Music Manual's guide to this year's Africa Oyé at Sefton Park

Photo:Jeff Ukiri

AS one of the UK's largest free celebration of African and Caribbean music and culture Africa Oyé will celebrate its 25th anniversary at Sefton Park.

Having grown from humble beginnings in 1992 as a series of gigs in the city centre, the event now attracts more than 50,000 people from all over the world.

Africa Oyé is a registered charity and partially funded by the Arts Council of England North West and Liverpool City Council.

Here's a full schedule of what to expect this weekend:

Saturday June, 17 

Main Stage:

12.30pm to 12.45pm: KAOS (Community Performance) 

12.45pm to 1pm: Katumba (Community Performance)

1.10pm to 1.55pm: Oyé Introduces: Nutribe & Butcha B

2.15pm to 3.25pm: Bonga (Angola)

3.45pm to 4.55pm: Daby Touré (Mauritania)

5.15pm to 6.25pm: Dobet Gnahoré (Côte d'Ivoire)

6.45pm to 7.55pm: Black Prophet (Ghana)

8.15pm to 9.30pm: Mokoomba (Zimbabwe)

Mokoomba (Photo: Eric Van Nieuwland)

Active Zone:

1pm to 1.30pm: World In A Box with Movema
Travel the world with Movema. A great session for all the family to learn and celebrate language and culture through dancing to exciting rhythms, using props and instruments from around the world.

1.30pm to 2pm: Capoeira (Suitable for ages 4+) with Capoeira for All: Instructor Açouguiero
Capoeira is a fascinating Afro-brazilian art form combining elements of dance, martial art, music and culture.

2pm to 2.30pm: Salsa with Movema's Pei Tong
Fun salsa class with solo and partner work. No need to bring your own partner – but you can if you like.

3pm to 3.30pm: African Dance Performance and Workshop with Movema’s Ithalia Forel and Liver Drummers
This will start with an energising dance - ‘Sinte’ - a rhythm played for celebrations in Guinea. Then followed by a workshop for all to learn traditional moves to nourish your mind and body.

4pm to 4.30pm: African Drum Workshop with Liver Drummers
Join the Liver Drummers and learn traditional and modern West African rhythms. All welcome. Limited drums available so arrive in time or bring your own drum to join in the celebration.

5pm to 5.30pm: 'Unlock the Box' Youth Dance Battle in partnership with Afrobeats Liverpool - all 18 and unders welcome
Live DJ’s, 4 age categories and a stage, get ready to be King or Queen of the Dance Battle 2017. 

5.30pm to 6pm: Dancehall Workshop with Collecta
Collecta bring the latest Jamaican Dancehall moves to the park, to get you moving. Passionate about showing authenticity and making work accessible for all. A perfect session to end day one or get you ready for the after party.

Photo: Mark McNulty

DJ:

12.30pm to 2pm:  Radio Exotica
Hidden gems from distant lands

2pm to 3pm:  DJ Lord Borthbury
Dub, reggae and dancehall

3pm to 4pm:  Code1084 ( DJ Shotz & DJ Billy )
Afrobeat, reggae and dancehall & Afrobeat, soul and oldskool.
4pm to 5pm:  SNO
Afro, jazz, soul, funk, disco, hip hop, latin, rare groove

5pm to 6.30pm: Andy Kershaw
Soukouss to Salsa, Roots Reggae to Rai, Soca to South African Township Jive.

6.30pm to 8pm: Hustle DJs & Zacharia Soul
Quality Afro-infused house and disco

8pm to 9pm: Ex-Friendly & Joff (Truth & Lies Music)
Eclectic African grooves on vinyl

Beatlife (Photo: Mark McNulty)

Sunday, June 18 

Main Stage:

12:30pm to 1pm: Beatlife & Kinetika Bloco (Community Performance)

1.10pm to 1.55pm: Oyé Introduces: Anwar Ali & Dave Owen

2.15pm to 3.25pm: HAJAmadagascar & The Groovy People (Madagascar)

3.45pm to 4.55pm: Diabel Cissokho (Senegal)

5.15pm to 6.25pm: Dizzy Mandjeku & Odemba OK Allstars (DR Congo)

6.45pm to 7.55pm: Jupiter & Okwess International (DR Congo)

8.15pm to 9.30pm: Max Romeo (Jamaica)

Active Zone:

1pm to 1.30pm: Capoeira (Suitable for ages 4+) with Capoeira for All: Instructor Açouguiero
Capoeira is a fascinating Afro-brazilian art form combining lements of dance, martial art, music and culture.

2pm to 2.30pm: Beatlife and Kinetika Bloco Performance
A new addition to the active zone, BeatLife have teamed up with Kinetika Bloco to present a drum and brass performance with young people from Liverpool and London. An explosive and unique British Carnival sound. Funded by Arts Council England.

2.30pm to 3pm: West Africa Performance and Dance with Dance Culture: Lamin Dumbuya
Back by popular demand! The wonderful Lamin, from Sierra Leone,  brings his joyous West African class and performances to the Active Zone.

3.30pm to 4pm: World In A Box with Movema
Travel the world with Movema. A great session for all the family to learn and celebrate language and culture through dancing to exciting rhythms, using props and instruments from around the world.

4pm to 4.30pm: ‘HAJAmadagascar & The Groovy People
Main stage artist ‘Haja’ will take people on ‘a journey to Madagascar’ using music and dance to add fun and creation into your everyday.

5pm to 5.30pm: Samba de Roda with Movema's Maria Malone
Dancing and singing combine in this wonderful workshop celebrating traditions from Afro-Brazilian culture.

DJ:

12.30pm to 2pm:  Bood N Bone
Finding and sharing diverse music

2pm to 3.30pm: George Luke & DJ Mayeva
Less pop, more style – not strictly roots

3.30pm to 4.30pm: Danny Fitzgerald
Golden-age tropical sounds from the Caribbean, Africa, and Latin America

4.30pm to 5.30pm: Red Kite
Reggae and dub 7"s

5.30pm to 6.30pm: Dub Defenders
Roots, heavy dub, electro dub and reggae inspired bass music

6.30pm to 8pm: Marley & Vegas
Roots, dancehall and ragga, and the deepest digital dubs

8pm to 9pm:   Josh Ray
Disco to dub, house to hip hop, Afro to Latin, jazz to blues


AFTER SHOW PARTIES:

Saturday - 24 Kitchen Street
From 9pm to 4am
Focusing on upfront styles that have got dancefloors moving across Africa and it's diaspora, from Kingston to Cape Town & Lagos to London.
Tickets: £3 via Skiddle.

Saturday - Hangar 34
From 11.30pm to 4am
Presented by Hustle and Liverpool Disco Festival...featuring The Mighty Zaf, Aluku Rebels and more.
Tickets: £5 / Limited FREE via Skiddle

Saturday - Sound 
From 9pm to 4am
A late night FREE afro-disco after-party in Sound on Duke Street  with Ranga, Dr Harvey plus special guests.

Saturday - Kazimier Garden
From 7pm to 2am
With SNO, Bolts, Holmesy, James Zaremba and Cartier 4 Everyone DJs.
Free Entry.

Africa Oyé will take place on 17 and 18 June in Sefton Park, from 12:30pm till 9:30pm and entry is FREE.

For more information on Oyé and its associated events visit africaoye.com.