Africa New Music presents Festival Bana Y’ Afrique, 23-24 July 2011, Toronto
Festival Bana y’Afrique is a free outdoor celebration of African music and culture for the whole family to enjoy. This year, the 12th annual African festival.
Festival Bana y’Afrique 2011 features a main concert stage with 16 performances bands by local and international award-winning African musical groups and exciting traditional dancers. From north to south and east to west, come and experience rhythms from the African continent.
Africa New Music presents Toronto’s 12th annual Bana Y’Afrique Festival, a celebration of African music and culture, FREE on July 23th and 24th at Metro Hall Square. 3 – 10 PM (BY JOHN STREET AND KING STREET WEST)
Bana Y’Afrique is a multi-disciplinary event with concerts, dance, theatre, food, a marketplace, and activities for youth and children. Traditional and contemporary styles of music by top international touring acts and Eight of African performing groups from across Canada and one international will be seen and heard.
Come to Metro Hall Square, Bana y’Afrique is a showcase of the richness and diversity of African culture and the 11th anniversary
Festival Bana y’Afrique market will feature vendors and cultural organizations with a wide array of crafts and clothing from the continent and the opportunity to sample delicious African foods. A journey to the continent of Africa right here in downtown Toronto.
Festival Bana y’Afrique is a free event organized by Africa New Music – Afrique Nouvelle Musique, a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of African music and culture in Toronto.
FEATURING:
Kache Kashala (Democratic Republic of Congo)
Kache Kashala was born in Democratic Republic of Congo and raised in a Christian family. His testimony is simple: through music and words; expressing the love of God that reaches the heart of every man who wishes to open up to him. Since childhood, he had a passion for music and began his artistic career in his early years. In 1978, he joined the choir group in which he was well trained to sing and perform as a musician and singer. After leaving the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kache lived in South Africa where he continued to perform and compose music. Since moving to Toronto Kache has participated in several events and performed in many music festivals around the world. He has supported many other artists to record their albums by helping them with musical arrangements. Kache Kashala has released five albums of his songs. You have to attend one of his shows to realize how Kache Kashala can lead all people to dance under the African beat. In support of women and children’s victim of rape in the Eastern of Congo Democratic in Africa, Kache Kashala is performing fundraising concerts across Canada. To know more about Kache Kashala, please visit his website at www.kache.org and www.luzoloafrica.com
Jacko Backo
Entertainer, musician, composer, dancer, choreographer, author and educator Njacko Backo shares his uplifting music, energizing dance, and hope-filled stories with audiences of all ages and all walks of life. Njacko was born in Cameroon in 1958 and raised in the hills in a small village called Bazou, which means “The Walkers.” To paint a picture of life in his village, Njacko often points to the movie “The Gods Must Be Crazy” to demonstrate the truly rural and organic nature of his upbringing.
Musically and spiritually Njacko draws on the lessons he learned in Africa from his musical family, mentors and village life. Like most children in his village, Njacko began playing percussion and making instruments at age three. However, with his Grandmother’s assistance, Njacko met with the elders of the village who taught him to play music starting with the hand drum (toumkak), kalimba (thumb piano), and African harp (zaa koua and ngoni).
Njacko has presented guest lectures at York University, University of Guelph and University of Waterloo, and teaches through many organizations including Club 2/3, Mariposa in the Schools, Haliburton School of the Arts, and the Royal Conservatory of Music. Njacko delights children and adults alike by inviting them on-stage to make music with him, and by captivating them with his talents as a storyteller and writer with a repertoire of over one hundred tales and legends.
In keeping with his desire to build community and bring down barriers, Njacko regularly takes the opportunity to put his art to the service of others, helping to raise funds for various causes/events including Amnesty International, Foster Parents Plan, Toronto Hospital for Sick Children, The Stephen Lewis Foundation, The David Suzuki Foundation, Engineers Without Borders, Music Africa, and The Muhtadi International Drumming Festival.
Anastasio & Zalang Bio
Anastasio Bickie was born into a musical family in the lush tropical and tiny country of Equatorial Guinea in West Africa.
Bickie immersed himself in music from an early age. His father played guitar and often his home would be filled with people singing, dancing and playing drums. There was a popular musician, Ecuaga Miko who along with his wife would travel from village to town singing and dancing to traditional Fang rhythms and melodies. The town’s people would supply the drummers and their voices would become the backup choir for Miko and his wife to perform. Bickie was influenced greatly in his early years through these musical experiences and this environment contributed greatly to his decision to make a career of music.
While growing up in Bata on the mainland in the Rio Muni district there was not a lot of local recorded music available. The radio stations mostly broadcast popular music from neighbouring countries like Cameroon, Gabon and Nigeria, soukous from Zaire, music from Spain, South America and Cuba, European and North American pop music. These musical styles along with the traditional ‘Elon’ rhythms and music styles of Equatorial Guinea combined create the unique sound of Bickie’s music.
Bickie had the opportunity to go to Madrid where he formed his first band called Annax. He performed with his group around Spain and also toured with a popular Spanish duo, Eduardo Rodrigo and Teresa Rabal.
Soon after Bickie migrated to Canada in 1985 and called Toronto home he formed a band named Annax Bickie and Zalang. Anastasio Bickie is one of a few musicians that introduced African music to Toronto in the mid 80’s. His band recorded a couple of albums, Harvest Time and Cosecha and an award winning music video ‘I Can’t Sleep’. Annax Bickie and Zalang performed in some of Toronto’s popular clubs including The Phoenix, The El Mocambo, The Bamboo, Harbourfront centre and other venues.
Anastasio’s band continues to capture the same spirit and energy that have always been a part of his music. Fronted by Anastasio on vocals/guitar, Zalang’s line-up is comprised of bass, drums, percussion, keys and lead guitar.
Blaise La Bamba
Labamba real name, Blaise Muana Manzo Bamba was born in Congo – Kinshasa. Now aged 34, he decided early on that to follow the path of music. Influenced by his parents: his father, his mother a pianist and vocalist in the largest Protestant church in Congo, his childhood was rocked.
In 1993, he stated his desire to follow a career in music studies at the Institut National des Arts in Kinshasa where he obtained his degree in government in 1995. This musician-arranger, versatile as he is comfortable with the keyboard, guitar and percussion, inspired by the large heads as Koffi Olomide and Lokoué Kanza. Grouped around a common passion, music, with friends in the neighborhood, they decided in 1990 to start a band “Chic-A-Gombe” in the colors of soukous and rumba. Solicited in the school holidays, barbecues, etc … marriage is built a loyal following. And the group of neighborhood friends and seduce Labamba across the capital. Due to greater ambitions and disagreements the band broke up in 1995, but this is only the beginning of the adventure
Sonia Aimy
Sonia Aimiuwu in art Sonia Aimy is a singer, actress, choreographer, and writer based in Turin, Italy. She is trained in Nigeria and Italy as actress, jazz singer and choreographer. This talented actress also trained with the Council of Europe as Cultural Manager for minorities project in Europe.
Sonia starts to sing as a child chorister in the gospel group the St Joseph Catholic Church in Benin City, Nigeria. Later, his interest in folk music, traditional and curiosity for the stories, the art of story, the acting and dance led her to undergo training with the group demands for several years. Sonia’s work experience in the arts has seen her work with the National theatre of Turin, National theatre of Rome, Alma theatre, Zelig (TV cabaret programme), Fabularasa theatre, Eco-Art company, Agidi productions (Paolo Rossi), RAI (Radio Television Italian), and artistic director of the African theatre in Turin. She has played in concerts on national and international festivals.
She was also Project Manager for Youth Express Network (France), Young Women from Minority (Sweden), Minorities of Europe (United Kingdom), and Portugal for African cultural events. She directing and presenting multicultural Radio programmes. BABALA SALAH on RADIO TORINO POPOLARE 96.7FM and AFROMANIA on RADIO FLASH 97.6FM. She also wrote, directed and choreographed her own version of SHANGO’, IDIA, WOMEN ON STAGE, RACISM, RHYTHMS AND VOICES FROM AFRICA, RHYTHM AND MELODY OF MIGRANTS, FAT BUT BEAUTIFUL amongst others. “Miss
She is the founder of Afro Festival Association, Active member of Alma Terra Association – writing and managing project for African women in particular Nigerians. Sonia has represented Italy in international seminars and conferences on minorities’ issues, represented minorities in Italy on African art, collaborated with artistes such as IGNAWA (Morocco), Dudu Ndiaye Mbegel and Mbaye Ndiaye (Senegal), ADAO RAMOS (Cape Verde), Manuela Tavares (Angola – Portugal), Rodica Manciu (Romania), Mohammed Cheikh (Tunisia), Gabin dabiré (Burkina Faso), Were Were Liking (Ivory-Coast), and a host of others.
She was nominated among the best writers in a national contest organised by Centro Studi Pensiero Feminile promoted by the Regional government, International Book Fair and Turin World Capital of Book fair.
Person, who manages her time more creatively through a lot of artistic activities. Her kind and generous spirit could be felt in the lyrics of her recent music album. In the awe of her creativity, she has exhibited the trends of her root (Africa), through a lot of cultural events.
Tamsir Seck
Originally from the City of Thies in the Midwest of Senegal, Tamsir is the descendant of a family of musicians (griot). In those families, the art of music is transmitted from father to son. In the African tradition, the musicians were called “history keepers” because they would recount the history of the nation in their songs. Their music contributes to the rebirth of the African heritage. With such a background, Tamsir is specialized in traditional ballet and drums playing. He plays the Djembé, the Tama, the Sabar and the “Xalam”. Tamsir is also a great dancer and masters traditional dances from all the provinces of Senegal.
The Djembé was born in the manding country, between the city of Kankan (guinée) and Bamako (Mali). It has the shape of a Chalice in wood that women would use for food preparation. On top of it was stretched the skin of antelope with leather ropes. Nowadays, the antelope’s skin is replaced with goat’s skin and the leather ropes with synthetic ropes. The djembé is a well-known instrument in West Africa. This instrument is played for secular danses, for farmers and various ceremonies.
AND MORE MORE COMING UP………
Date: Saturday 23th and 24th Sunday July 2011
Time: 3 – 10 PM
LOCATION: METRO HALL SQUARE (BY JOHN STREET AND KING STREET WEST)
www.afriquenouvellemusique.org
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