Afro-Latin Fest YEG announces two-day jamboree

An array of activities: music, dance and poetry with a wide range of sonic styles, a market, gaming, networking, and interactions between Edmonton’s Afro-Latin community is outlined as three venues will be hosting entertainment over two evenings.

Artists that include: Agbe meaning: Life (Ghana), Young Paris (Congo/US), Benjamin BK (Cameroon/Dutch), MelAfrique (Edmonton group), Juic3Boy (Ghana/Canada, David Jay (Mexico/Canada), SocaFit (Edmonton Carribean fitness dance group), Christian De La Luna (Canada/Colombia) alongside Canadian-born musicians and dancers from different nations scheduled, mostly from West Africa and the Caribbean. 

While the Agbe toupe cannot bring the 55 members who make up the full group, festival-goers will still have a slice of the cultural legacy they portray that dates back centuries. Agbe serves as the cult, social and recreational folk music of the Tabom Afro-Brazilain community of Accra. Their unique music and dance is performed as part of their day-to-day activities and at events that are typically Tabom or non-Tabom.

The festival kicks off at the Garneau Theatre on Friday as follow-up activities continue at Station On Jasper, Jasper Avenue ending on Saturday with the main event at the Starlite Room.

According to The Edmonton Journal, festival co-producer, Ivan Touko (Cameroon) said: “Basically our goal is to try and bridge the gap between the African, Caribbean and Latin communities and Greater Edmonton itself,” he explains. “As a member of the African community here for seven years now I know there are a lot of great things happening, but the community wasn’t communicating enough with the rest of the city.”

The Afro Latin Festival YEG was created with the goal of bringing to the Albertan and Canadian community the sights, sounds, and flavours of diverse representations of African, Caribbean and Latin cultures all in one place.

The first Afro Latin Festival YEG sold out the Starlite Room. Over 50 local and international acts participated and it brought over 500 Edmontonians and Albertans together to rejoice, share and experience a multitude of performances ranging from spoken word to high energy African drumming alongside   Salsa, reggae, afrobeats and interactive dance tutorials.