A Special Spirit of Africa Festival Live from Dakar
Seattle Center Festal highlights ethnic cultural communities who contribute to the artistic excellence and vitality of our region. The festival producers come from many walks of life and parts of the globe. Spirit of Africa is produced by a local Senegalese griot musician, Thione Diop, who at the beginning of the pandemic found himself in Western Africa. He remains there today, much to our benefit, because the festival will live stream this Saturday from Maison de La Culture Douta Seck, Dakar, Senegal
Facebook link click here.
Thione has assembled an amazing musical lineup, some of Senegal’s most acclaimed artists. They include Orchestra Baobab composedof diverse musical personalities who offer a unique blend of Afro-Latin styles, international pop, West African griot music and an after-dark West African nightclub ambience of lilting, mellifluous rhythms. Bakalama Danse comes from the disciplines of movement, music and percussion that revolve around traditional African songs and dances. Aida Mbayecomes fares from a family of highly respected Senegalese singers–and is an artist in her own right. Ndo-M’bemba Kanoutè started playing kora with his uncle, a renowned musician in the griot world, at age 10. After a few years of musicmaking in France, he returned to Senegal and joined the jazz ensemble led by Mbassou Niang, forging his place among other traditional korists through jazz. Didier Awadi is undoubtedly the most visible figure in French-speaking African rap. He is also a member of the group Positive Black Soul, one of the first hip-hop collectives in Dakar. DJ Coco Jean, a popular radio personality in West Africa, emcees it all with an upbeat style that will energize the rhythm and flow of the festival. He will introduce and interview the artists.
View the programs by clicking here and join us May 15 for a very special live stream from across the seas!
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About Seattle Center:
Connect to the extraordinary at Seattle Center, an active civic, arts and family gathering place in the core of our region. More than 30 cultural, educational, sports and entertainment organizations that reside on the grounds, together with a broad range of public and community programs, create thousands of events on the 74-acre campus and attract over 12 million visitors each year. At Seattle Center, part of Uptown Arts & Cultural District, our purpose is to create exceptional events, experiences and environments that delight and inspire the human spirit to build stronger communities. Activities at the Center generate $1.864 billion in business activity and $631 million in labor income.
