It’s not often that I spend a Tuesday tea time dancing to the beat of two African drummers, in fact I can’t remember it ever happening before, but this event was to change that. I was at the amazing Hyde Park Picture House for the launch of the 2025 Leeds International African Arts Festival, but you knew that already from the heading. The theme for the event is Who Am I? and, as Africa is a very large, and extremely diverse continent, the regions of North and East Africa are in the spotlight this time.
Ndidi Nkwopara
The evening’s entertainment was introduced by the Executive Producer, Ndidi Nkwopara, who thanked the partners involved in facilitating the staging of this, the third incarnation of the Festival. She then passed the mic to Tuyia who emceed the rest of the programme.
Tuyia
She said that her answer to the question Who Am I? varies from day to day, if the kids are behaving, she is a good mother, if not, she finds some other form of identification. Today, fortunately, was a good mother day.
Saliha
Her first guest was Saliha, an Algerian woman who lived in Spain for ten years before moving to England. She illustrated the point about the diversity of Africa by saying that, when she tells people of her ethnic origin, they frequently say ‘But you aren’t black!’ That is when she needs to point out that Algeria is in North Africa and is home to the Atlas Mountain Range, which has a snow covering, so not subject to the intense heat of the more southern countries.
Not for the last time, the subject of fashion was raised, with Saliha being clad in a heavy embroidered dress, to combat the Algerian cold, which she wears to go to special occasions, but which her mother insists should only be worn at home to signify her wanting to be attractive to her husband when he gets home. She put the differing attitude down to her slowly adapting to Spanish and English ways. Her answer to the question of the day was ‘A confident woman.’
Fnam
Next came Fnam, a singer from Ertitrea/Ethiopia in the east of the continent. Her contribution to the sartorial display was a lightweight dress made from material which looked like linen and was traditionally made all the way, from the plant to the decoration, at home. This version was a short one which she wears when pursuing her career as a singer. The design of the pattern is based on a cross as the inhabitants of Eritrea are Christians.
Once again, she was subject to stereotype and frequently asked to sing soul, r’n’b or rap when performing, rather than the traditional music of her homeland. She has begun to incorporate elements of those genres into her act to produce a kind of fusion. Another fashion tip, but one on which I think I will pass, is that she conditions her hair in the traditional way by rubbing it with butter. She saw herself as an artist.
Tuyia then went on to outline the range of events comprising the Festival, which range from films, exhibitions, bands, workshops, a ramble and drama. It promises to be an extremely interesting week of offerings at a varied selection of venues.
The subject of fashion was reintroduced with the showing of a film about an issue threatening a part of Africa’s economy, viz the flooding of the world market in Wax Print. This is the ancient craft of creating patterns by manually applying molten coloured wax dye on cloth, before it is made into clothing. It is being copied by countries using sophisticated technology, the end product almost indistinguishable from the real thing and all attempts to insert security systems into the material have similarly been pirated.
The percussion section
We were then treated to the aforementioned drums, giving us an opportunity to participate in the glory of the occasion. Hey, there is nothing wrong with starting the celebrations a few weeks early!
Let the celebrations begin!
For full details of 2025 Leeds International African Arts Festival, which runs from 14th to 21st June, please go to https://liaaf.co.uk/index.html where you can learn more about the aims of the organisation behind the event, and book for the many attractions on offer.
Main image from LIAAF. Photographs by Stan Graham.
Tyke It To The Limit 