Producer’s Greetings

EPHRAIM M. MARTIN

To our adored Festival of Life and Carnival of Nations fans, sponsors, vendors and media, especially to those of you who have journeyed from overseas and from various parts of this country to participate in this exceptional cultural sharing, I greet you on behalf of my wife, Justice Shelvin L.M. Hall, my daughter Dana Martin, the sponsors, the staff and volunteers of Martin’s International Culture, producer of this 23rd Annual International Festival of Life (IFOL).

I am most delighted to inform you that this year we are establishing the “Know Your Pan-American and African Heritage”, which will be in full force for 2016, next year. The “Carnival of Nations”, was a big hit last year and we will continue it again this year.

Our ambition is to share more lights on our Health Awareness ambition, for the eradication of all diseases, especially Cancer, Diabetes, Arthritis, Cardiovascular, Kidney and HIV/AIDS, among others.

What is the Carnival of Nations? You asked. The Carnival of Nations is designed to unify and bring together peoples of the Americas and Africa, fostering the belief that despite our languages, nationalities, religions or social backgrounds we are “One People”! Our behaviors, ways of life, music, arts and cultures are very much the same, giving us all the reasons to work and live as brothers and sisters.

Our coming together is to unite, educate, showcase and bring to light the lifestyles, not just the people of Africa and the Americas, but others from around the world; to display their culture, food, music, arts, crafts, books, clothes and sports, etc.

In this three day celebration, you will enjoy soccer; scores of performing acts appearing on three stages the Unity Stage, the Rev. Dr. & Mrs. Shelvin Hall Harmony Stage and the Global Dance Stage to showcase the best of Reggae, Latin, African and other world music.

One of the important aspects of staging the International Festival of Life is the continued support of our sponsors, such as: Chicago Park District, NBC 5 Chicago, Nissan, American Family, ADT, Kingston Mines Blues Club, Rasta Love Punch, African Spectrum, Rogers Park Fruit Market and Agora Community Services, among others.

Special thanks to our amazing staff and volunteers, especially to you the supporters, whose years of continued support makes the Festival of Life strong!

Sincerely, Ephraim M. Martin President, Martin’s International