Africa Oye festival 2006
Ilka Schlockermann looks back 2006's Africa Oyé music festival in Liverpool which featured performances by Tiken Jah Fakoly, Nuru Kane and many others..
The Africa Oyé festival took place on 17 and 18 June 2006 in Sefton Park, Liverpool, which in 2008 will be the European cultural capital. Now in its the 13th year it is the biggest free African festival in the UK. Africa Oyé means 'listen to Africa' and for two days this is what Liverpudlians and visitors in their thousands did.
Check out the Africa Oyé photo gallery .
The festival has been held in a number of different locations before but here's hoping that the beautiful Sefton Park will remain its permanent home. Unlike other festivals there was only one stage but this certainly was no drawback, and also unlike many other festivals each performance went on for a considerable time, which again was a welcome change to the usual hectic feel to many festivals. The vibe was relaxed and very friendly (extract from the festival brochure: 'Most of all smile, be happy, dance, and listen to Africa.'). There was no trouble, hardly any police officers, which also made it a perfect family day out.
The audience was extremely diverse, young and old, black and white, all true to the 'Oyé Welcome to all policy' (extract from the festival brochure: 'Oyé is a fully inclusive festival, no matter if you are green with pink spots and you come from Planet Zarb, Oyé welcomes you.'). The weather, well, it was fantastic on Saturday and not so fantastic on Sunday - but even the rain didn't dampen the mood of the audience.
In the past performers at Africa Oyé have included Femi Kuti and Baaba Maal. This year the impressive line-up featured Tiken Jah Fakoly (Ivory Coast), Nuru Kane (Senegal), Bonga (Angola), Eyuphuro (Mozambique), Afel Bocoum (Mali) and Omar Pene (Senegal) as well as, from non-African countries, Luciano (Jamaica) and Cabruera (Brazil).
Below are two acts that appeared which come highly recommended by Africa On Your Street hosts.
Rita Ray and Shaheera Asante recommend: Tiken Jah Fakoly
Africa's number one Reggae artist (and incidentally also the biggest Reggae act in France), Tiken Jah Fakoly was born into a family of griots in Odienne, Nort West Ivory Coast, but now lives in exile in Mali.
Listen : Francafrique
Chino Odimba recommends: Nuru Kane
Born in Medina, Dakar, Nuru Kane has been playing bass and guitar in various bands in Senegal since 1990s. After a trip to Morocco, he became fascinated by the 'gnawa' sounds and rhythms of North Africa which is reflected in his own musical style.
Listen :Goree