Yvonne Chaka Chaka
Celebrated African musician, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, is set to thrill patrons of “The African Festival”, a celebration that harnesses the transformative power of culture, arts, and music to promote awareness of climate change.
Fused with a buffet of music, dance, drama, and comedy, the three-day event, which will begin with a grand opening on Saturday, December 28, 2024 at the Accra International Conference Centre, will showcase traditional arts and diverse cultural celebrations, as well as highlight investment opportunities in Ghana.
The festival, which is projected at creating some 1000 direct and indirect jobs, is aimed at creating the biggest annual Pan-African Pilgrimage in the world that educates and contributes to the development of Africa, while providing a unique platform where African cultural heritage becomes a force for change.
Held on the theme, “Kinako! Feel Africa, Be the Change,” the festival will inspire collective action towards addressing environmental sustainability across the continent, and raise awareness about the urgent need to combat climate change while celebrating Africa’s rich artistic diversity through an extraordinary blend of theatre, music, contemporary arts, history, and African traditions.
It is also designed to be an immersive experience that will take patrons on a journey of discovering African history and embracing its adventures.
Overview
Giving an overview view of the festival, Mr. Latif Abubakar, Founder of The African Festival, and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Globe Productions Limited, organisers of The African Festival (TAF) said, besides re-igniting the spirit of Pan-Africanism for sustainable development of the African continent, the festival would also promote climate action by using art and cultural narratives to raise awareness about the environmental challenges Africa faces.
He said TAF would inspire change by drawing from Africa’s rich heritage and traditional ecological knowledge as a solution to modern climate issues, while uniting communities through a shared cultural experience that celebrates resilience and innovation in response to climate change.
“It is a celebration that will take patrons through a captivating journey of the rich tapestry of African history,” he said.
Mr. Abubakar indicated that besides creating jobs in the arts, tourism, and hospitality sectors, the festival would also serve as a tool that drives economic development by inspiring the promotion of entrepreneurship and innovation to generate revenue for local businesses and the government.
Dubbed, “The Climate Change Edition,” the festival will focus on driving the “Be the Change” campaign via Arts and Culture, and promises to offer theatre lovers Africa’s biggest cultural nights.
Festival Highlight
The major highlights of the festival would be the staging of two spectacular plays by the celebrated playwright, Latif Abubakar titled ‘Don Quixote Africa’, an African retelling of the first ever European classic novel, and “Ghana Must Go,” a comedy play that tells story of Ghana’s rich Culture heritage, tourism, and investment opportunities, as well as an Afro Night Music Concert which will be frontlined by Yvonne Chaka Chaka.
The concert will feature performances from three-time Grammy Awards nominee, Rocky Dawuni; Musiga President, Bessa Simons; Okyeame Kwame, and other top artistes whose music advocate for climate awareness and sustainable living.
It is a concert that is positioned to promote change and brings together Pan African musicians who sing traditional authentic African songs
Attractions
Other attractions include “The Den of History” and “The African Food Festival” where African stories will be told through outdoor film festivals as well as by the fireside storytelling, and the exhibition of sustainable African cuisines that would focus on plant-based and eco-friendly dishes respectively.
There would also be iconic model structures such as the Pyramid of Giza, the Seven Wonders of Africa, the Larabanga Mosque, the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum, the Nelson Mandela Capture Site, and Ghanaian artist, Ibrahim Mahama’s Contemporary Art Installation, as well as Camel Ride on a model desert.
Family and Children’s Activities
The festival will include engaging, climate-themed activities for children and families, aimed at helping foster environmental consciousness in the younger generation.
Tickets for the festival are on sale at GH¢250 per day, and GH¢600 for all three days. To purchase tickets, patrons should dial *714*70# or visit www.theafricanfestival.com
Partnership
The African Festival, which is powered by Globe Productions Limited, is in partnership with the African Women and Children’s Conference (AFRIWOCC), Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC), and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), with support from the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, Graphic Communications Group Ltd, and The Media General Group.