Africa Oyé Festival 2006
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The Africa Oyé celebrated its 13th year on 17 & 18 June 2006 with another great festival taking place in the beautiful setting of Sefton Park in Liverpool. A huge, diverse audience was kept entertained by amazing acts performing over the weekend.
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The festival was full of people from all walks of life enjoying two great days of entertainment and all for free.
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Nuru Kane from Senegal plays the guimbri, a melodic three-stringed acoustic bass which the central gnawa instrument.
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Nuru's brilliant, diverse band included kora player Kadialy Kouyate...
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...and darbucka player and backing vocalist Abdelkader Tab.
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After his excellent performance Nuru chilled out backstage.
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Lisbon-based Angolan vocalist and percussionist Bonga used to be football player with the Portuguese club Benfica. Here he is about to go on stage.
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Bonga's music is rooted in Angolan folklore but also has Afro-Latin influences.
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Bonga attracted many Angolan fans who were really excited by his great performance.
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Amma Donkor, aka DJ Amita from African online radio, Rainbow Radio, enjoying the music and sun.
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In between the music performances on stage there were a lot of other things to keep yourself occupied such food and craft stalls and a drumming performance by local children and some great dancing.
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Guitarist and vocalist Afel Bocoum from Mali was a member of the late Ali Farka Toure's band for more than three decades.
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After his performance Afel was interview by the North American based Africa Channel who were also filming all the live performances for future broadcast.
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The group Eyuphuro ('whirlwind' in the Macua language) hails from an island off the coast of Mozambique. Eyuphuro's music is a fusion of African, Arabic and Latin cultures. Singer Zena Bakar, previously a fishing woman, has an amazing voice and unique singing style.
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Senegalese mbalax vocalist and composer Omar Pene has been in the music scene for more than a quarter of a century. Together with his band Super Diamano (Ismael Lo was a one time member) they are certainly an act that can rival Youssou N'Dour.
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Not all the acts were African. Brazilian experimental band Cabruêra who mix of Afro-Brazilian rhythms, electric funk, folk-rock, and Middle Eastern sounds, added an interesting touch to the festival line-up.
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Another non-African act was Saturday's headliner Luciano. The Jamaican superstar performs conscious Roots Reggae, a lot of it praising Jah (check the hat), and together with his band the Jah Messenjah Band proved to be a real crowd pleaser.
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Luciano was joined on stage by Andrew Tosh, son of the late Peter Tosh, and together they performed a song by Peter Tosh.
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Performing as part of Luciano's band was the legendary Dean Fraser who has been Jamaica's premier saxophone soloist since the late '70s and has played and recorded with numerous Reggae greats throughout his career.
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No, Luciano didn't snatch this baby - it was given to him by an excited mother. Whilst singing about peace he was holding the baby and the crowd loved it ... and the baby looked quite comfortable, too.
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Sunday's headline act was a Reggae artist, too, but this was African Reggae. Tiken Jah Fakoly is from Ivory Coast but now based in exile Mali, and is one of the biggest Reggae acts in France. To read a recent interview with Tiken Jah Fakoly visit the Independent Online website
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If you thought Reggae had to be Jamaican, you definitely changed your mind after witnessing Tiken Jah Fakoly's brilliant performance.
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Tiken Jah's backing vocalists not only sounded great but were also able to jump around in heals and still smile!
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And this is the man who with his team put it all together. Project co-ordinator Paul Duhaney moved to Liverpool seven years ago and has since been working on the annual Africa Oyé festival which has seen audience figures grow continuously. Make sure to catch Africa Oyé in 2007.
Photos: © Ilka Schlockermann