Monthly Archives: June 2013

Papa Thioune is a musician from Senegal now living in Germany. He is part of a well known family of musicians in Dakar and started therefore playng drums already as a child. Since then, he has performed e.g. as the lead drummer of the Waato Siita dance group and toured Central Europe with the Afrika! Afrika! circus production.

Performance of Waato Siita in the inauguration of the new National Theatre in Dakar, in 2011:

In Fest Afrika Papa will teach sabar drumming and accompany Pape Moussa’s dance classes. The sabar drums are a tradition of the Wolof people. They can be heard at many kinds of events, especially at celebrations where they accompany dancing, but also e.g. at wrestling matches. Even in Senegalese pop music, mbalax, the sabar drums play a central role. (more…)

Ally and Julia Milao have both studied at the world famous Bagamoyo College of Arts in Tanzania. Nowadays they live in Jyväskylä, but they have also founded a group called Sisi Majitu that aims to create a new kind of centre for culture and arts in Bagamoyo.

Ally is a versatile artist, who currently concentrates on playing and building drums. Julia has specialized in dance, theatre and acrobatics – she started teaching dance already during her studies in Bagamoyo!

Video from a dance workshop in Tampere, January 2013:

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Warm up for the Fest Afrika gigs and learn the latest moves with Aino Hujanen! We will be having fun Afro Caribbean style – dancing reggaeton, dancehall and soca – spiced with some moves from urban African dance styles. Your body and legs will get some serious workout while dancing to the latest pop hits from the Caribbean and Africa. You might hear the same songs in Klubi on Friday and Saturday!

Aino Hujanen is one of the founders of Dance School Makumba and an experienced teacher of salsa and other Latin American and Caribbean dance styles. You can read more about Aino on the Makumba website.

Makumba dancers on stage in Klubi at Fest Afrika Winter Jam 2013:

Afro Caribbean Party, Fri at 17.30 – 19.00, for dancers of all levels. Dance shoes/sneakers recommended for this class.