Just because Glastonbury is lying fallow this year, it doesn’t mean that there are no get togethers available. In fact, odd as it sounds, this year’s Leeds International African Arts Festival could be just the right alternative. There is music, dance, food and, should the weather turn wet, there are even muddy fields to wallow in, an added bonus is that you don’t need to queue for a couple of hours for the loo.
The launch was presented by Tom Yakubu – ‘call me Tom for short’ – who introduced a succession of illustrious speakers from all walks of life and various backgrounds. I was going to give them all a mention, but after filling my fourth page of notes, realised that the Festival would be over before I was able to let you know it had even begun.
Tom Yakubu MC extraordinaire
The encouraging thing about the contributors was that they all seemed to agree on the importance of events such as this, which aim to bring people of all nationalities together through the language of art and culture, whether it be a visual medium, music, dance, literature, food, crafts or cinema. The hub of the Festival is Slung Low Warehouse in Holbeck, which is an informal space, ideal for something like this. The launch epitomised that with a live music act on stage in one room and the Afrikan Market in another. As this year’s theme is Connect With Nature, there are also events at Meanwood Urban Valley Farm.
The one thing stressed by all of the speakers was that Africa is a continent, rather than a country, comprising over fifty nations and literally thousands of languages! Ndidi Nkwopara, who had the daunting task of curating and organising the Festival, said that to include contributions from every part would be impossible, so this year she had concentrated on the countries in West Africa, although including Sudan to recognise their current problems.
Ndidi Nkwopara, organiser.
If you needed any proof that the people of the world have more in common than divides them, there was the banter between Tom and another speaker, John Ebo, a member of the advisory board. One is from Ghana and the other Nigeria, so we had the odd dig about Nigeria not qualifying for the FIFA World Cup Finals, whereas Ghana did. It was reminiscent of the days when England failed to progress to the last stage, but Scotland succeeded, and the years when the opposite applied. The gentle digs today, however, were far more civilised with not an F bomb to be heard. We’re Ghana win the cup?
John Ebo, wearing shades as he had broken his clear glasses. He called it his Idris Elba look.
Everyone did agree, however, that this Festival was a great way for people from all over the world to come together and discover the art emanating from Africa, or remind them of their roots. This was especially important for the young generation who only know life in England.
The highlights of the day were the market, complete with arts and craft stalls and, of course some amazing food, and a performance by Mo Shabaka, a singer from Sudan, which illustrated the fusion of Arab and African music, enhanced by a keyboard player adding a dance/ska vibe. The songs were from his album, Toll Call, which is well worth a listen and available on Spotify. For a sample please go to https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=KU_ayzH_XkQ
Mo Shabaka
Apart from Slung Low Warehouse there are events at the aforementioned Meanwood Urban Valley Farm, RJC Dance Studio in the Mandela Centre on Chapeltown Road and Hyde Park Picture House, where there is a season of films under the banner Cinema Africa!
For full details of all events, please go to https://liaaf.co.uk/events.html For everything there is to know about Leeds International African Arts Festival, which runs until 11th June, please see https://liaaf.co.uk/index.html and follow the links. I am sure that there will be something to appeal to you, a Creative Bat Evening anyone? And I ain’t talking cricket.
Photographs by Stan Graham
Tyke It To The Limit 