11:00 am – 11:00 pm
BASAR AND FOOD
11:00 am – 06:00 pm
SOCIAL AND INNOVATIVE PROJECTS
12:45 pm
FASHION SHOW MADAME RAMA WITH DJ HI JOHN
1:30 pm
IBU STORYTELLER
2:00 pm
LÚCIA de CARVALHO (Solar power energy from Angola)
5:00 pm
OPENING FOR GUESTS AND INTERESTED PARTIES
6:00 pm
MAREMA (Finest grooves from Senegal)
9:00 pm
ARTE FILMPROGRAMME
9:30 pm
11:00 am – 11:00 pm
BASAR AND FOOD
11:00-18:00 Uhr
SOCIAL AND INNOVATIVE PROJECTS
12:45 pm
FASHION SHOW MADAME RAMA WITH DJ UKAI
1:30 pm
IBU STORYTELLER
2:00 pm
SITI & THE BAND (Taarab and African fusion from zanzibar)
3:30 pm
THE BORED KING (participatory concert for children)
5:00 pm
FAFA RUFFINO (The Amazone from Benin)
18:30 Uhr
FASHION SHOW MADAME RAMA DJ MISTA WALLIZZ
9:00 pm
ARTE FILMPROGRAMME
9:30 pm
11:00 am – 11:00 pm
BASAR AND FOOD
11:00 am – 06:00 pm
SOCIAL AND INNOVATIVE PROJECTS
12:45 pm
FASHION SHOW MADAME RAMA WITH DJ MISTA WALLIZZ
1:30 pm
IBU STORYTELLER
2:00 pm
AMIRA KHEIR (Soul, jazz, rock and desert blues from Sudan)
3:30 pm
THE BORED KING (participatory concert for children)
5:00 pm
AMI WARNING & BAND (Songwriter lady with groove and soul)
18:30 Uhr
FAHION SHOW MADAME RAMA WITH DJ FREEGAH
9:00 pm
ARTE FILMPROGRAMME
9:30 pm
11:00 am – 11:00 pm
BASAR AND FOOD
11:00 am – 06:00 pm
SOCIAL AND INNOVATIVE PROJECTS
12:45 pm
FASHION SHOW MADAME RAMA WITH DJ FREEGAH
1:30 pm
IBU STORYTELLER
2:00 pm
LEILA AKINYI (Afro-German dancehall, hip hop, soul & Afro pop, Kenya)
3:30 pm
THE BORED KING (participatory concert for children)
5:00 pm
TREESHA (Fine African reggae grooves from Kenya)
18:30 Uhr
FASHION SHOW MADAME RAMA WITH DJ HI JOHN
9:00 pm
ARTE FILMPROGRAMME
9:30 pm
Thursday, May 26th, 2022
LÚCIA DE CARVALHO
“SOLAR POWER ENERGY” FROM ANGOLA
Angola is her home country, Brazilian rhythms have added a fire of inspiration and with French ‘knowhow’, the Strasbourg-based singer, dancer and drummer, has breathed a special and unique touch into her compositions. “My mother instilled in me a love of music!” “Kuzola”, “To love”, was also the title of her last, successful album (2016) which was followed by a documentary film that accompanied her on her search for her roots. She has announced a new album for 2022. Our audience can look forward to concentrated empowerment energy! © Frank Lorioux
© Frank Lorioux
MAREMA
FINEST GROOVES FROM SENEGAL
Marema Fall, the power woman from Senegal, thrilled our audience for the first time at the 27th Africa Festival. She has received several awards and is considered a “shooting star” in her West African home country, at the latest after receiving the RFI Award 2014 in the category “Best Female Artist in Africa”. She learned her musical craft at the music school of the cultural centre “Douta Seck”. Her mentor Edu Bocande encouraged her not only to work traditionally, but also to experiment with other styles such as rock, pop or jazz. Under the production management of Alpha Blondy`s guitarist and arranger Mao Otayeck, she made her breakthrough with the singles “Femme d’affaires” and “My Friend”. In the meantime, her first solo album “Initie” has been released, with which she thrills audiences everywhere internationally.
© Nampemania
Evening concerts
AWA LY
SENEGALESE JAZZ, SOUL AND FOLK ROOTS
Born in Paris, the daughter of Senegalese parents, she has long since found her new home in Italy. Musically, however, she has always remained true to her West African roots. At a meeting in Dakar in 2016, she wrote and sang “Here” with Faada Freddy from Daara J Family – a poignant song about the fate of the boat refugees in the Mediterranean. Otherwise, she is a versatile and exceptional artist who has also acted in various films such as “Black And White” (2008). Her first solo album “Five And A Feather” was released in 2017. This time, she will also present songs from her new, current work. An exciting musical journey awaits us, in which the borders of African folk roots merge with modern jazz, soul and Afro pop. © B. Benant
ANGÉLIQUE KIDJO
A TRIBUTE TO THE QUEEN OF SALSA CELIA CRUZ
The triple Grammy winner and award-winning artist from Benin has repeatedly returned to her early musical influences in recent years. Sometimes with a concert homage to the great ´Mama Africa´ Miriam Makeba, sometimes with her interpretation of the Talking Heads album “Remain In Light”. Now she remembers her first listening experiences in the 60s in Benin and her later encounters with the unforgettable “Queen of Salsa”, the Cuban “Azúcar” Celia Cruz. Angélique enthusiastically discovered the traces of her own West African music culture in her songs. This was reason enough for her to revive her songs with Afrobeat, Juju Style and Yoruba Music and to pay tribute to the singer who died in 2003.
Friday, May 27th, 2022
SITI & THE BAND
TAARAB & AFRICAN FUSION FROM ZANZIBAR
Siti Amina Omar (lead vocals & oud), Rahma Ameir (violin) and Gora Moh’d Gora, who plays the qanun, a trapeze-shaped box zither, form the core of this new and energetic band from the Spice Island. Through a joint study at the “Dhow Countries Music Academy of Zanzibar” they found each other and decided to mix the traditional Taarab music of their island with the modern rhythms and sounds of jazz, funk and reggae. Right from their debut album “Fusing The Roots” (2018), they succeeded brilliantly! © Siti & The Band
© Siti & The Band
FAFA RUFFINO
THE AMAZONE FROM BENIN
Born in Contonou / Benin, Ahouefa “Fafa” Ruffino’s musical journey began at an early age, in the cradling hands of her Ghanaian grandmother, when she encouraged her to sing herself with her golden voice. In her current adopted country of Paris, her expressive, jazzy voice is appreciated by colleagues from Lokua Kanza to Faada Freddy. Meanwhile, together with Kandy Guira, Rokia Kone, Niaru and Mamani Keita, she is an integral part of the women’s collective “Les Amazones D’Afrique”. She still has her own career firmly in sight, as her latest hit “Chiwawa We” together with the Nigerian singer Flavour proves. © Fafa Ruffino
Evening concerts
GUINÈE MUSIC ALL STARS
WESTAFRICAN TRADITIONAL ROOTS AND URBAN SOUNDS
Moh Kouyaté, probably the most well-known singer, guitar player and songwriter from the small West African country Guinea at the moment, finally found the time – after his last outstanding solo album „Fe Toki“ – to realise a heartfelt project. In his city of birth Conakry, as well as in his adopted home Paris he combined many old and new companions in the studio and founded the `Guinée Music All Stars`. Part of it, amongst others, Sékouba Bambino (Africando / Bembeya Jazz International), as well as singer and dancer Adame Kouyate. With this large ensemble he connects the traditional Mandinka music of his country with new urban sounds from Conakry and black Paris. His musical journey will lead us from Afro-Punk across Afro-Blues to the fine and tender sounds of the Kora, played by his brother Abdoulaye Kouyaté.
Moh Kouyaté, probably the most well-known singer, guitar player and songwriter from the small West African country Guinea at the moment, finally found the time – after his last outstanding solo album „Fe Toki“ – to realise a heartfelt project. In his city of birth Conakry, as well as in his adopted home Paris he combined many old and new companions in the studio and founded the `Guinée Music All Stars`. Part of it, amongst others, Sékouba Bambino (Africando / Bembeya Jazz International), as well as singer and dancer Adame Kouyate. With this large ensemble he connects the traditional Mandinka music of his country with new urban sounds from Conakry and black Paris. His musical journey will lead us from Afro-Punk across Afro-Blues to the fine and tender sounds of the Kora, played by his brother Abdoulaye Kouyaté.
VALÈRIE ÈKOUMÈ
THE BEAUTIFUL VOICE FROM CAMEROON
Already as a child she grew up in her family with the sounds of traditional and modern music from her home country Cameroon or listened to the magic voice of Miriam Makeba. It was precisely through the influence of ‘Mama Africa’ that the artist, who lives in France, became enthusiastic about singing and finally, in 2004, had the great honor of being part of the ‘Soul Makossa Gang’ of the unforgettable Manu Dibango for over eight years as a back vocal singer. She lent her voice to artists such as Meiway, Papa Wemba, Coco Mbassi and MC Solar. Since her debut album “Djaalé” in 2015, she is now on the road herself with her own band. Her current and third album is called “Monè Monè”, on which she will now also take us ‘live’ deep to her roots in Cameroon with the rhythms of Essèwè, Assiko or Bikutsi.
AMIRA KHEIR
SOUL, JAZZ, ROCK AND DESERT BLUES FROM SUDAN
Ever since her debut album „View From Somewhere“ (2011), the singer, who lives in England, has allowed her Sudanese home culture to live on in her sparingly but intensely arranged songs. Love, belonging and spirituality are her themes, which she currently envelops like no other from the former Nubia, sometimes in electronic, sometimes in acoustic form. It‘s not surprising that her latest work „Mystic Dance“ (2018) has now been nominated by the renowned British World Music Magazine ‚Songlines‘ in the category ‚Best Album 2019‘. The ‚BBC Word News‘ also honored her with the title „The Diva of the Sudanese Desert“.
©Emma Marshall
AMI WARNING & BAND
SONGWRITER LADY WITH GROOVE & SOUL
Amira “Ami” Warning, daughter of the well-known reggae and world music fusion musician Wally Warning from the Caribbean island of Aruba, who lives in Munich, has developed into a self-confident Afro- German artist with each of her musical steps, i.e. albums, who has no inhibitions about expressing her musical feelings in English (“Jungle”) as well as in German (“Vielleicht lieber morgen”). Her mixture of pop, soul and reggae, all spiced with the necessary groove, will once again delight every festival visitor! © Bugs Steffen
© Bugs Steffen
LURA
COOL GROOVES FROM THE CAPEVERDIAN ISLANDS
Maria de Lurdes Pina Assuncao was a talented swimmer who wanted to study sports, but when Juka, a well-known singer in Sao Tome & Principe, invited her to sing a duet with him, her musical career began at the age of seventeen. Today, under her stage name Lura, she is considered one of the most successful singers from Cape Verde. Like no other, she succeeds in combining the traditional Batuku, Morna and Fuaná music of the islands with West African and modern elements, thus breaking out of the often melancholic harmonies of the island world. Their successful album “Di Korpu Ku Alma” (‘About Body and Soul’) with the hit “Na Ri Na” from 2004 is still considered indispensable in every West African record collection.
HABIB KOITÉ & BAMADA
BACK TO MALI ROOTS
The exceptional guitarist from Mali took more than five years to record his current album “Kharifa” directly in his hometown Bamako. His compatriots like Toumani Diabaté, Amy Sacko – wife of Bassekou Kouyaté and member of their band “Ngoni Ba” – but also family members like his son Cheick Tidane Koité stood by his side. In the spirit of the Griots, he delved deep into the traditions and musical treasures of his country and recorded a total of twelve new songs. With this new program, the sympathetic songwriter will surely fascinate and enchant the Africa Festival audience again, without forgetting his hits like “Muso Ko” or “No Cigarette Abana” from his 1995 debut album.
Sunday, May 29th, 2022
LEILA AKINYI
AFRO-GERMAN BLACK EMPOWERMENT FROM COLOGNE
Hip-hop, rap, dancehall and Afrobeat filled with heart and soul…..these are just a few of the ingredients with which the singer and power woman, who was born in Mombasa/Kenya and grew up in Cologne, has been making headlines since 2016 with her cheeky hit “Afro Spartana”, in which she provocatively asked: “Who is afraid of the black woman? In the meantime, she has released several songs as singles (“Hauwezi” 2021), EPs or videos, or put them online. Live she will be on stage with a lot of ‘Black Empowerment’, dancers and DJane! © Bugs Steffen
© Bugs Steffen
TREESHA
FINE AFRICAN REGGAE GROOVES FROM KENYA
Her musical destiny and her career were probably already predetermined in her birth name Patricia Wamburi Mwaura, because in the Kikuyu language ‚Wamburi‘ means ‚singer of songs‘. At the age of eight she early became soloist in a school and gospel choir in Nairobi. Later in Cologne, in addition to her training as a medical assistant, she continued to train her unique voice and quickly made a name for herself in the local scene as a popular background singer (Gentleman). With her first album „Listen“ (2015) she started successfully into her solo career, which has been constantly rising ever since. © Treesha
© Treesha
Evening concerts
NKULEE DUBE
ETHNO SOUL, JAZZ, REGGAE AND RAGGA FROM JO´BURG
The violent death of her father in 2007, the unforgettable South African reggae legend Lucky Dube, was more than just a shock for the likeable singer, but at the same time it was also an impulse to take on her father’s legacy and carry the memory of him further out into the world. Since the release of her debut album “My Way” (2011), she has further developed her own style, which she calls “Ethno-Ragga”, and just finished the recordings for her second album “The Journey”. With a great deal of stage experience, which she gained at festivals in Europe, Africa and the USA in the meantime, she is now, since her debut at the 23rd Africa Festival in 2011, on stage for the second time in the main tent to celebrate with her audience another South African party.
PATRICE
ROOTS REGGAE, AFROGERMAN SOUL AND FUNK
Patrice Babatunde Bart-Williams, born in Cologne, son of the writer Gaston Bart-Williams from Sierra Leone and his German mother, gained his first musical experiences in the Cologne hip hop scene and was inspired at home in Kerpen, on the sofa, by the albums of Bob Marley, Jimi Hendrix and other soul greats. Since his debut album “Ancient Spirit” (2000), he sings in a cosmopolitan English or Patois and has matured musically, as in his last works “The Rising Of A Son” (2013) and “Life´s Blood” (2016), sometimes on roots reggae, sometimes on African-influenced funk or soul paths. In Jamaica, at home in New York, Paris, Cologne or Sierra Leone, the Africa Festival is happy to celebrate a brilliant closing party with the sympathetic songwriter!
We celebrate DJ culture
This year we will again present modern African club sounds every day. For this we have invited DJs from the Berlin and Cologne “Freak de l’Afrique” movement. They are a team of DJs and MCs who share a passion for modern African club sounds like Afrobeats – Afro-House, Coupé Décalé, Kuduro and Kizomba. Please do not confuse this with the Afrobeat of Fela Kuti.
DJANE UKAI
Berlin-based Ukai was born in Angola and grew up in South Africa, so it was natural for her to focus her DJ career on Afro Electronic sounds such as Afro House, Gqom and Kuduro. Today, she not only plays all over Europe, but also in countries like Kenya, Mozambique, Madagascar or Senegal and also in her home country Angola. Photo: © Mario Gerth
© Mario Gerth
DJ MISTA WALLIZZ
On the second and third day, DJ Mista Wallizz will be spinning. Wallizz has created a unique series of club nights that focus on current club sounds from across Africa that are also redefining the sound of clubs. DJ Mista Wallizz is a DJ with African roots in Senegal and the organiser of the “Afroheat” party series in Berlin. Photo: © Bugs Steffen
©Bugs Steffen
DJ FREEGAH
DJ Freegah from Cologne will be playing on Saturday and Sunday. He is a passionate DJ and MC who has dedicated his work to Afrobeats and Afrohouse. He was born and raised in Nigeria, where he worked with various DJs and artists from the continent. In the meantime, he has finally moved to Europe. As a DJ, he is a permanent member of the Freak de l’Afrique movement in Berlin. Photo © Bugs Steffen
© Bugs Steffen
DJ HI JOHN
Our legendary DJ HI John from Jamaica will present current sounds at the beginning and end of the Africa Festival, but also the beginnings of reggae such as mento, ska and rocksteady from the Caribbean island under the motto “Old but Gold”. Photo © Bugs Steffen
© Bugs Steffen
FOTOAUSSTELLUNG – KÖNIGREICHE IN AFRIKA
The exhibition shows photos of kingdoms in Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda, the Republic of Congo, Kameroon and Swaziland. The photos were taken by internationally renowned photographers Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher during their 40 year journey through Africa.
Some of the images were also published in their two most recent books “African Twilight”. The exhibition consists of 26 colour photographs and will be shown at the University of Würzburg (Sanderring 2, 97070 Würzburg) from 13 May to 25 July 2022 (opening hours: Mon-Fri 08:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.).
FASHION MADE IN AFRICA
The fashion designer Rama Diaw from Saint Louis (Senegal) has been creating modern African fashion and accessories for a few years now and uses native techniques and materials like batik and indigo fabrics. All materials she uses are purchased directly from Senegal, Mauretania and Mali. Because of her passion for fashion she created the federation “Aissaitou”, which brings together underprivileged dressmakers, sewers and cloth dyers in the countryside to offer them work. In order to support this project, Afro Project again provides a tent and catwalk free of charge and organises a fashion show with the creations of Madame Rama. By mixing wax (a modern fabric) and rabal (a traditional fabric) Diaw combines the subtlety of forms and the robustness of matter. Senegalese and African Women are subtle and persevering. With her new fashion show “PERSEVERANCE“ Madame Rama wants to emphasize the status of African Women in society.
The fashion show will take place Thursday at 12:00 p.m., Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 12:00 p.m. and at 06:00 p.m.
Childrens Programme
The children’s programme is an integral part of the Africa Festival. The author and musician Ibrahima Ndiaye from Senegal knows how to inspire his young audience with a mixture of traditional storytelling, pantomime, percussion, dance and song. This time he tells stories from Africa of today and yesterday for tomorrow. Included are tales and black wisdom from his grandmother for young and old. Daily on the open stage at 1:30 pm.
© Bugs Steffen
The African artist ensemble Adesa from Ghana will amaze the children. This year they will perform “The bored King” on the open stage on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and Saturday and Sunday at 5:00 p.m..
Bright excitement in the Ghanaian fishing village of Kokrobite!
The king, Nana Ansong the Third, is strangely just bored. Joining forces, the animals of the jungle, the steppe and the rainforest try to please the king with their songs, dances and funny tricks.
Will they succeed? Based on numerous fables, handed down by the griots from Ghana, among others, the Adesa ensemble tells and plays the story of the bored king in this participatory theatre with a lot of humour and empathy.
With music, dance, colourful costumes and masks, acrobatics and juggling, this fairy tale is presented in an understandable and lively way. In this way, a piece of African joie de vivre and wisdom is tangibly conveyed to children and brought closer to them.
The compositions of the Ensemble ADESA musically symbolise different animal voices and transport the children into the mystical, exciting and wise world of the traditional kings.
AFRICA IN GLOBAL CHANGE
This year’s exhibition of the University of Würzburg focuses on issues surrounding global change. Researchers will provide information about climate change, scarce resources, migration and the return of African cultural assets. Another question is whether new remote sensing techniques can help people in West Africa adapt better to climate change? Can drones be used for the efficient transport of aid on the African continent?
Social and innovative Projects
The 33rd International Africa Festival will again present social and innovative projects as well as print media. The start-up company “Africa GreenTec” will be there with their Solartainer® and will present, among other things, how they are building up electricity supply, especially in remote rural regions in Africa. The “Freundeskreis Ombili” will again inform about its project with the Bushmen in Namibia. The non-profit organization “Agerto” has set itself the task of providing young people from socially disadvantaged backgrounds with high-quality vocational training. Also the organization “Ein Dollar Brille” will be represented, they want to achieve that there is a continuous and independent basic ophthalmic care in developing countries. The “DKMS” will be present with a booth to find stem cell donors. The “Erden Project” makes an important contribution in the fight against climate change by trying to plant as many trees as possible in Africa. The association “Take a Maleika” wants to enable young women and mothers to live an independent life by giving them the opportunity to work. “Doctors without Borders” will also run a booth on site again. Furthermore, the African print magazine LoNam and the taz, which present the festival, will be on site with an information booth. The information booths will be open daily from 11 am – 6 pm.
AFRICAN GREENTEC
Social company Africa GreenTec (AGT) develops, builds, delivers and runs ImpactSites. AGT features products like the efficient Solartainer and focuses on solar energy, the most useful and at the same time cleanest source of energy in Africa. AGT enables people to reach more self-determination and growth by using sustainable energy solutions. Photo: © African GreenTec
AGERTO
AGERTO e.V. is a non-profit association. It supports and cooperates with the NGO AGERTO for a sustainable positive development in Togo. The support consists of collecting new and used tools, sewing machines and the like, which are indispensable for the education of the youth in the centers of the NGO AGERTO. The vision of the NGO AGERTO in Togo is to provide quality vocational training and responsible education to young people from socially disadvantaged backgrounds. Photo: © Agerto e. V.
MÉDECINS SANS FRONTIÉRES
Médecins Sans Frontières was founded in 1971 by a group of French doctors and journalists as a private, non-governmental humanitarian organization. They set themselves the task of providing emergency medical aid in areas of crisis or conflict, regardless of religious, ethnic or political interests. In order to maintain this independence, Doctors Without Borders is financed primarily by private donations. The organization was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999 for its work. Doctors without Borders provides emergency medical aid in more than 70 countries worldwide. Most of the aid projects are currently in Africa. Photo: © Médecins Sans Frontiéres
ONEDOLLARGLASSES
Millions of people suffer from a correctable defective vision, but cannot afford glasses. The organization EinDollarBrille has the solution: lightweight, stable and inexpensive glasses made by local skilled workers on a simple bending machine. The goal: continuous and independent basic optical care in developing countries. In Africa, the organization has a presence in Malawi, Burkina Faso and Kenya. Photo: © Martin Aufmuth
ERDEN PROJECT
Anthony Gschwender, founder of the project, promises that with every bracelet purchased, ten mangrove trees will be planted in Africa, realized by local partner organizations. The aesthetic bracelet has it all, improving the global climate, creating new habitats for animals and creating jobs for the local population. When you buy the ribbon, you also receive a QR code, which you should keep because the innovative 27-year-old is planning an app that will make it possible, among other things, to locate the trees. Photo: © Erden Project
OMBILI
One of the oldest ethnic groups of mankind, the SAN – also called Bushmen – deprived of their roots and natural habitat, are in great danger of losing their cultural and social identity. For as long as there have been people in Africa, they have lived as hunter-gatherers. They were never sedentary but always peaceful and so easy victims of displacement and disrespect. Only the careful attempt to help them to acquire the basics of a settled life and to introduce their children to education enables the SAN to preserve their culture and their tradition. The OMBILI Foundation near Tsumeb is dedicated to this task. Photo: © Manfred Matthies
TAKE A MALAIKA E.V.
Take a Malaika supports women and families from socially and economically difficult backgrounds with a sewing project in Arusha Tanzania. The women, most of whom are single parents, receive a monthly wage from the association, which is an important contribution to their livelihood. This recognition of their achievement strengthens their motivation and increases their self-confidence. The women also receive weekly business training and can obtain a micro-credit from the association to support them on their way to self-employment. Photo: © Tanja Schmitt-Kupcik