The 34th Africa Festival in Würzburg Highlights Female Energy: Largest and Oldest Festival for African Music and Culture in Europe

She campaigns for women’s rights and for better coexistence. Her social commitment extends from Stuttgart to her former home in South Africa. In songs she tells of the difficult living conditions in Soweto and the long fight against apartheid. She clears up prejudices at German schools.

Now the singer Thabilé – her second album “Read my Lips” has just been released – has received the Africa Festival Award 2023 in Würzburg. It is traditionally awarded to musicians and artists who have distinguished themselves through their special talent, or to institutions or people who are particularly committed to Africa.

Both apply to Thabilé. And the musician, who now lives in Stuttgart, also served the two main themes of this year’s Würzburg Festival, which was held for the 34th time, “South Africa” ​​and “Strong Women”. For four days, visitors to the largest and oldest festival for African music and culture in Europe could be inspired by her and other strong women on the Mainwiesen.

Twelve women’s bands

First of all a look at Thabilé. She was born into very humble circumstances in Dlamini, a township in Soweto/Johannesburg. She doesn’t know much about her father, grew up with her single mother, aunt and grandmother. The women stuck together – and so the singer also addresses in one of her songs today that the children lacked for nothing and they learned things that can’t be found in any book.

The mother, herself a singer, encouraged her daughter to join a gospel choir and school choir at the age of eight. Today, Thabilé lets soul, afro, gospel, pop, jazz and R’n’B flow together – and always represents the African continent. Doing what she does is a privilege for her, the likeable singer thanks.

Among the 17 music acts at this year’s Africa Festival were twelve women’s bands. It’s all about visibility, said Ilse Aigner, President of the Bavarian State Parliament and keynote speaker at the official opening. And: When looking at Africa’s women, it’s not just about strength, but also about equal opportunities, equality and justice. Global crises hit women and girls particularly hard, she reminds them and calls for Africa to finally be seen as the continent of opportunity.

Mandela exhibition until July 29th

In addition, the President of the State Parliament quotes Nelson Mandela: Education is the most important weapon to change the world. Speaking of which: the exhibition “Madiba – Nelson Mandela” by photographer Jürgen Schadeberg, who died in 2020, can be seen in the foyer of Würzburg University on Sanderring until July 29, with impressions of Mandela’s eventful life.

At the opening, Souleymane Diallo steps up to the microphone, representing a strong woman. His mother Hadja Kitagbe Kaba, who died unexpectedly eight years ago, had founded the »Mama Afrika eV« association at the time. Its mission, which the children of the founder are now pursuing, is, as Souleymane Diallo tells, to overcome female genital mutilation in African countries. The activities include numerous projects and awareness campaigns in Germany and Guinea as well as the expansion of the Mama Afrika kindergarten in Kankan.

A detour to the university tent. This is about a project to combat the disease schistosomiasis, about Würzburg’s long-standing partnership with Mwanza Tanzania, about the close exchange of experience and knowledge between the local museologists with the Egyptian Helwan University in Cairo and, very recently, the Université da la Manouba in Tunisia Tunis or training activities of the Institute of Geography in Geology in the disciplines of remote sensing and geographic systems in West African partner universities.

Research in Würzburg

Itohan-Osa Abu comes from Nigeria and studied geology there. She is now a doctoral student at the Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg and is researching the push-and-pull effects of rural African industrial companies in the “Migraware” project. Which factors lead to people moving to the countryside, which trigger movements from rural regions to urban areas? The scientific work is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The young geologist from Nigeria wants to develop governance instruments that are suitable for alleviating migration needs, improving local livelihoods and maintaining human-environment interactions.

Committed fashion designer

Completely different, but with just as much passion, fashion designer Rama Diaw from Saint Louis in Senegal has been committed to her continent for years. She designs modern African fashion and accessories. She buys all the materials she uses in Senegal, Mauritania and Mali. And she gave the impetus to the »Aissaitou« association, which brings together disadvantaged dressmakers, seamstresses and textile dyers in the countryside and provides work. This year, »Madame Rama« and her models on the festival catwalk primarily presented environmentally friendly fashion.

And at the evening concerts on the large open-air stage of the Africa Festival, there is no shortage of Africa’s strong women. The opening will be taken over by the powerful-voiced Juanita Euka, overflowing with energy, with a band. She was born in Congo, grew up in Argentina and then moved to London with her family at the age of 14.

Everything is mixed up in their music: Afrobeat, Argentinian tango, South American rhythms, Latin funk, British soul. She sings in several languages ​​and celebrates the »Congolese Rumba« on her debut album »Mabanzo«. “We are all one race, ok?” she reminds that all people are one across the world. Then she sings about »sueños de libertad« (dream of freedom).

MICHAELA SCHNEIDER

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