Liverpool to host Africa Oye festival 2010

An act from the 2009 festival

Africa Oyé returns to Sefton Park in Liverpool June 19-20, 2010 and stands to be bigger and better than ever. Year after year, the UK’s largest free African music festival just keeps on growing.

Beginning in 1992 as a series of small gigs in the city centre, the event has gone from strength to strength. In 2002, the festival moved to Sefton Park to cope with demand. Now in its nineteenth year, Africa Oyé continues to grow. In 2009 the event attracted an audience of over 20,000 people and even more are expected to attend Oyé 2010. This year’s festival will host acts such as Andrew Tosh (Jamaica), Les Freress Guisse (Senegal), The Gangbe Brass Band (Benin), and UK based The Rasites.

With too many negative representations of Africa entrenched in images of war, disease, poverty and famine, Oyé seeks to redress the balance and highlight the fantastic range of cultures, foods, music and artists that make this great continent one of the most vibrant and inspiring in the world. 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 as well as South America and The Caribbean with Salsa, Soca and Reggae always a popular addition to the festivities. If you’re someone inclined to get a bit more involved, the festival offers drum, voice, guitar, and dance workshops.

But Africa Oyé is about much more than music. Over 40 stalls selling the best food, drink, arts and crafts and fashion from Africa and beyond will again be present at the Oyé village including long time supporter ‘News From Nowhere’, one of the UK’s premier stockists of African music. With children’s entertainment including face painting and bouncy castles, African massages, as well as a state of the art 500 capacity beer tent selling ice cold draught lager, selected spirits and soft drinks all at affordable prices, there is definitely something for the whole family. The festival holds a great opportunity not only to take in some amazing music, food and more, but take some home with you too.

Beyond the festival itself, Africa Oyé launched an additional strand of work in April 2009 funded by the Arts Council called Oyé Touring and Trading. Along with five other national organisations (Serious, Punch Records, Joyful Noise, and CMAT) and as part of the Black Routes network, Oyé produced two National tours, and a Learning and Participation Project called The Legacy Roots and Music in Liverpool which will continue in 2010/11.

News, updates, artist info and more can be found at www.africaoye.com.

Comments about Liverpool to host Africa Oye festival 2010