Afrikin Fest Highlights African Diaspora with Mutabaruka
Miami’s fall festival season is here and bringing with it, Afrikin Fest, a new and multifaceted festival that spotlights innovation and highlights the ingenuity, economic, and social opportunities of Africa and the African diaspora.
The two daylong event will be held at Miami’s Historic Virginia Key Beach Park from November 18-20, significant in history concerning the Battle of Vertieres, Haiti; Gettysburg Address, USA; Quilombo dos Palmares, Brazil. Joining in on a series of lectures and workshops called Afrikin Talks, influencers such as poets and activists, Dr. Sonia Sanchez and Mutabaruka, Village Voice music writer and producer Greg Tate, documentary filmmaker and author Donisha Prendergast, and Tufts University Professor, Dr. Gregory Thomas, will inform and empower festival goers interested in attaining human and capital resources.
Not to mention the amazing chefs we have for our culinary experience. The festival also features a carefully curated assortment of musical acts that represent the African Diaspora.
This year’s lineup includes Tiken Jah Fakoly, Jah9, Raging Fyah), T-Vice, Boukman Eksperyans, Kevens, Oshun, and more.
“We’re excited to have a mix of prominent and global musical acts at the festival,” Afrikin Fest producer, Alfonso D’Niscio Brooks stated. “Afrikin Fest is different from other festivals we’ve produced like Miami Reggae Festival and Bayside Rocks. This is also a forum, an opportunity to network and to attain knowledge.” Brooks adds, “This is the first festival to take the usual music and arts formula, and blend with education, business, and activism, all in relation to the African diaspora. It’s Africa’s time, and we’re just here to show people the way.”
Event proceeds will benefit Give Me Dignity, a Miami-based nonprofit that provides resources for survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse, as well as Man Dodo, a nonprofit organization that focuses on poverty alleviation in Haiti, with its current project providing Hurricane Matthew relief.
