With some international acts already counting down to grace South African stages, our local acts are also gearing up for international stages.
Some of these acts happen to be from different eras of the rich amapiano genre, which has since taken the world by storm.
Born and bred in South Africa, Gauteng over five years ago, the genre caught global spark in 2019.
As it stands, the evolving sounds of piano have become an important part of African culture, hence the demand.
Responding to this growing demand in the diaspora, the All Africa Festival is ready to have Kamo Mphela, Sha Sha, Vigrodeep and Pabi Cooper perform at their third edition.
The festival is the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) largest celebration of Africa’s rich and diverse cultures in all their vibrant expressions and representations.
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This time around, the celebrations will be taking place in Abu Dhabi, Yas Island from 2 – 4 February 2024 in partnership with the UAE Africa Connect – a platform that harbors harmonic and solid partnership between the UAE and Sub-Saharan Africa.
"We couldn’t be more excited to bring back the All Africa Festival, with Yas Island in Abu Dhabi providing the perfect backdrop to take this event to new heights in driving our mandate to showcase and celebrate Africa’s vibrant entertainment, food and cultural experiences to residents and visitors to the UAE and the GCC region at large,” says Nina Olatoke, CEO and Co-Founder of the All Africa Festival.
“From humble beginnings in Dubai’s Creek Park in 2018, to two consecutive years hosting the festival at the foot of Burj Khalifa in Burj Park, our history spans more than five years of curating and successfully producing a festival that welcomes all nationalities to come and experience the heartbeat of Africa through sound and displays of art, fashion and cuisine.”
The decision to move the All Africa Festival to Abu Dhabi, is inspired by the nation’s ongoing commitment to fostering an inclusive and culturally diverse society, as well as having witnessed the growth in numbers of African expats living and working in the UAE. The UAE is increasingly becoming widely viewed by the African community as a land of opportunity and a global destination of distinction for occupational, entrepreneurship and creative opportunities for expats.
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“As we bring to life the electric, vibrant energy for which Africa is known through music performances, fashion and art installations across the three days, we are truly honoured to be working closely with UAE Africa Connect, our strategic partner, the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, as well as Miral, the leading creator of immersive destinations and experiences, in bringing this event to life,” Nina adds.
The fun-packed event aims to bring together residents and visitors for three-day long entertainment and culturally immersive extravaganza that includes performances from globally renowned music icons, as well as locally based talents and DJs, with representation from all regions of the African continent.
Festival goers will also enjoy diverse offerings of pan-African cuisine, catch a glimpse of unique displays of live art and creative installations, immerse themselves in fashion exhibits from UAE based designers; all of which present a mosaic of uniquely curated experiences that pay homage to the spirit of Africa and its people residing in different corners of the world.
