“The culture of the African continent is extremely diverse and rich. We invite you to see that there are many different countries, nations, and tribes in Africa that are still trying to maintain the cultural traditions that have been nurtured for centuries. They are unique, they may seem exotic, but we want to invite you to look with curiosity and get to know the planet where we all live together. Especially since globalization touches even the remotest corners and even those long-standing traditions of human heritage that we present this year are slowly disappearing,” says one of the festival’s organizers, percussionist Gediminas Mačiulskis, who himself has been researching West African culture for many years.
It is from Guinea in West Africa that world-famous performers are coming to Vilnius especially for the “Days of Africa”: the son of one of the most respected West African musician dynasties – percussionist Billy Nankouma Konate, who is celebrating his 30th anniversary on the international stage this year, and Aboubacar Sylla, a representative of the famous family of Guinean choreographers. known in the dance world as Bobzi Record. They will meet the audience at the big festival concert on May 9. and music and dance creative workshops on May 10. and the 11th
Photographer, book author, traveler, actress Eglė Aukštakalnytė-Hansen, who lives in this East African country, specially flew from Kenya to the festival. A special collection of photographs captures the unique customs and rites of the Maasai tribe living in the territories of Kenya and Tanzania. “The pictures here sound vivid, meaningful. It is very interesting how modernity and tradition come together in this techno mood, factory environment. People will be really interested. The tradition is slowly disappearing and becoming history, so I am glad that it is recorded, and in this space it becomes even more alive”, – to the meeting today at 19:00. invites E. Aukštakalnytė-Hansen.
The meeting with the photographer will be accompanied by a concert of Victor Diawara’s project “Afrodelic”, which combines electronic and traditional African music. “Africa Days” concerts on May 8. and on the 9th will be held at the Loftas art factory, admission is free.
The festival is organized by the “Afrikas būgnai” public enterprise, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania, the association LATGA, and the art factory “Loftas”. The festival dedicated to the International Day of Africa is organized in Lithuania every year: during the twelve years of its existence, cultural peculiarities of Senegal, Mali, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Ghana, and Uganda have been presented here.
