{"id":5698,"date":"2023-01-11T15:18:03","date_gmt":"2023-01-11T13:18:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africafestival.org\/?post_type=archiv&p=5698"},"modified":"2023-01-11T15:47:36","modified_gmt":"2023-01-11T13:47:36","slug":"27th-africa-festival-2015","status":"publish","type":"archiv","link":"https:\/\/www.africafestival.org\/en\/archive\/27th-africa-festival-2015\/","title":{"rendered":"27th Africa Festival (2015)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Photo exhibition: Zanzibar – traditions at the gateway to Africa by Mario Gerth<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Would you like to make a trip to the Indian Ocean? Then the 27th Africa Festival is the right place for you. We invite you to come and visit the fairy-tale island of Zanzibar with us. Zanzibar, the place where the cultures of the orient, Asia and Africa come together. It sounds like wonderlust and secrecy, 1001 night, magical dream beaches and the flavour of exotic spices. Zanzibar, indeed is the century old history of the trade between India and Arabia on one side and Africa on the other side. They did not only trade with goods, but tragically also with people, as Zanzibar was one of the main transfer sites for African slaves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But this mixture of cultures also led to beautiful results like the creation of Taarab, a type of music which still exists today in Zanzibar. It includes Indian, oriental and African elements. We are delighted to introduce Matona and the Zanzibar Taarab Ensemble \u2013 one of the best groups of the genre – which, so far, is still widely unknown. We also take you to this dream island with two photo exhibitions. There will be a special guest of honour, as well: president Dr. Ali Mohamed Shein will come to W\u00fcrzburg for the opening of the festival. We are particularly thankful for this honour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year, when it comes to music, we take a look at North Africa; especially Morocco. We invited the great singer Oum, who will bring us a special opening night with Klaus Doldinger\u2019s \u201cPassport to Morocco\u201c. Besides jazz legend Klaus Doldinger, this year the focus will also be on other musicians from Germany. Oud player Roman Bunka, whose music career started in W\u00fcrzburg, will return to his hometown with his newly formed up Shamandura Project. He also plays guitar for the German world music pioneers \u201cDissidenten\u201c, which will be accompanied by the Egyptian superstar Mohammed Mounir. At home Mounir\u2019s performances are celebrated enthusiastically by more than hundreds of thousands of fans. But of course you can also look forward to a few new discoveries, which will add a breath of fresh air to the African music. We would like to warmly recommend you to listen to the singers Namyula from Sambia, Shishani from Namibia and Marema from Senegal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You will get much information about Africa and the organisations which work there at various booths. And of course Zanzibar will be introduced there. Television channel ARTE is a partner of the Africa Festival. ARTE Concert will show the most important concerts at: concert.arte.tv.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, look forward to a journey through Africa on which you can experience music from Zanzibar, Mali, Sambia, South Africa, the Cape Verde Islands, Egypt, Namibia, Ethiopia, Ghana and Aruba.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Afro Project Team<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Evening Programme<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

27th International Africa Festival<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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THURSDAY, JUNE 4TH 2015:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

OUM<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

THE SOUL OF MOROCCO<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

For a long time already, singer Oum has captured the hearts of the people in her country and is worshiped like a diva. Now, she sets out to make career in the rest of the world. After the successful release of two albums in Morocco, \u201cSoul of Morocco\u201d is her first international album, which is said to open up many doors for her. To Moroccan Gnawa rhythms she adds well dosed sounds of Jazz, a bit of Pop, Rhythm and Blues as well as some Soul and Funk. The studied architect brings the different elements of her genre mix in a stable balance on which her impressive and expressive voice can sumptuously unfold. Oum\u2019s \u201cSoul of Morocco\u201d has got everything to ingratiate in the ear canals. We are convinced that this charismatic singer is going to gain many hearts with her live-performance \u2013 the insider tip of this year\u2019s festival.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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KLAUS DOLDINGER<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

PASSPORT TO MOROCCO<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

When Klaus Doldinger, together with his project \u201cPassport to Morocco\u201d attended the Africa Festival for the very first time in 2009 \u2013 newspapers wrote that \u201chopefully this wasn\u2019t his last performance at the Africa Festival\u201d. It was with great pleasure that we invited him again for another brilliant concert. That \u201cPassport to Morocco\u201d must be part of next years\u2019 festival was clear very quick – with North Africa being one of the main focuses of our programme. Fortunately, Doldinger – who will celebrate his 79th birthday this year \u2013 agreed immediately. He is going to add exceptional Moroccan soloists to his band \u201cPassport\u201d and transports the classic Maghreb sound into the 21st century. An exciting musical adventure is guaranteed.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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FRIDAY, JUNE 5TH 2015<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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MOH! KOUYATE & SPECIAL GUEST MARIAMA<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

URBAN AFROPOP FROM WESTAFRICA <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The singer and virtuoso guitarist Moh! Kouyate was born in Guinea and comes from the tradition of the Griot singers. Moh! developed his very own guitar style which is based on native Mandika rhythms and thus impressed many colleagues. On the current CD of the Malian diva Fatoumata Diawara (Africa Festival Award 2013), he played on several songs \u2013 but also the American Blues man Corey Harris recorded some excellent versions of Blues classics together with him. He lives in Paris since 2007 – there he met the singer and songwriter Mariama from Sierra Leone who started her career in the band of Ade Bantu. Together they play a modern, global and happy Afropop which goes through ears and legs. Two newcomers who make you wanting more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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HABIB KOITE & BAMADA<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

NEW BAND AND NEW SONGS FROM MALI<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

There is indeed a good reason why the singer and guitarist Habib Koite returns to the Africa Festival only two years after his last performance. Meanwhile, he totally rebuilt his band Bamada \u2013 which can be heard on his new album called \u201cSoo\u201d. The kora disappeared and was replaced by a banjo and a keyboard which do merge with Habib\u2019s drums and guitar. Again, he reunites the sounds of the multi-ethnic state Mali on his new CD \u2013 he sings about friendship and friends and calls for a peaceful coexistence, which nowadays is more important than ever after all the recent and past happenings. Habib Koite didn\u2019t drastically reinvent his music but decent- and stylishly developed what so many of his fans, all around the world, do love about him.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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SATURDAY, JUNE 6TH 2015:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

NAMVULA<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

RISING STAR FROM SAMBIA<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In 2014 Namvula Rennie, a young singer, guitar player and composer, achieved something extraordinary with her CD debut \u201eShiwezwa”: Although she is not widely known yet, the big British newspaper Sunday Times ranked her album seventh among the 100 best records of the year. Back then Namvula was overwhelmed and posted this message on her Facebook page:\u201eohmygodohmygodohmygodOHMYGOD!!!!” Her remarkable style, which includes a lot of African vibes from her home country Sambia, some Jazz and Latin, as well as European folklore, is infectious when you hear it for the first time.We are delighted to present her first concert in Germany and sure that she will continue on her way. An insider’s tipp of the Festival.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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LIRA<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

AFROSOUL FROM SOUTH AFRICA<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

For some she is the successor of Miriam Makeba, others praise her as the South African Beyonc\u00e9. Singer Lira can’t be categorized easily. Afrojazz, Rhythm and Blues, Soul, but also Pop – nothing is foreign to her and she isn’t afraid of new things. For this approach she is celebrated in South Africa and also internationally. In 2010 she performed a touching version of \u201ePata Pata” with Hugh Masekela at the opening ceremony for the Football World Cup. For her last CD she was honoured with many awards. But Lira is not only a charismatic singer of the post-apartheid generation, she is also politically active. In W\u00fcrzburg she was already celebrated enthusiastically at the Africa Festival in 2009. Welcome back, Lira, the Queen of Afrosoul.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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SUNDAY, JUNE 7TH 2015:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

BOB MAGHRIB<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

BOB MARLEY GOES GNAWA<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The motley crew of six from Morocco belong to the protagonists of a recently very popular type of music \u2013 the Gnawa Reggae. The rather tranquil dance sound of the Gnawa gets spiced up with reggae rhythms. In addition, the people of Bob Maghrib add a very special note: They exclusively play songs of the reggae icon Bob Marley. To do so, they use traditional Moroccan instruments as for example a Ribab (a kind of one-stringed violin), an Oud (Arabic sounds), a Guembri (Gnawa sounds) or the Ghaita (an oboe-like wind instrument). That might seem and indeed is bizarre, but sounds fantastic and has a high fun factor.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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MO’KALAMITY
AND THE WIZARDS<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

REGGAE PRINCESS FROM CAPE VERDE<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The first song, which the Cape Verdean singer Mo\u2019Kalamity wrote and recorded, had the significant title \u201cAfrica\u201d. When still young, she moved to Paris and brought along her musical African heritage. Fascinated by Caribbean and African-American sounds, she soon felt attracted by reggae. In 2004, after she had collected her first experience as a background singer, she founded her own band – \u201cThe Wizards\u201d. At many festivals, the collective quickly made itself a name, as front women are rather an exception in reggae. They will present their new CD \u2013 \u201cFreedom of the soul\u201d \u2013 at the Africa Festival.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Open Stage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

27th International Africa Festival<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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THURSDAY, JUNE 4TH 2015:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

ROMAN BUNKA & SHAMANDURA PROJECT<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

MUSIC FROM THE NILE<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to the music of North Africa, we simply had to invite the oud virtuoso with a W\u00fcrzburg background again. This time his Shamandura project performs as a trio and will open the festival by presenting the music of the Nile valley. Roman Bunka will be accompanied by the Sudanese percussionist and oud player Mohamed Badawi as well as the Egyptian percussionist Ayman Mabrouk.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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MATONA & THE ZANZIBAR TAARAB ORCHESTRA<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

TRADITIONAL TAARAB MUSIC FROM ZANZIBAR<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The composer and musician Matona comes from an old family of musicians. His father and grandfather have already been well-known oud players in Zanzibar. Together with 9 musicians of the Dhow Countries Music Academy, Matona is going to present the traditional Taarab music. In addition to the oud, you can hear the Egyptian zither, violin, accordion, flute and percussion instruments. The singers Amina and Mariam also present songs from the times of the sultans in Zanzibar.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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FRIDAY, JUNE 5TH 2015:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

DRISS EL MALOUMI<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

THE SOUND OF MAGHREB<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It is not without good reason that Driss El Maloumi from Agadir is also called the \u201cOud magician\u201d. When the Moroccan plays the Arabic lute it sometimes actually borders on magic. With his trio he interprets the traditional music of Morocco, which also includes flamenco elements, in a modern context. Thus it is indeed possible that the sound of the Berbers can meet jazzy tones.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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MALIKA ZARRA<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

MOROCCOS JAZZ JEWEL<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

She was born in a small town in the Southern part of Morocco called Ouled Teima. When she was still young she and her family moved to France. There she learned to play clarinet and that\u2019s how she discovered Jazz. On her second CD \u201cBerber Taxi\u201c she explores the depths of her Moroccan musical heritage, especially her Berber roots. CNN International called her \u201cMorocco\u2019s Jazz Jewel\u201c.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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DISSIDENTEN & MOHAMED MOUNIR<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

WORLDBEAT PIONEERS MEET EGYPT\u2019S SUPERSTAR<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The Dissidenten were already playing the world beat when the term didn\u2019t even exist yet. As one of the first European bands they explored the North African space of sound, where they became famous with songs such as \u201cSahara Electric\u201d or \u201cTelephone Arab\u201d. With the singer Mohamed Mounir they bring along a true megastar. In his home country the Egyptian performs in front of hundreds of thousands of fans who named him \u201cKing of Kings\u201d. Mounir has managed to unite the traditional music of Egypt with Western pop. For many years, the guitarist of the Dissidenten, Roman Bunka, has been a permanent member of Mounir\u2019s band. Dissidenten and Mounir \u2013 an inspiring encounter for the fans of North African music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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SATURDAY, JUNE 6TH 2015:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

SHISHANI & THE AFRO NAMIBIAN TALES<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

AFRO-FOLK FROM NAMIBIA<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Shishani is a young singer from Namibia, a country that has not been featured too often at the Africa Festival yet. With a soulful voice she presents urban Afro-folk and also includes political matters into her songs. This is reminiscent of Nneka or Tracy Chapman.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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MAREMA<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

WINNER OF RFI AWARD 2014 FROM SENEGAL<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Although the Senegalese Marema has only published a few songs yet \u2013 she won the first prize as Africa\u2019s best female newcomer last year. The prize is awarded annually by the French radio station RFI, which gives listeners as well as a panel of experts the decision-making power. Marema immediately convinced with her song \u201cfemme d\u2019affaires\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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MINYESHU<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

POP FROM ETHIOPIA<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Minyeshu, an Ethiopian singer and dancer who has been living in Europe for some time, already performed at the Africa Festival in 2004 and 2009. Since then the exceptional performer has again evolved quite a bit, as her latest CD \u201cBlack Ink\u201d proves. Each song is unique and Minyeshu shows how she can combine both musical worlds, in which she lives, in style. It is not an arbitrary style mix of Ethiopop, Funk, Blues, Jazz and Pop, but an independent musical language.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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SUNDAY, JUNE 7TH 2015:<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

ADJIRI ODAMETEY<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

CROSSOVER MUSIC FROM GHANA<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A warm earthy voice is the trademark of the Ghanian singer-songwriter Adjiri Odametey. This voice combined with the sounds of native African instruments, including kora, kalimba, mbira and balafon, captivates listeners. \u201cAs an ambassador of authentic African music, Adjiri effortlessly succeeds as a crossover artist\u201c writes the German Newspaper S\u00fcddeutsche Zeitung.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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WALLY & AMI WARNING<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A FAMILY AFFAIR FROM ARUBA<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Wally and Ami Warning are father and daughter. Wally comes from the Caribbean island Aruba, his daughter Ami grew up in Munich where both of them live today. Wally is a very talented musician who is able to play a large number of various instruments. Ami sings, plays bass and guitar. She is currently being celebrated for her debut album \u201cPart of me\u201d as newcomer of the year 2014. Both understand each other implicitly and their melodious songs invite you to dream and relax.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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PAPA JULIUS & ZION NEXUS<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

REGGAE FROM GHANA<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

As a member of the group Adesa, Papa Julius has already been a part of the Africa Festival for a long time. This year he is going to present his very own band Zion Nexus and the compositions of their new album called \u201cMango Tree\u201d. These original pieces of music are based on reggae, ragga and dancehall and draw their spiritual strength from the roots of the Ghanaian joy of life and the energetic soul of West Africa.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":5679,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[66],"class_list":["post-5698","archiv","type-archiv","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-previous-festivals"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.africafestival.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/archiv\/5698","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.africafestival.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/archiv"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.africafestival.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/archiv"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.africafestival.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/archiv\/5698\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5701,"href":"https:\/\/www.africafestival.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/archiv\/5698\/revisions\/5701"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.africafestival.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5679"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.africafestival.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5698"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.africafestival.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5698"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}