AFROFEST 2019
THE LARGEST AFRICAN MUSIC FESTIVAL IN NORTH AMERICA
Photo courtesy of Afrofest
Showing posts with label African Culture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label African Culture. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 2, 2019
Friday, July 7, 2017
AFROFEST 2017
By Eva Fydrych
How to Enjoy the Festival in Style
Photo by Eva Fydrych / Fashion Studio Magazine
Thursday, May 18, 2017
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
AFROFEST 2016
By Eva Fydrych
Celebrating African Music & Culture
in the heart of Toronto
Photos courtesy of Lynda Thalie, Afforest, and by Eva Fydrych / Fashion Studio Magazine
Sunday, June 1, 2014
SUMMER IN TORONTO
Press Release
Afrofest 2014
Celebrating African Music & Culture
Celebrating African Music & Culture
Masai woman (Photo courtesy of Jack-z)
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
SUPAFRIK: Urban Contemporary Africana
Press Release
About Chinedesign:
Toronto - This summer, Kensington Market will play host to the first installation of SUPAFRIK, an experimental “pop-up” concept: part exhibit and part shop. Taking place at Hotshot Gallery (181 Augusta Ave) from July 15 - 31, hot on the heels of the popular Afrofest festival, SUPAFRIK will feature the works of artists, designers and photographers that take inspiration from the African continent. It is curated around the theme of “Urban Contemporary Africana” and will showcase artwork and products that re-contextualize and re-imagine traditional African aesthetics and traditions with a post-modernist eye.
SUPAFRIK is the brainchild of Toronto fashion designer Chinedu Ukabam of the clothing label Chinedesign. Chinedu travelled to New York, Paris and London collecting some of the unique items for sale at SUPAFRIK and documented the journey on the SUPAFRIK blog (www.supafrik.com). There are four main components to SUPAFRIK: Fashion, Music, Literature and Photography. Featured designs include Chinedesign’s Afrotropolis collection (Toronto/Nigeria), exclusive home-ware and fabrics by Shine Shine (Cape Town, South Africa), sneakers by SAWA Shoes (Paris/Cameroon) and Ohema Ohene (London/Ghana), funky graphic t’s by JunkPrints (Brooklyn) and Africa Is The Future (Paris/Rep of Congo/Togo). The music corner will feature CDs and vinyl from Slinky Music (Toronto) while the literature component will include books supplied by A Different Booklist (Toronto) of works from established authors and new authors from Africa and the Diaspora as well books on African art and culture.
SUPAFRIK will also double as a space for programmed interactive events. These will include a musical performance at the opening party by the electronic-afrobeat band Bend Down Boutique, a custom design and silk-screen workshop, a 60’s photo studio with Afro-themed styling and a book reading. Future installments of SUPAFRIK are currently in the works for London, UK and Paris, France.
About Chinedesign:
Chinedesign was founded in 2003 by Chinedu Ukabam. Also known as hip-hop emcee/producer, Eye + Eye, his foray into the fashion scene began with a production of T-shirts to promote the release of his “Love.Life.Music” album. Without any prior fashion industry experience or exposure, the “Love.Life.Music” T-shirt sold over 300 units in Toronto alone; most of which were customized to the customer’s specifications. Today, Chinedesign has expanded from just graphic T’s to a full range of menswear and womenswear that have been sold in boutiques from Toronto to Tokyo. Taking inspiration from his upbringing in Nigeria, the UK, Dubai and Canada, Chinedu has created seasonal collections which have been featured in magazines such as Eye Weekly and Sway, on television shows such as Entertainment Tonight, Divas and Dimes and Da Kink and in films such as Charles Officer’s “Nurse.Fighter.Boy”. Chinedu recently returned to Toronto after relocating to Paris to enhance his knowledge of the fashion business and find new inspiration for his designs. Chinedesign counts Jarvis Church, K-OS, the late Baatin of Slum Village, UK rapper Ty, actor Ngozi Paul and theater director Weyni Mengesha as some of its ardent fans.
Source: Supafrik
Sunday, June 19, 2011
MUSIC AFRICA PRESENTS: AFROFEST
By Eva Fydrych
AFROFEST 2011 at Queen's Park on July 9th - 10th
Afrofest, a free celebration of the richness and diversity of African culture, is set for Queen’s Park in Toronto on Saturday July 9th and Sunday July 10th. Featuring world-renowned African musicians and top African groups based in Canada, an African marketplace, food and craft vendors, artistic displays, music workshops, and organized activities for youth and children. Afrofest is THE cultural event of the summer.
African music legend Thomas Mapfumo, with his band The Blacks Unlimited, will be a feature act of Afrofest 2011. "The Lion of Zimbabwe" is considered both the Bob Dylan and the Bob Marley of Southern Africa for the immense impact his songs and life example have made on the music and culture of his homeland. The "Chimurenga" music he created was the soundtrack of the revolution in Zimbabwe. A titan of African recording, Mapfumo, with more than 20 albums of outstanding original music to his name, has been performing his songs of love, freedom and justice for more than 40 years.
Thomas Mapfumo will also be performing an ‘Afterfest’ concert at the Lula Lounge, 1585 Dundas Street West, on Monday, July 11. Admission is $20 at the door, $15 in advance – Tickets available at Afrofest and other locations to be announced.
South Africa’s Dizu Plaatjies and Ibuyambo will make their Canadian debut performance at Afrofest 2011. Dizu led his band Amampondo in wowing the crowd at Nelson Mandela’s famous birthday concert at Wembley Stadium in 1988. They were later made official ambassadors of South African music, and their 2000 show at Afrofest stands as one of the festival’s finest ever performances. A startingly original act, not to be missed!
The Afrofest headliners will be supported by some of the top African groups based in Canada, including JP Buse (Zaire), Femi Abosede & Culture Force (Nigeria), Zekuhl (Cameroon), Ruth Mathiang (Sudan), Ijo Vudu (Nigeria), Soukous Tchatcho (Congo), The Tich Maredza Band (Zimbabwe), Anastasio & Zalang (Equatorial Guinea), Amoudou (Guinea), Beyond Sound (various Africa), Justine CanAfric (Ivory Coast) and Symphonix (Trinidad).
Source: Serenassong
ABOUT
AFROFEST is the most prominent event organized by Music Africa; indeed it is the largest annual African music event in Canada. It is also the largest FREE African music festival in North America. It takes place in Queen’s Park, in the heart of downtown Toronto over an entire weekend in July. This fun-filled extravaganza features music, dance, interactive workshops, theatre, poetry, mouth-watering food, a large bustling marketplace, and activities that cater specifically to children and youth. As the largest annual gathering place for African immigrant and diaspora communities, especially those based in Ontario, Afrofest is truly a community-based festival.
AFROFEST features both traditional and modern forms of African music. Artists here perform in a number of African languages, as well as French and English to represent more closely the diversity found both within Africa and Toronto. All told, there are often more than 30 live performances from artists from all over the African continent on 3 distinct stages, including the Main Stage, Drum Stage and Baobab Youth Stage.
AFROFEST features both traditional and modern forms of African music. Artists here perform in a number of African languages, as well as French and English to represent more closely the diversity found both within Africa and Toronto. All told, there are often more than 30 live performances from artists from all over the African continent on 3 distinct stages, including the Main Stage, Drum Stage and Baobab Youth Stage.
Source: Music Africa
Discover Africa in the Heart of Toronto!
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