Festival Opened by Prime Minister Prof. Dr Đuro Macut and Kenyan Artist Kasiva Mutua
On the last weekend of June, the Afro Festival took place in the packed courtyard of the Museum of African Art, where African culture shone in all its brilliance through music, art, dance, scents, and the flavours of a continent that continues to inspire.
This year’s programme once again showcased the richness and contemporary vitality of African culture. Visitors enjoyed visual and creative workshops, learned how to tie African headwraps, tried their hand at painting kanga fabrics, played mancala, and took part in performances of capoeira and kufambe dance. The festival also featured expert-guided tours of exhibitions, including the current display, “Prefabrication of Solidarity: IMS-Žeželj between Yugoslavia, Cuba and Angola,” and the tactile exhibition, “See, Touch, Feel…”.
The highlight of the festival was the Durbar – a traditional programme featuring stands from African embassies showcasing national culinary specialities, as well as artistic and handcrafted items.
The star of the festival was Kasiva Mutua, the acclaimed Kenyan percussionist, singer-songwriter and musical activist. On the first day of the festival, she led an interactive percussion workshop. On the second day, the festival stage transformed into the heart of Africa – her concert was a true musical journey that brought the audience to its feet. Traditional African rhythms, interwoven with jazz improvisations, funk and reggae, created an atmosphere of rhythmic trance that left no one indifferent.
Visibly moved after her performance, Kasiva Mutua said: “The concert was amazing, especially because I saw the smiles of both Serbian and African guests – I will carry those smiles with me forever.”
Durbar – A Festival Crescendo in the Colours and Flavours of Africa
As part of the Durbar’s official programme, and with the support of African embassies in Serbia, the audience was addressed by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia, Prof. Dr Đuro Macut, the Director of the Museum of African Art, Dr Marija Aleksić, and the Dean of the Group of African Ambassadors in Belgrade, H.E. Fatah Mahraz, Ambassador of Algeria.
Dr Macut emphasised the importance of the friendship between Serbia and Africa. Dr Aleksić welcomed guests and thanked them for their attendance, while Ambassador Mahraz highlighted the value of cultural bridges between African countries and Serbia.
Dr Marija Aleksić expressed gratitude to all present and noted that the festival, for over 20 years, has been bringing together a wide audience and promoting African art and culture, serving as a platform for dialogue and understanding. “I am especially pleased that this year we welcome the embassies of Algeria, Angola, Brazil, Ghana, Egypt, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, guests from the Embassy of Burundi in Rome and the Embassy of Nigeria in Budapest, as well as the consulates of Gabon, Namibia and Jamaica,” said Aleksić.
H.E. Fatah Mahraz, Ambassador of Algeria and Dean of the Group of African Ambassadors in Belgrade, emphasised the significance of the festival, which has been held since 1997, as a platform for cultural exchange and a symbol of friendship between Africa and Serbia. He stressed that African nations continue to support this museum located in a country that never participated in the slave trade or the colonisation of the continent.
All Photos: Marija Piroški