Awilo Afro Soukous Super-man to perform Live at L’Afrique Festival – 14th November 2009
It is hard to imagine just how massive a star Awilo Longomba is across the African continent.
So as Awilo prepares to play the 6th L’Afrique Festival 2009 on 14 November – waves of excitement ripple throughout the region.
This prestigious concert by Awilo headlines a four day celebration of African and Afro-Caribbean culture, with a focus on music, film and the lifestyle highlighting the regions ethnic diversity and vitality.
To add to the party atmosphere, Awilo will be supported by Franck Akyl from the Democratic Republic of Congo – who will be adding a bucketful of spice to the proceeding with his Afro Dance Fusion and Congolese Soukous with his band Nostra Musica and his eye-popping frenetic dancers!
Add to this mix, a local flavour by way of Newcastle-based Hassle, a roots reggae band fronted by singer-songwriter Steve Dread ; Congolese Gospel from the exquisite Lilas la Fleur plus high octane dance beats from Senegal Sagar and Diabel (Gambia)
BBC 1XTRA’s DJ Edu will be at the decks, playing the hottest underground sounds out of Africa, from hip hop and RnB to dancehall, garage and D&B
Extend that fan base to Europe and then to the African Diaspora across the US & Canada, and you begin to get an idea of the magnitude of this visiting superstar.
L’Afrique Festival is a timely showcase of the contribution of the African community to the vibrant cultural industries.
To give you a flavour of the event, Awilo and a full-on live band, will be rocking the town with his electrifying blend of Kompas and Soukouss, a heady blend of afro-funk-pop based on his Congolese roots. An evening with Awilo and friends is a world dance party extraordinaire – this is no sit down gig!
Useful Links:
Awilo Longomba on New African Production.com
Awilo Longomba on MySpace
Franck Akyl on MySpace
Franck Akly on Soukous.com
Hassle on MySpace
Hassle Website
Lilas La Fleur on MySpace
BBC 1EXTRA’s DJ Edu Profile
105 Westgate Road
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 4AG
0191 243 1171
The Journal Tyne Theatre Website
Times: doors open 7pm, show starts 8pm, ends 11pm
Tickets: £15 advance, £20 on the door
Ticket outlets: Ticketweb, hotline on 0844 493 9999, 24 hours a day 7 days a week