For three sizzling hot summer days, Africa took centre stage at Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre during the 12th annual Habari Africa Festival. Presented by Batuki Music Society and Harbourfront, the weekend festival welcomed folks from all walks of life to immerse themselves in the vibrant spectrum of African music, culture, arts and community.
The festivities kicked off Friday night as Nigerien multi-instrumentalist Boubé invoked the vibe of his nomadic Tamasheq tribe through mesmerizing desert blues, as the August sun waned over the waterfront. Next, Guinean singer-songwriter Kaabi Kouyaté—son of late Mandingo griot icon Sory “Kandia” Kouyaté—infused Afro-jazz flavour into his musical heritage. Kouyaté returned for supergroup Okavango African Orchestra’s headlining performance, along with virtuosic Senegalese tama player Pape Ndiaye and vivacious vocalist Lorraine Klaasen, daughter of legendary South African jazz singer Thandie Klaasen.
Saturday brought a full slate of music and cultural activities, including performances by soulful Nigerian singer Sewà, Ghanaian traditional musician Nii Osabu and his Afro Boys Band, and exuberant Ethiopian and Eritrean songs in Tigrinya and Amharic by Sintayehu “Mimi” Zenebe and Okavango’s Daniel Nebiat.
The afternoon offered screenings of documentaries about agroecology and feminism in Guinea-Bissau (Unite for Bissau/Nô Kumpu Guiné), Ethiopia’s renowned Fendika Cultural Center (Take Me to Fendika) and the legacy of Kandia Kouyaté (La Trace de Kandia). The day concluded with a lively headlining show by Congolese artist Fredy Massamba, whose captivating Afro-soul rhythms enticed audience members from their comfortable seats and onto their dancing feet.
Throughout the weekend, audiences were treated to incredible acrobatics by Boblée Danse Cirque, the stage name of Montreal-based Guinean Lansana Camara. In addition to traditional African dance, Boblée repeatedly wowed crowds with seemingly effortless flips, breakdancing and astonishing feats of upper-body strength, all the more impressive under the sultry summer sun.
Other cultural experiences included dramatic traditional Southern African dance performances by collective Izimba Arts, interactive kalimba and balafon workshops led by Njacko Backo and Adama Daou, and complimentary coffee breaks at the Ethiopian Buna Café.
Following an electric Sunday afternoon set by Senegal’s Sahad, the festival culminated with Sadaka, a communal parade through the Harbourfront village led by drummers and dancers, including Boblée and Okavango’s Mabinty Sylla. A memorable moment saw three griots join together onstage: Kouyaté, Malian vocalist Djely Tapa and Okavango kora player and percussionist Sadio Sissokho from Senegal. In the end, musicians, dancers, attendees and volunteers alike came together to bask in the warm glow of African culture, united by the universal language of music, art and community.
Photography by Andy Lee