Jean Assamoa, Canadian, is the founder of Akwaba Fashion Elegance and Akwaba Cultural Exchange. Akwaba is a commonly used word of the Akan people in Ivory Coast and Ghana of West Africa, meaning, “Welcome”, a way of accepting people or visitors, saying that our doors are open for them. In a sense, Akwaba reflects the philosophy of this organization whose goal is to raise awareness of West Africa’s rich histories of dance, music, storytelling and African fashion, and to bring people together through the common appreciation of Africa’s cultural resources.
Jean Assamoa is a professional dancer, comedian, musician, actor, fashion promoter, model trainer, instructor, public speaker and choreographer from Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire of West Africa. In addition to founding Akwaba Cultural Exchange in Canada, he was co-founder and Artistic Director of Mask Dance Company Inc.in Ivory Coast then established in New York City from 1995 to 2001.
He was also the Founder and Artistic Director of Nzassa Company,Inc. in Ivory Coast and later established in New York City since 2002. Jean Assamoa has been teaching and performing for over 20 years in Africa, Europe, USA with a variety of New York City and USA- based cultural Centers, Public and High Schools, Colleges, Universities, Community Organizations, Public Libraries and festivals, and since July 2008 in Canada (Ontario). He has won two different Awards in New York City (2003 & 2005) and several Certificates of Recognition and/or Appreciation, as well as an Award of Excellence from the Mississauga Multicultural Festival in 2013, a medal in 2015 in Mississauga for cultural exchange program and a trophee of best traditional music at Festival of Fusion in Toronto. He has dedicated himself to the promotion of cultural literacy by sharing his ancestral legacy worldwide.
At the age of eighteen, Mr. Assamoa became member of the Sekedoua Theatre of Koumassi (Abidjan) and the Griot Cultural of Cocody (Abidjan). He traveled and performed with these those companies for four years, after which he enrolled in the Department of Drama at the National Institute of the Arts today INSAAC in Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire), focusing in the performing arts, dance and theatre education.
From September 1989 to October 1995, Mr. Assamoa studied at the prestigious School of Dance and Cultural Exchange, the Fondation Rose-Marie Guiraud in Cocody-Riviera (Abidjan) in the area of dance education, musicology and performing arts. During this period of time, he performed with The Guirivoire of Rose-Marie and toured the Côte d’Ivoire and Europe. In New York City his scholarship gave him the opportunity to study Entrepreneurship, Marketing and Communications through SOBRO, the branch of small business. Mr. Assamoa has also obtained a Diploma of Floral Designer in 2002 in Norcross, Georgia (USA) and Diploma of Completion in Child Day Care Study in New York City in 2009. After 11 years in New York City, Mr. Assamoa immigrated to Canada in July 2008, where he founded Akwaba Cultural Exchange and Akwaba Fashion Elegance in partnership with Pathe’O, special Designer of late President Nelson Mandela of South Africa. In addition, Mr. Assamoa has a Diploma of Completion in Cultural Competence, a program initiated by La Passerelle-I.D.E in Toronto in 2011 and a Diploma of Completion at College Boréal, Campus of Toronto in Workplace Communications, Sales and Marketing in 2014. Recently, Jean has obtained from the Mayor of Milton the establishment of Milton African and Multicultural Festival.
From 2009 to 2019 Jean has been teaching, presenting and performing for over ten thousands students from all over the Province of Ontario.
Jean Assamoa has over 20 years of experience, garnered both locally and internationally, in teaching, the entertainment industry, cultural exchange programs through dance and music, and fashion shows, as well as extensive motivational public speaking experience.He has also been Guest- Teacher at Toronto District School Board.
Contact: akwaba.exchange@yahoo.ca