who transformed the harsh hot and dry sun to a hospitality we will want to experience again and again, Those who were relentlessly willing to go into discussion either with François and Christelle, knowing that they came from an unfamiliar culture, some said "you know the French are very romantic, that's why the show was so beautiful" or those that were amazed that an equal African man is making them proud and bringing another vista into their encounters in life.
To all our funders and partners, a special appreciation to Prince Claus Fund who has made it possible for us to push this beautiful revolutionary idea further than just being one of those big dreams of ours that never left the diary at which it was initially inscribed, CULTURESFRANCE who gave more than money or contacts, to Veronique Vieillot of the French ministry of Youths and Sports who has transformed her Job to her passion, very passionate about my project from the day one she learnt about it, making it possible for us to get the double funding from the Ministry and the European commission, she made my own project clearer to me after series of meeting with her, to Mr François Brossard of the French cultural centre Abuja who accepted to be part of this despite the fact that we didn’t visit Abuja but Lagos, surely not forgetting all the wonderful individuals that contributed their might and knowledge to the success of this project, all those who offered us interviews, those amongst them who offered us starting from 30 minutes that extended to one hour or even two hours of their precious time and others who donated articles, essays, short stories and poems.
On behalf of myself, Emeka Okereke that wonderful photographer, Matthew Ogunnola my beloved friend and Director of Photography, the one i refer to as the "stupid" film maker, Christelle Herrscherre and François Sardi who performed with me on unfamiliar venues, with unfamiliar people, at least if there is one thing this project has done to me, its to continue to seek for an equal world that is not separated by filthy racial discrimination, if racism ever existed in Africa, surely not amongst the occupants of the slums, townships and suburbs, nor among the set of people who has come together to form an audience to a performance in a public space that belongs to all, for them it was a pleasure for us to be with them at that point in time and for us it was a life time experience. Christelle and i, a black and white dancing together, to the same rhythm in Soweto - in Johannesburg, having body contacts, then their reaction made me realize the powers i got in my hands to effect change.
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