Africa Day 2007
Come to Trafalgar Square on 28 May for a day of great, free African music and entertainment for the whole family.
London is home to almost 80 per cent of Africans living and working in the UK. The establishment of an annual celebration of Africa Day by the Mayor of London is designed to ensure that all Londoners are aware of the invaluable contributions and achievements of African communities in the capital. Africa Day 2007 - a free one-day festival of African arts, culture, music, crafts, tourism, dance, food and more - will take place on bank holiday Monday, 28 May, from 12pm – 7pm on Trafalgar Square.
The event features numerous great artists but no doubt the highlight will be the performance by legendary South African vocalist Miriam Makeba . Makeba's story is fascinating, having started her career in South Africa, then because of Apartheid spending years in exile in the US, Belgium and Guinea amongst other places. Her songs, including her biggest hits 'Pata Pata', 'The Click Song' and 'Malaika', blend jazz and traditional melodies of South Africa and and her message of peace has won her respect as well as the Otto Hahn Peace Medal. Don't miss this opportunity to hear one of Africa's greatest living legends performing in the centre of London. (Read a review of Miriam Makeba's 'The Best of the Early Years' CD.)
Dele Sosimi , together with the 15-piece Afrobeat Orchestra , which features a five-piece horn section and Afrobeat dancers, is also bound to please the crowds. Dele started his musical career with Fela’s Anikulapo-Kuti’s Egypt 80, where he played rhythm keyboards for 7 years (1979-1986). Dele's own music is a blend of funk grooves, Nigerian traditional music (including hi-life), African percussion, jazz horns, as well as rhythmical singing. (Read a feature on Dele Sosimi on Amplified Online and check out this photo gallery of Dele and the Afrobeat Orchestra performing live.)
Ghanaian vocalist Paulina Oduro will perform with the Alfred Bannerman Band , so expect highlife fused with Jazz treats. Paulina has lived in London from the age of 9. She started her musical career as a member of the reggae band Casanova, and then went on to sing with a number of reggae and soca acts including such greats like Calypso king Mighty Sparrow, Soca favourite Arrow and renowned Trinidadian singer David Rubber, as well as many Ghanaian artists. Paulina is one of Ghana's most loved and popular singers. (For more information check out Shaheera Asante's feature on Paulina Oduro or log on to her website .)
Also performing on the day are Hackney-based Seeds Of Creation , led by Seddik Zebiri, who play a blend of Maghrebi grooves, including Gnawa and Andalus music; Madina Ndiaye , one of Mali's best Kora players; African Jazz Allstars , an 11-piece orchestra fusing African rhythms of afrobeat, hi-life, soukous, mbalax, makosa with jazz solos; Congo All-stars who perform guitar-driven Congolese Rumba and Soukous dance music; Hadja Madgascar who fuse Malagasy salegy, bahoejy and antosy to beats originating on the African mainland, South America and reggae and funk; the mighty Rock Reggae act Misty In Roots and Henry Dikongue , one of Cameroon’s best singer songwriter.
African dancing will be part of the Africa Day too with Genna Ethiopian Arts performing traditional Ethiopian dances celebrating the Ethiopian Millennium and dance troupe Lions of Zulu performing traditional South African dances.
Africa Day, Monday 28 May 2007 - Running order :
11:30 Celebrating Africa! Procession (a parade of African Dance Troups, programmed by the African Women’s Association)
12:00 Lions of Zululand
12:35 African Jazz Allstars
13:10 Seeds of Creation
13:45 Pauline Oduro and Alfred Bannerman
14:15 Henry Dikongue
14:40 Dele Sosimi and Afro Beat Orchestra
15:15 Speeches
15:45 Kabba
15:50 Miriam Makeba
16:40 Genna Ethiopian Arts and Theatre
17:10 Haja Madagascar
17:40 Misty In Roots
18:10 Madina N’Diaye
18:40 Congo All Stars
19:00 Close