Yearly Archives: 2014

Fest Afrika was presented in the latest newsletter of the Nordic Culture Fund as a good example of successful Afro-Nordic collaboration. The Nordic Culture Fund was the biggest sponsor of this year’s festival. With their support, it was possible to bring artists from several Nordic countries to Fest Afrika and to arrange the joint rehearsal camp for the artists, the result of which was the performance of Nordic Big Band in the last festival concert.

Nordic Big Band

Fest Afrika thanks Nordic Culture Fund for the support and the acknowledgement of our work – and of course also all the artists who participated!

Friday concert in Pakkahuone:

• 20.00 Extreme AfroCapo Show & Unito
• 21.00 Jaqee
• 22.30 The Bangoura Band
• 23.30 Habib Koité

Saturday concert in Klubi:

• 22.00 PolePole Trio
• 23.00 Moussa Diallo Trio
• 00.00 Sousou & Maher Cissoko
• 01.00 Nordic Big Band (feat. Paleface)

In Fest Afrika’s workshops we have already played many kinds of drums and danced a little, too. You can still join us, the workshops continue until Sunday!

Also the main program of the festival has started with a musical theatre performance based on Miriam Makeba’s life. The festival concerts start on Thursday. The Let’s get together! concert on Thursday at Telakka brings together enthusiasts of African and African derived styles of music and dance, in the main concert on Friday at Pakkahuone we will hear, among others, the Malian super star Habib Koité, and on Saturday Klubi will be filled with beautiful Nordic sounds.

Welcome to enjoy the wonderful performances and the warm festival atmosphere!

Tomorrow, Tuesday the 22nd we will start the Fest Afrika events with children’s day at children’s cultural centre Rulla, where you can hear animal stories from Senegal and Finland, watch animations made by school kids based on the same stories, and listen to music performed by Sila Fato duo, Maarika Autio and Cheick Cissokho.

Maarika Autio & Cheich Cissokho (Photo: Eeva Johansson)

In the afternoon, there will be the first workshops. The very first, which is the balafon workshop by is full but there is still place in all the other workshops until Sunday. Notice that there are this year workshops for people of all ages, babyafro and family afro as well as dance and drumming classes for youth, and of course many different classes for adults. Check the program and enroll before they get full!