EC African artists celebrate Madiba legacy

The Festival of Ideas and the Celebrate Africa concert take place on 13 and 14 December 2013 at Emthonjeni Arts, an artist residence based in Hamburg, just south of East London.

These two events form part of the Africans For Africa Programme currently running at the centre. The latter has brought artists from the exiled Festival Au Desert to the Eastern Cape centre as part of the final leg of the Caravan For Peace campaign that has been running during 2013 to highlight the need for the legendary music festival to return its original home in Timbuktu. The Malian artists have been in resident at Emthonjeni Arts since December 4th.

Among those attending the Festival of Ideas will be renowned poet Don Matterra, who will lead poetry sessions and discussions with young, creative thinkers. Exhibited works, crafts and design goods will also be on sale on the day.

The Celebrate Africa concert will feature all the Malian artists currently at Emthonjeni - Cheick Siriman Sissoko, Ahmed Ag Kaedi (of Amanar), Djibril Djiré, Issa Samake, Zoumana Tereta and Maria dite Sayon Sidibé. A line-up of top South African artists, including Madala Kunene. A highlight of the concert will be several once-off collaborations between the different artists on the bill.

"There has been a great deal written and said about the extraordinary life of Nelson Mandela over the past few days," comments Emthonjeni Arts director, SAMA award-winning performer, Nomsa Mazwai.

"What the Festival of Ideas and Celebrate Africa concert is doing is giving life to Madiba's call to action when he said that what counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived but the difference we have made to the lives of others. Our partnership with the Festival Au Desert, under the umbrella of the Africans for Africa, has seen a real strengthening of the spirit of community amongst artists from Mali and South Africa.

"This is a wonderful thing to witness, and it makes the real the idea that the arts can be bring people together in meaningful and sustainable ways. We are positive that the current residency is in line with Madiba's legacy and are proud to be staging these two public events as a way of celebrating his life. They are also a key part of changing the African narrative from one driven by Western media to one that reflects the inherent strengths and empowerment of the continent, across a variety of different, Afro-centred platforms."

Both the Festival of Ideas and the Celebrate Africa Concert are free to the public, with VIP packages also available. Those wishing to attend the events can also make use of the homestay accommodation in the Hamburg area that is being organised through Emthonjeni as part of a concerted drive to bring tourism to the area.

"Africa is a place of innovation and creativity; a place of freedom and both the Festival of Ideas and the Celebrate Africa concert are visible manifestations of that," concludes Mazwai.

For more, go to www.emthonjeniarts.org