Female stars from Zanzibar to the Wirral will shine on Africa Oyé’s online showcase, Nyumbani.
This edition of Nyumbani – which takes its name from the Swahili word for ‘at home’ – will premiere on the Liverpool institution’s Facebook and Youtube pages at 7pm on Friday 26th February, with future episodes airing monthly.
The series, which debuted last December, features original concerts, interviews, documentaries and DJ sets from artists across Africa and the Diaspora.
One of the stand-out performers from the most recent festival in Sefton Park – back in 2019 – the Haitian Voodoo Priestess, Moonlight Benjamin, will return to delight the Oyé audience with a never-before-seen set, showcasing her unique take on blues rock.
Born and raised in Haiti, Moonlight spent her childhood with a priest who raised her and taught her Christian hymns. However, she quickly emancipated herself from this genre and began to discover her own style of music. Those tuning in to Nyumbani can expect 60s & 70s blues, rushing riffs and saturated electric guitars – all filtered through Caribbean voodoo – topped with Moonlight’s incredibly powerful and raw voice.
For those wanting a soundtrack while they get to work in the kitchen, Zanzibari Mim Suleiman will not only be performing songs as part of this episode, but will also be joining host Spykatcha for a special, cook-a-long interview!
The singer songwriter who performed in Sefton Park as part of the festival in 2018, will be sharing her recipe for Kachori – a delicious, deep-fried snack – and viewers can try their hand at making some themselves by downloading the step-by-step guide from the episode page on the Africa Oyé website before the show.
Adding some local flavour to proceedings will be the Wirral’s own, Tabitha Jade, who will be showcasing her latest single, Intuition, featuring PRIDO, a Manchester-based rapper of Zambian heritage.
Tabitha opened the Africa Oyé festival on the Sunday of the 2019 weekend – proudly celebrating her own Jamaican heritage – as part of the hugely successful ‘Oyé Introduces’ programme; her profile has gone from strength to strength ever since.
Africa Oyé: Nyumbani, Episode 3 will premiere on the Africa Oyé Facebook Page and Youtube Channel at 7pm on Friday 26th February. There is no charge to watch the stream but donations are welcomed via africaoye.com.
Pictured: Moonlight Benjamin performing at Africa Oyé in Sefton Park (Photo: Mark McNulty)