Africa Oyé 2008 - A celebration of African music and culture

Sefton Park, Liverpool
Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd June 2008
12.30pm - 9.30pm on both days.
Admission: Free

Africa Oyé is the UK's largest free celebration of African music and culture, and takes place annually in Liverpool. Beginning in 1992 as a series of small gigs in the city centre, the event went from strength-to-strength, and moved to its present Sefton Park home in 2002. Now in its sixteenth year, Africa Oyé continues to grow. The 2007 event attracted an audience of over 40,000 people, and even more are expected to attend Oyé in 2008, when it is one of the most eagerly anticipated events of Liverpool's year as European Capital of Culture.

With too many negative stories of war, AIDS, poverty and famine about, Oyé aims to focus on the incredible range of cultures, foods, musicians and artists from Africa, and promote the continent in a positive way. The festival is also a truly international event that harnesses the spirit of multiculturalism and tolerance. It has played host to artists from nations’ right across Africa, and also programs music from South America and The Caribbean - with Salsa, Soca, and Reggae always a popular addition to the festivities.

This year, Oyé promises many, many musical delights, including recent BBC World Music Award winners Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba from Mali, The Bedouin Jerry Can Band from Egypt, Kenge Kenge from Kenya, Roots Reggae legend Macka B & The Royale Roots Band from the UK and Jamaica and Body Mind and Soul from Malawi, who won the Southern African Band Competition in 2007. Also returning by popular demand are the Odemba OK Jazz All Stars from the DR of Congo, who are one of the best live acts on the circuit.

However, Africa Oyé is about more than just music. Stalls selling the best food, drink, arts and crafts and fashion from Africa and beyond will again be present in the Oyé village. There will also be entertainment from the Beatlife Percussion Troupe, along with face painting, children's workshops, bouncy castles and a mobile climbing wall to help keep the kids happy. Oyé 2008 is to be recorded by BBC Radio for future broadcast in the UK, Africa and The Caribbean.

www.africaoye.com
www.myspace.com/africaoye

Saturday 21st June:

Bedouin Jerry Can Band – Egypt
Masterly use old petrol cans to compliment their traditional lyres and hand percussion in a compelling, rollicking mix. They sing great songs.

Massukos – Mozambique
A big, rolling band, thumping band calling and responding in wonderful songs. All these musicians give of their time and very modest income to medical projects across their country.

Bassekou Kouyate and Ngoni Ba – Mali
Has been getting huge profile and praise all over the planet. Bassekou plays a wee ngoni, (looks like a 2 foot canoe), and his father played a big one.Wonderful stuff.

Sunday 22nd June:

Candido Fabre y Su Banda – Cuba
Maybe, they say, all western popular music got a helping hand from Africa. Cuba certainly gave it a lift, and still does as this great singer and his band demonstrate.

Busi Ncube – Zimbabwe
This ‘songstress’, (now there is a word!), sings in 6 African languages, and is the Princess of the mbiri. Her band were once members of the great Andy Brown’s outfit of the 80’s and 90’s. This is her 1st UK Tour.

Kenge Kenge - Kenya
As far West as the country goes, go the Luo people from whose wonderful music these 'reformed' Tax Inspectors come. Great stuff.. gongs, horns, one stringed fiddles, (urutu), flutes and raucous call-response. The ancient turns modern here with class.

Macka-B – UK/Jamaica
‘Roots reggae’ it is.

Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd June:

Odemba OK Jazz - DR Congo
Led by Dizzy Manjeku who like all the band are veterans of legendary TPOK Jazz, arguably Africa’s greatest ever danceband.

Body, Mind and Soul – Malawi
Young, talented musicians who won the Southern African Band competition in 2007. The reward is you get to hear just how good these young artists are.