Africa Oye 2015: All You Need To Know Ahead Of The Weekend

The stage is up, the sun is out and the final preparations for Africa Oye 2015 are underway! This weekend, musicians, dancers, DJs, traders and festival-goers from all around the world will descend upon Sefton Park for two days of celebration.Africa Oye 2015: All You Need To Know Ahead Of The Weekend
If you’re planning to join us this weekend, then below is all the information you should need! And don’t forget, you can download this year’s Festival Brochure for free at tinyurl.com/Oye2015Brochure

Main Stage Acts

On the main stage, Soul supremo Omar will headline the Saturday of the event, preceded by one of East Africa’s most exciting new bands – Sarabi – performing for the first time ever in the UK.

Reggae icon Frankie Paul is set to close proceedings on the Sunday after Lindigo – hailing from Reunion Island – grace Sefton Park in what promises to be one of the most spectacular and vibrant sets of the weekend.

In the brand new ‘Oye Introduces’ portion of the festival, acts from the North West will kick things off on both days, with Pieces of a Man (Saturday) and Merki Waters (Sunday) both making their Oye debuts.

Here’s the running order for the main stage of this year’s Africa Oye:

Africa Oye 2015 – Running Order
(Line-up subject to change)

Sat 20th June, 2015 – Sefton Park, Liverpool

Pieces of a Man
12:30 till 13:00

BKO Quintet
13:20 till 14:35

Community Performance: Kreative Kaos
14:35

Derito
14:55 till 16:10

Gordon Masiala & NKA Musica
16:30 till 17:45

Sarabi
18:05 till 19:20

Omar
19:40 till 21:00
– –
Sun 21st June, 2014 – Sefton Park, Liverpool

Merki Waters
12:30 till 13:00

Modou Toure & Ramon Goose
13:20 till 13:50

Community Performance: Beatlife
13:50

Diabel Cissokho
14:10 till 15:25

Andy Kershaw (1 Hour DJ Set)
15:35 till 16:35

Lindigo
16:55 till 18:10

Cumbia All Stars
18:30 till 19:45

Frankie Paul
20:05 till 21:15

The Oye Active Zone

Run in conjunction with Movema and supported by PH.Holt, the Oyé Active Zone allows visitors of all ages and backgrounds to to try dance, music and arts activities throughout the weekend led by top local and international companies.

The weekend will see a host of Zumba, Congolese, Afro-Caribbean and West African activities with a focus on promoting health and wellbeing, learning and participation.

DJs – Main Stage

To keep Sefton Park buzzing in between the live artists, Oye is very pleased to welcome back DJ Edu (BBC Radio 1 Xtra) and Esa Williams after their hugely popular appearances at last year’s festival.

And in a very special Oye debut, Andy Kershaw, the former BBC Radio 1 and Radio 3 personality, who holds more Gold Sony Radio Awards than any other broadcaster, will perform an hour long DJ set on the Sunday of the festival, showcasing the variety of World Music that fans of his will have enjoyed for the last 30 years.

For many in Britain, Kershaw’s Radio 1 show will have been the gateway to their first taste of music from Africa. In 1985, he was invited by the station to present his own show with a free choice of music. As his own tastes evolved so did the content of the radio show. Meeting the musicologist and Radio 3 presenter Lucy Duran and the first appearance of Zimbabwe’s Bhundu Boys in the UK tipped Andy heavily into African music.

DJs Trenchtown / Afrobeats

The Trenchtown DJ area returns to this year’s Africa Oye, featuring DJs including Fila Brazilia co-founder Steve Cobby (pictured), Banana Hill, Truth & Lies and a host of Liverpool’s finest – including No Fakin’, One A Penny, Rich Furness and Bernie Connor on the decks.

The two-day DJ programme features the region’s best Afro-centric selectors, as well as DJ’s playing tracks from all corners of the globe.  The area will be hosted by Beaten Tracks – Liverpool-based collective and longtime supporters of the festival. 

For full DJ line-up, head to http://tinyurl.com/oyedjs2015

After a fantastic introduction to the festival last year, Trenchtown is back.

Situated opposite the main stage at the far end of the park, the area will feature The Oyé Inn, some of the country’s top Afro-centric DJs and The Trenchtown Truck Company serving Caribbean delights, the Oyé merchandise stall, Barefoot Wine Sampling and a comfortable seating area ideal for chilling out. And for those feeling more active, there will also be plenty of space for dancing the weekend away! A percentage of money spent in Trenchtown is invested back into keeping Africa Oyé free for all.

After Parties

Several Liverpool venues are providing festival-goers with the chance to keep the party going well into the night once things have wrapped up in Sefton Park!

For more info and tickets, head to http://tinyurl.com/oyeafterparties

Travel

Thinking of driving to Oye? Why not choose a greener option by cycling or walking, or utilising public transport where possible? Please note: car parking in the immediate vicinity of the festival is limited, and predominantly for residents.

There are many ways to get to the festival including walking, cycling or usingMerseyrail and Merseytravel services. Click here for more info on your Oye travel options.