Africa Day took place this week, and a number of events are lined up to celebrate.
■ On May 25 1963 African leaders gathered in Addis Ababa to found the Organisation of African Unity, a body that was meant to spearhead African unity and speed up decolonisation and democracy in countries such as Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), South Africa, Namibia, Angola and Mozambique. This weekend Sounds of Edutainment and others will host the African Liberation Day Symposium, Poetry Evening and Live Reggae Alternative to commemorate the day. Performers will be poets and musicians Oscar Benjamin, Vital Crew, Nizah, Sista Phumi Maduma and Nature, Blakstar, Siza Nkosi and Donna Smith. Jah Crucial and King Roots will spin the discs.
Rasta House, 23 Muller Street, Yeoville, on May 29 from 5pm. Entrance is free.
■ The atmospheric Moyo Restaurant at Zoo Lake, with its African aesthetic design elements, provides a suitable backdrop to this year’s Africa Day celebration in the suburbs. Sanaa Africa — The Spirit of Celebration will ’embrace Africa’s rhythmic heart and vibrant soul” by hosting an art exhibition, buskers, live poetry, puppet performances, movies and a dedicated kids’ area.
Moyo, Zoo Lake, from May 27 to 29. Entrance is free. For a full festival programme visit: www.sanaaafrica.com.
■ Newtown’s Africa Day Concert has the hottest line-up of all and this Saturday the inner-city party will feature Senegalese legend Baaba Maal, renowned Malian guitarist and vocalist Habib Koite, Olufemi from Nigeria, Namibia’s Elemotho, South Africa’s maestros Tumi and the Volume, Professor, gospel group The Soil and newcomer Toya. The headliner, Maal, is an artist and activist and, in his role as a United Nations Youth Emissary, he has been a tireless campaigner for Africa’s youth. The Africa Day concert will be broadcast on SABC2 from 9pm on May 28.
Newtown Park on May 28 from 4pm. Entrance is free.
■ Windybrow Theatre celebrates Africa Day with the launch of its newly refurbished main theatre after several months of reconstruction and renovation. In keeping with the theme of the day the celebration will kick off with a performance by a group of local drummers and Ghanaian dancers, followed by a concert by jazz veterans Sipho Hotstix Mabuse and Nigeria-born fusion king Kunle Ayo. The theatre, one of the city’s oldest, hopes to establish itself as a pan-African centre of the arts.
Windybrow Main Theatre, Nugget Hill, on May 27 at 6.30pm. Visit: www.windybrowarts.co.za.