Africa Oyé has announced the Merseyside talent that will be showcased in the ‘Oyé Introduces’ portion of this year’s 25th Anniversary festival.
Launched in 2015, ‘Oyé Introduces’ will see local talent kick off both days of the festival, giving some of the area’s brightest artists the chance to share the stage with the ever-eclectic international Oyé line-up.
Nutribe & Butcha B come to the festival as part of COLLECTA, self-described as ‘da wickedest’ multi-disciplinary arts collective in the UK’, creating works of music, dance, photography, film and more.
‘Da Raaw’ Nutribe & Butcha B [NuffRespectz EP2] 
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Having all attended the festival over the years as kids growing up and with their parents being some of the brains behind Oyé’s spiritual ancestor, World Earthbeat, Nutribe truly represent the legacy of the festival. Formed in L8, the group’s sound is reminiscent of the conscious, lyrical hip-hop of 80s De La Soul but is very much one of their own making and a sound that will be reaching an audience it deserves at Oyé 25.
The group will be performing music from some of their most recent projects as well as collaborations with other Liverpool artists.
Joining them on the line-up is the fusion of styles and cultures that is Anwar Ali & Dave Owen. Ali moved to the UK as a refugee, originally hailing from the Bajoun islands off the coast of East Africa. He plays the oud, a Middle Eastern instrument which is popular around Somalia and Kenya and brings with him lots of joyous Swahili songs about love and good times. His musical style is a mix of traditional Kenyan and Swahili with influences from as far afield as Norway and France.
Accompanying Ali will be Dave Owen on guitar, a seasoned player who has been performing in bands around Liverpool for over 10 years. Owen started playing with Ali around four years ago and reflects the rhythms of the oud while adding folk style harmony lines on guitar. The result is a unique glimpse into the beautiful music of an East African culture, conjuring up images of white sands and fragrant sea breezes, unrequited love and cha cha dancing.
Both Nutribe and Anwar Ali & Dave Owen join the incredible 25th Annviersary line-up that already includes Mokoomba, Dobet Gnahoré and Jupiter & Okwess International.
Alongside the main stage of live music, the Oyé Village will be providing the public with a variety of world foods, workshops, dance classes, traders and DJs and more. Lots of child-friendly entertainment will once again be on-site so festival-goers can bring the whole family along.
Africa Oyé will take place on 17th and 18th June in Sefton Park, from 12:30pm until 9:30pm both days. Entrance is FREE for all. For more information, please visitafricaoye.com.