The Festival of Africa in Cork this weekend!

estival of African cultures which takes place in a host of different venues. As I always mention here, music is one of the best means of communication and personally I feel it has been a great way of understanding different cultures and the people behind them. The millions of Irish who have headed abroad over the last few centuries have made a fantastic impression culturally on other countries and it is great to see the amazing music of Africa now on our doorstep in Cork.

It all kicks off tomorrow with a free conference discussing the political, economic and social changes and developments in Africa in the 21st Century. This takes place in the Millennium Hall and is free from 11.30am. The Official Festival Opening Ceremony takes place at 1pm at the Cork City Library and this will feature loads of Cork school students displaying their West African drumming skills while Cork City African School Children demonstrate their Irish language skills.

Later that evening The Wailing Souls visit Cork for the first time and DJ Bellyman will be in support. These guys are quite simply one of the finest vocal harmony groups from Jamaica and their original line-up will be taking to the stage in the Pavilion from 9pm. The Africa Brasil boys will be hosting the official after party immediately after the show downstairs in the bar until the early hours of the morning.

One of the most interesting events happens on Saturday from 1pm on Camden Quay at the Camden Palace Hotel and again it’s free. Everyone is welcome to come along and sample free food from 7 different African nations, marvel at the fashion parade showcasing African designs and join in the African dance workshops with Cynthia. A number of African acts including the Lace, Koko Tanjah, Cork City African Gospel Choir, Sudanese cultural group and the South African dancers will all be performing. Zimbabwean artist and Sculptor Blessing Sanyanga will be exhibiting his work at the venue aswell.

Later that evening the fun continues around the corner at the Sin E with Koko Tanjah and Eamonn Cagney while a Sunday Service follows the following mourning before the Franciscan Well starts a daytime Garden party at 1pm. Acoustic music is the order of the day before the nightfall welcomes a wonderful Afrobeat workshop at the Pav with Allen-Taylor Adeniyi at 6pm. All musicians are welcome to this free event which will be followed by a free movie about the Life and music of Afrobeat godfather Fela Kuti. This leads nicely on to the finale of the weekend which is a free concert from Adeniyi’s group, the Oleku Band, bringing Nigerian Afrobeat and highlife to the closing party! In Dublin the Dun Laoghaire Festival of World Cultures is celebrating it’s 10th birthday this summer and personally I see no reason why our own Festival of African cultures can’t get bigger and bigger every year. As with many of these things, many of the people who would love to go and check them out don’t even know it is on so here ya go, you have no excuse, go out and enjoy it!

More details here