The Festival International de Reggae D’Abidjan Cote D’ivoire – Abi-Reggae International Music Festival & Conference will take place on 7 – 10 April 2016 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. This will be the second installment following the highly successful inaugural edition last year. The four day festival which was initiated by government minister, Moussa Dosso is the biggest in Africa. It included discussions on reggae music and its impact on the African continent and the rest of the world with distinguished guest such as Dr Julius Garvey, son of Jamaica’s national hero, Marcus Garvey and esteemed scholars like Ijahnya Christian. The line up boasted Reggae Royalty from Jamaica and Africa with the likes of Mutabaruka, Morgan Heritage, Kymani Marley, I-Threes [Judy Mowatt and Marcia Griffiths], Third World, Tiken Jah Fakoly, Takana Zion, Alpha Blondy amongst others.
This year’s edition will see Azania Band, South Africa’s premier reggae band at this prestigious authentic event, sharing the stage with Africa’s crème de la crème in reggae. The line up includes: Tiken Jah Fakoly [Ivory Coast]; Takana Zion [Guinea]; Mo Kalamity [Cape Verde]; Blakk Rasta [Ghana]; Sana Bob [Bukina Faso]; Koko Dembele [Mali]; Ombre Zion [Senegal]; Ras Jah I [Nigeria]; Sydney Salmo [Ethiopia]; Mirna Haje [Lebanon]; Daphne Njie [Cameroon]; Azania Band [South Africa] and a host of Ivorian artists. Jamaica will be represented by Grammy Award winners Morgan Heritage, Ijahman Levi, Mutabaruka and Julian Marley.
The Award winning Azania Band consists of six brilliant musicians hailing from the townships of Cape Town and plays Conscious Reggae Music. The band has played in most well known venues in South Africa and has shared the stage with international Reggae superstars Burning Spear, Culture, Mutabaruka, the Wailers, Buju Banton, Bunny Wailer and Macka B. They have just returned from the Reggae Metis Fest in Palaxa, Reunion Island and played with French Reggae Foundation TONTON DAVID.
It is a proud moment for South Africa to be part of this esteemed event and to have Azania Band as the only band from the Southern Region is a milestone to be celebrated in Reggae history of Southern Africa.
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