Habari Africa Festival in Toronto

Habari Africa Festival
The Lakeview Market features fab finds from all corners of the globe including old world crafts and new, unique designs. Choose from traditional artifacts, local, artisanal, eco-friendly, fair trade products and more.
Habari Africa Festival




Moko Jumbie Stilt Dancing Workshop
With specially designed short training stilts sized for children, this hands-on workshop is an elementary introduction to the traditions of Moko Jumbie, a stilt-dancing spirit of the forest.

Moko Jumbie is a “diviner” figure rooted in African heritage who wears colourful garb and a carnival mask, watching over his village and able to foresee danger. Originating as a secret society of village guardians, Moko Jumbies are now featured in cultural presentations around the world, inspiring awe and wonder.

Sangele Headwrap Workshop
In the African continent, headwraps have many different styles, materials and tying techniques.
Learn the creative art and cultural traditions of the “sangele,” or African head-wraps, in this workshop led by Sani Abu Mohammed of ijovudu Dance Company.
Habari Africa Festival

Afro Dance MozAfro Dance Workshop
Learn to dance in the unique Mozafro style with Pulga Muchocoma! Born in Quelimane, Mozambique, Muchochoma began his dance career and training with the Montes Namuli Dance Company, and has since went on participate in the 2015 Opening ceremony of the Toronto Pan Am Games with Cirque do Soleil and NBS.

Indian Ocean Roots
Arfina Lamy formed the group Indian Ocean Roots four years ago to promote the cultural dances and music of the little-known islands of the Indian Ocean, including the Comoros Islands, Mauritius, Reunion Island, Madagascar and Seychelles of Africa. The vision of the group is to share the folklore and traditions of these small African island nations with the Canadian public. The group performs a variety of cultural dances including Salegy, Sega, Maloya and Mgodro.
Habari Africa Festival
Habari Africa Festival
Habari Africa Festival
Habari Africa Festival
Habari Africa Festival
Habari Africa Festival
Habari Africa Festival
Habari Africa Festival
Habari Africa Festival

South Sudan Acholi Cultural Dance Group
Enjoy exciting performances of dances like the Larakaraka, a courtship dance for youth; Bwola, the royal dance; and the Dingi-Dingi girls’ dance!
Habari Africa Festival
The Acholi Cultural Dance Group is a traditional dance group from Kitchener and London, Ontario. Formed by immigrant Acholi families from South Sudan, the group presents exciting performances of traditional dances that have been passed on from generation to generation. The dances are led/choreographed by a “Captain,” who guides the team.
Habari Africa Festival
Habari Africa Festival
Habari Africa Festival

Haiba & Hassan el Hadi
Two oud masters bring to life the desert sounds of North Africa, crossing cultural borders from Marrakech to El Obeid and weaving a tapestry of captivating sounds that celebrate their rich musical heritages.
Habari Africa Festival
Haiba, also known as Abdel Wahab, is an accomplished oud player, singer and composer from El Obeid in Western Sudan, an important transportation hub at the the end of a pilgrim route from Nigeria. Haiba performs folk songs that share the Sudanese tradition of lyrical music and oblique metaphors.
Habari Africa Festival
Moroccan-born singer-songwriter and oud master Hassan El Hadi is considered one of the top musicians of his instrument and craft. Enjoy genre-bending music without borders as he performs traditions rooted in North Africa, blended with the sounds of his adopted home of Quebec.
Habari Africa Festival

Africa All-Stars
This star-studded collective unites the talents of JUNO award-winning musicians, each an expert in their individual style and together promising to keep attendees dancing non-stop. Habari Africa All-Stars features guitarists Alpha Yaya Diallo, Madagascar Slim and Donne Roberts with percussionist Kofi Ackah, bassist Ebenezer Agyekum and dancer Mabinty Sylla.
Habari Africa Festival
Habari Africa Festival
Alpha Yaya Diallo is a multi-talented artist from Conakry, Guinea. His dexterous acoustic and electric guitar-playing, with its fluid melodic lines and compelling grooves, places him in the front ranks of African axemen.

Donné Roberts, one of the finest guitarists to come out of Madagascar is a passionate performer with an energy that immediately exhilarates the crowd.

Madagascar Slim (born Randriamananjara Radofa Besata Jean Longin) is a highly accomplished guitarist who combines folk, blues and the salegy music tradition in his own award-winning style.

Kofi Ackah, a Ghanaian master percussionist, is the son of the late King of highlife music Jewel Ackah, and trained under the watchful eye of his famous father.

Ebenezer Agyekum is a talented bass player and proficient in a variety of African music genres.

Mabinty Sylla is a renowned dancer, choreographer and teacher of West African dance, especially that of Guinea.
Habari Africa Festival

The Ace of Africa
Founded in 2014, Les As d’Afrique, or The Ace of Africa, brings together talented artists from Africa living in Canada to perform dance music that includes ndombolo, soukous, rumba, zouk, mutuashi and afrobeats.

Bandleader Jackson Ayale Molo from Democratic Republic of Congo is an accomplished guitarist, pianist and singer. The group is comprised of seasoned players David Mobio, Pekosse Arafat, Prince Elonga, Tshiago Masseko, Babo Matutu, Naxx Mulumba and Jeremie Langi, and is a popular fixture of the music scenes in Montreal, Europe and Africa.

Talented singer/songwriter Blandine joins the group for this special tribute to the late singer/dancer Moto Kapia with Mutuashi songs, the traditional music of the Kasai.