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AZGO Festival’s Afrofuturism taking Maputo by storm this Friday, Saturday & Sunday
3:19 CAT | 19 May 2023
AZGO Festival’s Afrofuturism taking Maputo by storm this Friday, Saturday & Sunday
The AZGO Festival is back on stage this Friday, Saturday and Sunday, two years after the hiatus imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic. For its 10th edition, AZGO’s motto is “Cultural Diversity and Peace”, and set on exalting ‘Afrofuturism’.
“We chose Afrofuturism because we want a relaxed way to engage the public’s creativity,” Festival director Julia Novela told ‘Notícias’ yesterday at the event launch.
Anyone wearing an Afrofuturist costume should therefore head to the UEM campus in full regalia from 4:00 p.m. onwards on Saturday. The best Afrofuturist outfit will win a prize of 50,000 meticais..
Afrofuturism bringing together new, different areas @AZGO this year
The Afrofuturism concept guiding this year’s AZGO edition spreads to other parts of the cultural and creative industries, such as fashion, gastronomy and contemporary art, the latter this year celebrating Mozambican visual artist Psiconauth [Hugo Mendes].
The AZGO concerts
The opening of the festival this Friday is at 7:00 p.m. at Maputo’s Franco-Mozambican Cultural Centre, with the Hood Brodz in collaboration with Dona Saquia (Tufu da Mafalala) both from Mozambique, Thobile Makhoyane (Eswatini), Fayazer (Reunion Island) and Vox Sambou (Haiti/Canada).
The Hood Brodz are known for their rousing house music sets, blending pulsing beats and infectious rhythms to create a unique dance-floor experience. The energetic style and undeniable stage presence of Dona Saquia, also known as the Queen of the Tufo da Mafalala group, will undoubtedly set audiences on fire.
Thobile Makhoyane brings his unique musicality and influences with him, contributing to an exciting fusion of styles. Fayazer, possessor of an engaging voice, brings a mix of musical genres such as maloya, sega, reggae and world music, adding an even richer and more diverse dimension to the concert.
Last but not least, Vox Sambu, the incredible Canadian-based Haitian artist, is a musician and activist known for his unique approach, fusing traditional Haitian rhythms with contemporary elements of hip-hop, reggae and world music. His music is a powerful expression of his culture, with catchy lyrics that address social issues and promote unity and positivity.
On Saturday May 20th, AZGO moves to the Main Campus of Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM), starting at 4:00 p.m. in a marathon featuring Elvira Viegas , Stewart Sukuma, Sdala B & Paige, DeHermes, Denilson L.A,Helio Beatz, Mark Exodus, K.O., Radjha Aly, Gina Pepa, Karen Ponto, Preck and the Yaba Buluku Boyz, Pizzampineapples, Sumthin Brown, Thobile Makhanya, Ckarina Miller, DJ Bob, Bub Rui and Ntxuva Sound System.
Finally, the AZGO Festival closes with a free-for-all concert on Sunday in Maputo’s historic Mafalala neighbourhood featuring Stewart Sukuma, Helio Beatz, Junior Boca, James Macama and home stars Tufu da Mafalala.
Source: Notícias / Centro Cultural Franco-Moçambicano / AZGO
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