Ottawa's Souljazz Orchestra

Afrikadey derives its name from the broken English spoken in West Africa, and means “Africa is alive, Africa is well, Africa is there.” Now in its 16th year, Calgary’s Afrikadey! Festival is one of the most successful events of its kind in Canada. The African Festival and Presentation Society (AFPS) aims to showcase the artistic excellence of professional artists from Canada and abroad and to promote cross-cultural exchange and understanding among Africans and non-Africans in Canada. Each year the festival presents musicians, writers, dancers, painters, sculptors and social thinkers from across Canada and around the world in a varied selection of concerts, films, art exhibitions, workshops, theatre and children’s programming, all culminating in the day-long musical extravaganza on Prince’s Island Park.
    The AFPS has experienced all sorts of growing pains over the years, especially in terms of how to represent continental Africa and its diaspora in all of its variety to a Canadian audience. In some years, the festival drew huge crowds, and in others, it was unclear whether it was even happening. However, the AFPS has experienced a resurrection of sorts in recent years, and the result is an innovative festival whose theme this year is “Afrobeat Summit.” It will bring artists from around the world together to celebrate the life and music of Afrobeat inventor Fela Kuti and his impact on the world. Kuti created an irresistibly danceable music that was also full of fire to change the world. In the ’70s, when much of Africa was colonized and its people often believed that anything coming from Europe was better than anything produced at home, Fela Kuti built a music that was uniquely and defiantly African, and spoke often and passionately about the need for African people to develop a pride in themselves and their abilities.
    Kuti died of AIDS in the early ’80s, when the disease was barely recognized. This year, the festival is partnering with AIDS Calgary for the first time, to bring awareness to the AIDS crisis in Africa. A portion of all ticket proceeds will go to the Stephen Lewis Foundation, which supports various African initiatives dealing with the AIDS pandemic. The lineup of African and African-influenced artists from around the world would have made Kuti proud. Kuti himself will be well represented. Dele Sosimi, who played in Kuti’s band Egypt 80 and also played with his son Femi Kuti, will be present. Femi Abosede, an Afrobeat maestro who met Fela Kuti when he was a child, will also be there. "Just by observing Fela, he taught me to work tirelessly and passionately on my craft." Abosede says. "It is my own music, but Fela helped me open my eyes to the world conditions. Through Fela, I found my voice to speak on the issues around me and the world."
    Afrobeat has a growing and vital contingent of youngsters picking up the banner, as exemplified by Montreal-based Afrodizz and the Ottawa-based Souljazz Orchestra. The rest of the continent is also present at Afrikadey: The Amazone Women Master Drummers, the Juno Award-winning African Guitar Summit and local purveyors of diaspora fusion, Los Morenos.