Africa Utopia is an annual festival celebrating the arts and culture of one of the world’s most dynamic and fast-changing continents. Championed by Senegalese singer and human rights advocate Baaba Maal, the annual programme features a range of talks, workshops, music, performances, fashion and food.
History
Headlining the festival in 2018 are husband and wife musical duo, Amadou & Mariam, who play from their latest album, La Confusion, and Chineke! Orchestra who present an exhilarating, jazz-infused programme.
In 2012, Southbank Centre launched Africa Utopia, a festival dedicated to bringing art and ideas from Africa and the African diaspora to audiences in the UK. We ask what the West can learn from this rapidly changing continent.
Championed by Africa Utopia artistic collaborator, Senegalese singer and human rights advocate Baaba Maal, the festival’s first four years have featured Afrobeat legend Tony Allen, former First Lady of Somaliland and hospital founder Edna Adan, Kenyan creative collective The Nest, Township Tech originator Spoek Mathambo, ‘godfather of Ethiopian jazz’ Mulatu Astatke and the Kinshasa Symphony orchestra.
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