Harrogate entrepreneur Valentina Hynes brings culture, community and enterprise together at Kakaki by V14
On 2 October 2025, Harrogate came alive in a celebration like no other.
Kakaki by V14, founded and produced by Valentina Hynes, Founder & CEO of SVH Inc. CIC,
transformed The Oatlands (HG2 8BU) into a vivid stage of colour, rhythm and storytelling, where culture, community and enterprise danced together in perfect harmony.
Timed to coincide with the start of Black History Month UK, and Nigeria’s Independence Day the event’s UK-launch edition was supported by the North Yorkshire Council Stronger Communities Inspire Fund. It gathered guests from across Yorkshire and beyond, civic leaders, entrepreneurs, artists and volunteers, all united by curiosity, pride and celebration.
The Story Behind Kakaki
In Nigeria, a country of more than 200 million people, over 250 ethnic groups and some 520 languages, diversity is a way of life. The three largest ethnic groups, the Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa, are collectively symbolised by the phrase “WAZOBIA”: Wa (Yoruba), Zo (Hausa) and Bia (Igbo); each meaning “come.” It is an invitation of unity.
It’s this same spirit that inspired Kakaki by V14. The Kakaki, a long ceremonial trumpet, has for centuries been used across West Africa to herald announcements of importance, from royal gatherings to declarations of victory.
For Valentina Hynes, it carries a personal and creative resonance. The name Kakaki plays on shared sounds across Nigeria’s languages — in Igbo and Yoruba, Ka means “let’s”; in Hausa, it means “you”; and Ki in Yoruba means “greet.”
In Valentina’s interpretation, Kakaki becomes a greeting and an invitation.
“Let’s greet you.”
It is both a welcome and a celebration: an artistic call for unity, dialogue and connection between cultures, communities and enterprises.
Kakaki by V14 is the sound of presence. A call that brings people together to celebrate, to connect,
and to see that culture, community and enterprise are deeply intertwined. Inclusion and integration shouldn’t be a debate; they are the rhythm that keeps communities and economies alive.
That rhythm now beats just as strongly in Yorkshire as it does in Nigeria, a shared pulse between continents. Kakaki by V14 sounded that call across Harrogate, transforming cultural pride into bridges of collaboration, creativity and growth.
Culture, Creativity and Collaboration in Action
Kakaki by V14 is a living showcase of how heritage fuels community and enterprise. It brought together businesses and individuals from across the region and beyond (many serving as volunteers) to create an experience that was both authentic and deeply collaborative.
Fashion and Design
Two Yorkshire-based Nigerian designers brought the story of love, tradition and artistry to life through their work. Grace and Glory Couture Ltd, founded by Bukola Towuju, dressed the Yoruba family. She described the event as “a very unique platform not just for presenting Nigerian culture but also for spotlighting creatives and business owners, especially those from diaspora communities.”
Bolaji Ayeni, founder of Ike Choice Couture Ltd, a Leeds-based fashion house located in Harehills and known for its ready-to-wear African attire and fabrics, dressed the Igbo family. Reflecting on the experience, she said:
“It was a profoundly unique event. I’m proud that my Nigerian sister put this together in such a creative and professional way. Nigerians are great people. This is just the start.”
Custodian of Culture
The undisputed star of the stage was the Alaga, Oyindamola Ogunlaja, founder of Ajoke Alaraloge, who held the audience spellbound as she wove gracefully between cultures, negotiating and narrating marital rites with humour, poise and authenticity, standing as a living bridge between both families and a true custodian of culture.
Culinary Experience
Guests were treated to the legendary – Nigerian Jollof rice, over which Ghana and Gambia famously compete for culinary bragging rights. Rosiyk Kitchen, a Huddersfield-based caterer, served aromatic Jollof rice and small chops, ensuring that the vote for Nigerian Jollof as king remains undisputed.
Music and Performance
London-based talking drummer Elder Simoni, former lead talking drummer of Nigeria’s legendary Inter Reformers Band joined Leeds-based saxophonist TemmySax, former Harrogate DJ BJKaz, and the Ezinwanne Igbo Cultural Dance Group, creating a performance that was as soulful as it was electrifying.
Community Cast
The symbolic wedding party brought together volunteers from Harrogate, Leeds, Doncaster and Derbyshire, non-professional actors from diverse backgrounds including entrepreneurs, NHS staff, consultants, educators, content creators and investors. Among them was Grace Moronfolu MBE, who shared:
“It’s not every day I step into the world of theatre, but when culture meets community impact, how could I say no? Set against the backdrop of a traditional Nigerian wedding between an Igbo bride and a Yoruba groom, the Kakaki wasn’t just a performance; it was a living, breathing celebration of Nigerian culture, heritage and the entrepreneurship embedded in the Nigerian wedding industry.
I proudly played the Mother of the Groom alongside the fabulous Grace Chukwurah, who portrayed the Mother of the Bride.”
The Kakaki Chronicles
Every element of the event was carefully curated to educate and inspire. The official programme; The Kakaki Chronicles written by Valentina Hynes, with contributions from Theodora Chimonez (Harrogate-based founder of Ichota) and Chima Ogbe (Doncaster-based Snr. Dietetics and Speech and Language Tgerapist), served as a cultural anthology exploring Yoruba and Igbo wedding traditions, symbolism and the economic impact of diaspora celebrations.
An e-version of the booklet is available here:
https://heyzine.com/flip-book/e876405eb7.html
Local businesses also played their part in showcasing the economic ecosystem behind culture.
Heritage Harvest Foods, Harrogate’s first African- and Nigerian-owned grocery store, provided authentic bridal gifts such as bags of rice and tubers of yam, while Slingsby (Spirit of Harrogate) supplied gin which is a key Nigerian bridal gift symbolising generosity, gratitude and unity.
Beautifully customised jute goody bags provided by Eco Everyday housed branded biscuits from The Biskery, handmade lotus-flower candleholders from Empower Her World, mindful journals from
MindBody Goals, a copy of Aesthetica Magazine, and herb-mix seeds from Eco Everyday — each item representing creativity, wellbeing and enterprise.
A Shared Celebration of Impact
Kakaki by V14 drew admiration from civic and enterprise leaders alike. The event welcomed Fatima Khan-Shah and Helen Pheby representing the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, and Rachel Cullivan of Enterprise Works at the University of York, each reflecting on the day’s vibrance and its creative spotlight on how culture, community, enterprise, economic growth and wellbeing intersect.
Jane Colthurp, CEO of Community First Yorkshire, attending on behalf of the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority Mayor, described the day as:
“A triumph of inclusion and creativity. It brought people, businesses and communities together, and did so joyfully. It showed how culture, enterprise and wellbeing belong side by side, each strengthening the other.”
Former Lord Mayor of Leeds, Cllr Abigail Marshall Katung, remarked:
“It was so authentic! I am so proud of what Valentina has created! Anyone who knows me knows how proudly Nigerian and African I am. Diversity and inclusion are at my core, and this event – Kakaki by V14 delivered all that and more! Well done, Valentina. I look forward to the future!”
Looking Ahead
Reflecting on what’s next for Kakaki by V14, Valentina Hynes shared:
“Kakaki by V14 will continue to be incubated by SVH Inc. CIC as an annual showcase, evolving each year to celebrate cultural connections through enterprise. Next year will see a fusion of a Nigerian and Asian traditional wedding, and we’re already inviting volunteers and businesses to collaborate in creating another unforgettable celebration of community, enterprise and economic growth through diversity.”
As guests departed, their goody bags in hand and music still echoing, one message resonated through the room:
Cultural diversity doesn’t just enrich communities; it drives creativity, builds enterprise and strengthens wellbeing. When we celebrate inclusion, we all thrive – Strong, Vibrant and Happy.