Africa Day

Africa Day at Malmitalo showcases Senegalese, Kenyan and Cameroonian culture through music, food and dance.

The day's programme opens with a concert by Tossy Mboup & Gaal-Guin from 17-18. Tossy Mboup is a Senegalese singer and percussionist who has lived in Finland since 2013, and her eight-member band blends afro-pop, funk, salsa and mbalax. The band released their debut album Aduna in 2020. From 20-21, Es-Ow and The Ridial Band take the stage - Senegalese afropop artist Es-Ow founded the band after moving to Finland in 2012, and the group has performed at festivals including World Village, Funky Elefant and Afro Jazz.

From 18-19, a cooking competition takes place in the courtyard where different countries' food cultures compete - the audience can taste the dishes and vote for the winner. From 19-20, sabar dancing is taught in the foyer under the direction of Malick Ndiaye: participants learn the basic steps of sabar and explore its rhythmic world. Sabar combines dance and drumming into a unified whole.