Azgo Fest announces more artists

3 May 2017 - 16:34

Published under the Creative Commons Licence

The organisers of Mozambique’s Azgo Festival have announced the second batch of artists who will be performing on 20 May at Eduardo Mondlane University in the country’s capital Maputo. The first list of artists was released in March and features musicians from Mozambique, South Africa and Ghana.

Jojo Abot is among the artists who are performing at the Azgo Festival. Photo: Facebook.

South African artists Freshlyground, Batuk, Nonku Phiri and Bhekisenzo Cele, aka Vukazithathe, have now been added to the much-awaited festival. Mozambican musicians include The Mute Band, Ghorwane, Azagaia, Xixel Langa, Ras Haitrm & Word Sound Power as well as Lay Lizzy & e Os Primos. The African artists will be joined by singer-songwriter Maria Gadú (Brazil) and Joao Barbosa (Portugal). Jojo Abot (Ghana), Grèn Sémé (Reunion) and Boss AC (Cape Verde) have also been confirmed for this year’s edition.

“With Azgo Festival we aim to bring together various genres, different crowds and different artists, emerging and well-known. This serves as a platform for emerging and acclaimed artists to collaborate and meet a new audience,” festival director and founder Paulo Chibanga, who is also the drummer for the band 340ml, said.

According to a press statement, Azgo aims to “contribute to artistic and cultural development and to create a greater awareness regarding cultural issues in Mozambique and Southern Africa.”

“We also want to provide opportunities for professionalisation in the music industry, to involve local communities and create jobs,” it said.

In addition to a diverse music, film and dance programme, Azgo also hosts a series of dialogues and workshops called Azgo Dialogar. “These workshops are a platform for artistic and cultural development, music exchange between local and international artists, promotion of Mozambican cultural heritage and artistic life, and opportunities for the professionalisation of the music industry in Mozambique,” Chibanga said.

This year’s theme is Gender Equality with half of the line-up being female-led. Fifty percent of the festival’s staff will also be members of the fairer sex.

Azgo has partnered with the Mozambican Association for Recycling (AMOR) to reduce its carbon footprint and festival proceeds will be donated to community-based organisations in Maputo. For more information, visit the festival’s official website.