San Francisco (California), USA – Returning for a third year after two consecutive sold-out concerts, The Afrofunk Music Festival–An Afrobeat music extravaganza Benefiting Save the Children Emergency relief Fund–announces ths year’s line-up. The Afrofunk Festival centers on a series of money-raising concerts in the month of July, across four cities; San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara and Santa Monica.
"The crisis in Darfur is heartbreaking to watch and I feel it’s our responsibility as a global community to take action and not stand by and watch it at a distance via TV," said Sila Mutungi, the festival organizer and producer. "The Afrofunk Festival gives us an extraordinary opportunity to raise awareness and save lives. More than 400,000 are dead so far, and more than 2.5 million Sudanese have been displaced by the Arab Janjaweed militia in what the United Nations has called "the world’s greatest humanitarian crisis." There are no big name artist on the festival bill," says Sila. "Just local independent artist with big hearts and a mission: to bring a little sunshine into the lives of kids in Darfur, Sudan through music."This year’s Afrofunk Festival features artists representing a wide diversity of cultures, and traditions: Anyone drawn to gritty, hard-hitting, Fela Kuti and James Brown funk will want to hear Sila and the Afrofunk Experience. Other party-goers will find themselves dancing to the Nigerian Juju music, and Afrobeat rhythms of Baba Ken and Afro-groove Connexion . Aziz Faye Nguewel And Drummers of Senegal will bring house down with their pulsating African master drumming. Fela Kuti fanatics should not miss the dance infused jams of Afrobeat Down, Dj Jeremiah and the Afrobeat Nation, Dj Emmanuel Nado & Dj Nnamdi. (Artist descriptions below.)
The site, http://afrofunk.org, also includes a short documentary film directed by Peter Jordan of LocalFilms called "Darfur Rising." The film is about children fleeing the genocide in Darfur and their descriptions of the atrocities they witnessed in their homeland. Safe now, in a refugee camp in Sudan, the children learn English in a temporary school, which they hope will bring them peace. On the Afrofunk.org website, people can contribute directly to the Sudanese relief efforts of Save the Children Fund.
FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
SATURDAY, JULY 14TH, 9PM
Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way,
Santa Cruz, CA 95065. http://moesalley.com
Tickets: $10Adv/15Door. Available by calling (831) 479-1854.
Who: Sila and the Afrofunk Experience, DJ Jeremiah and the Afrobeat Nation
THURSDAY, JULY 19TH, 9PM:
SOHO, 11026 Wilshire Blvd Santa Monica, CA 90401
Tickets: $10. Available at http://sohosb.com
Who: Sila and the Afrofunk Experience, DJ Jeremiah and the Afrobeat Nation
SATURDAY, JULY 21st, 9PM
Temple Bar, 1026 Wilshire
Blvd Santa Monica, CA 90401
Tickets: $10ADV/$12DOOR. Available at http://templebarlive.com.
Who: Sila and the Afrofunk Experience (headlines), Aziz Faye Nguewel and Drumers of Senegal, DJ Nnambi
FRIDAY, JULY 28th & SATRUDAY, JULY 29th, 9PM
The independent
628 Divisadero Street, San Franciscoo, CA 94117. http://theindependentsf.com
Tickets: $17GEN/$45VIP. Available at tickweb.com.
Who: Sila and the Afrofunk Experience (Headlines both nights), Baba Ken and Afro-groove Connexion (opens 7/28), Afrobeat Down (opens 7/29), DJ Jeremiah and the Afrobeat Nation (opens 7/29)
Author: World Music Central News Room
World music news from the editors at World Music Central
