Africa Oyé 2009 Festival

• 18th May 2009

Africa Oyé 2009
Celebration of African music and culture
Sefton Park, Liverpool
Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st June 2009
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 has gone from strength-to-strength, moving to its present Sefton Park home in 2002 to cope with demand. Now in its seventeenth year, Africa Oyé continues to grow. In 2008 the event attracted an audience of over 20,000 people and even more are expected to attend Oyé 09.

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 and also programmes music from South America and The Caribbean with Salsa, Soca and Reggae always a popular addition to the festivities.

But Africa Oyé is about 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 along with long time supporter ‘News From Nowhere’, one of the UK’s premier stockists of African music, with all the performing artists and much more on sale, it’s a great opportunity to not only take in some of the best roots music around, but take some home with you too. There will also be face painting, bouncy castles and workshops in the village to keep the kids happy, and for the first time ever Africa Oyé will also have a beer tent in the festival grounds to keep the adults entertained too!

Oyé’s subsidiary company Oye touring and trading will organise two UK tours this year including Reggae superstar Freddie McGregor from Jamaica in June and July who you can see at Oyé 09, and Odemba OK Jazz All-stars from DR Congo in September and October with a Liverpool date to be confirmed.

Oyé will also organising a special educational project around schools in the Liverpool area during the autumn of 2009 and more details on this will also be available soon. To launch Oyé touring and trading, an event will take place at The Picket on Sunday 31st May with a live Performance by reggae legends The Mighty Diamonds from Jamaica. Also confirmed for Oyé 09 is the ever-popular Kanda Bonga Man from DR Congo who last played Oyé in 2003.

LISTEN TO AFRICA

Africa Oyé is funded by the Arts Council of England and Liverpool City CouPlease check link for tour update, ticket info, and festival information.

The biggest Live Free African Music Festival in the UK
AFRICA OYÉ

Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st June 2009
Sefton Park (Review Field), Liverpool
12.30pm – 9.30pm both days

Already Confirmed at Africa Oye 2009:

Freddie McGregor (Jamaica) PLUS Special Guests:
Chino, Laden, The Millennium Band

Les Frères Guissé (Senegal)
Gordon Masiala and Nka Musica (DR Congo)
Kanda Bongo Man (DR Congo)

Plus more to be announced
Listen to Africa

Children’s Entertainment
Workshops, Beatlife Percussion Troup, Bouncy Castles, Mobile Climbing Wall, Face Painting, plus a Rodeo for the adults

Oye Village
Where you can sample…
Food from all over the world, Music, Arts & Crafts, Clothes, Drums, Massages, Tea & Coffee, Smoothies, The Beer Tent and much more