Possibly the biggest FREE festival in the UK, and most certainly the best, Africa Oye is coming up. Now in it’s 27th year, Africa Oye is a joyful event and longtime fixture in the Liverpool calendar. Sefton Park will be awash with music from and inspired by Africa.
Having long been an established date in Liverpool’s cultural calendar, Oyé is not only a festival which has worked it’s way into the hearts of our city’s creative cultural community, but with perennial earnest effort the Oyé team put together line-ups which are the envy of festivals internationally.
Bido Lito
The line up is as exceptional as ever Horace Andy, The Garifuna Collective, BCUC, Moonlight Benjamin, Sofiane Saidi & Mazalda, Carlou D, OSHUN, Jah9 & The Dub Treatment, Wesli, Gasper Nali. As well as the outstanding main stage live acts and DJs there are all kinds of other things going on.
Funkdub are lucky enough to be a part of an outstanding line up on the Trenchtown stage alongside a host of terrific local and visiting selectors – you can catch us kicking Sunday’s festival off at Trenchtown from just after Noon.
Established in 2012, Trenchtown was the festival’s inaugural dedicated DJ stage. At the far end of the park, Trenchtown is soundtracked by some of the country’s top Afro-centric DJs as well as home-grown selectors playing music from across the African diaspora; dub, reggae, ska, jazz, Afrobeat, house and much more. Trenchtown also features the original Oyé Inn, our merchandise stall, and a comfortable seating area ideal for chilling out. For those feeling more active, there will also be plenty of space for dancing the weekend away!
Africa Oyé are set to welcome back a host of familiar faces to DJ at the festival this June for the annual festival of music and culture.
Kenyan star and festival favourite DJ Edu (BBC 1Xtra) returns, and UK-based Emily Dust makes her Oyé debut on the main stage, whilst the region’s finest Afro-centric DJs will showcase their sounds across the wider festival site.
The popular ‘Freetown’ is back for its’ third year, alongside the longstanding ‘Trenchtown’ Stage.
Trenchtown
First established in 2012, Trenchtown was the festival’s inaugural dedicated DJ stage. soundtracked by some of the country’s top Afro-centric DJs as well as home-grown selectors playing music from across the African diaspora; dub, reggae, ska, jazz, Afrobeat, house and much more.
Trenchtown also features the original Oyé Inn, our merchandise stall, and a comfortable seating area ideal for chilling out. For those feeling more active, there will also be plenty of space for dancing the weekend away.
DJs include One A Penny Sound, Bood N Bone, Stuart B and Truth & Lies, as well as DJ Scratchy making his first Oyé appearance.
Freetown
Now in it’s third year at Oye, Trenchtown’s sister stage Freetown returns to host a wealth of local DJs playing Afrobeat, reggae, dub, funk, soul, hiphop and jazz. With a seating area ideal for chilling out and a dancefloor for those feeling more like moving, be sure to pay a visit.
DJ Mayeva, Jess Gascoigne and NoFakin’ all return, Stepping Tiger and Elliot Hutchinson make their Oyé debuts, and original Oye selector Robin Jackson is back! Plus – look out for a guest PA from 2017 Oye Introduces artists NuTribe, backed by DJ Dave Butcher.
Programmed in association with Beaten Tracks.
The Trenchtown and Freetown DJ stages are sponsored by…
www.ieproductionservices.com
Trenchtown – Saturday 22nd June
Medicine Men
The Medicine Men DJs play an eclectic mix of the contemporary and the classic. Fusing reggae, jazz, Afrobeat, blues, Americana, hip-hop and pop, their sets continually evolve whilst maintaining that essential groove. Regulars at Constellations, at Bido Lito! & Friends Merchant sets, and as Mellowtone collaborators they have played Positive Vibration, Sound City, and Smithdown Road festivals and regularly support live artists including The Delines, Buffalo Riot and Dan Stuart. 2019 marks their third Africa Oye appearance.
Stuart B
As a trustee and long-term friend of Africa Oyé, Stuart Borthwick’s Afrocentric Saturday afternoon DJ sets have become a firm festival favourite. Expect old-school South African Kwaito from the decade after the fall of Apartheid.
George Luke
An accomplished writer, music journalist, radio producer and DJ, George Luke takes us on a journey from Algeria to Zimbabwe – with detours in Brazil, Cuba and anywhere else where the music’s good. Come along for the ride!
Bood N Bone
Brothers Bood and Bone are passionate about finding and sharing music. Their wide diversity in music taste has been inspired by all areas of the globe encompassing a wide variety of musical genres. Building a reputation for throwing parties the duo recently launched a label, and with their involvement in The Meet Me There Weekender in Ghana, 2018, they are certainly ones to watch.
Hustle & Zacharia Soul
Liverpool disco specialists Hustle collide with Manchester’s Zacharia Soul in a heady brew of hip “world” house music, deep latin grooves and mystical tribal rhythms.
Emily Dust
DJ and broadcaster, Emily has built an impressive reputation for showcasing the world’s freshest sounds. Born and bred in London, Emily is firmly rooted in her hometown’s melting pot of cultures. She seamlessly blends together forward-thinking sounds as diverse as dancehall, Brazilian neo-baile, Bristol bass, Angolan kuduro, grime and South African gqom. Her energetic sets have seen her play all over the world, in front of thousands at festival stages and in intimate basement clubs
Giovanna
NTS resident and SisBis co-head Giovanna serves up high tempo Afrobeat, Highlife and house to Liverpool’s shameless and fierce dancers on the regular.
Truth & Lies
Truth & Lies Music have been regulars on the Trenchtown Stage for a number of years as well as hosting inspired stages at Houghton Festival and loads more. They also have a New Orleans’ street funk compilation forthcoming on BBE Records.
Trenchtown – Sunday 23rd June
Funkdub
Since starting out in Chester back in 2004 Funkdub have been lighting up parties in the North West and beyond. Funkdub DJs 3DJ and GK have played sets all over including: Boomtown Fair, London International Ska Festival and Liverpool’s own Positive Vibration festival. They’ve brought Chester a host of live acts including: The Dub Pistols, Gentleman’s Dub Club, The Skints and Pama International. They’ve also hosted DJs like Craig Charles, Keb Darge and Greg Wilson and played alongside local favourites like Nu Northern Soul and Planet Of The Breaks. A Funkdub DJ set takes in all points from Dub, Funk, Reggae, Soul and Ska, to Hip Hop, Disco, Beats, Jungle and Breaks.
One A Penny Sound
Roots Reggae, lovers, Ska and Dub from longstanding Liverpool soundsystem One A Penny and their resident selectors Little Billy and Lieutenant.
Ritual Collective
North Wales-based Bass crew The Ritual Collective are an up and coming Record Label, Events Team & DJ and Production Collective, making their Oye debut this year!
Keith Marley
Drawing on over 40 years of collective dj experience – including supports with the likes of Don Letts, Yellowman, Julian Marley and Lee Scratch Perry – Marley brings the heat with original platters of Roots, Dancehall and Ragga, complemented by lashings of the deepest digital dubs.
DJ Scratchy
Still spinning across the globe, Scratchy Sounds, Tour DJ with The Clash, will deliver a session of roots’n’ska, essential ingredients within this selectah’s eclectic and radikal sets ever since he emerged onto the scene at the dawn of punk. Expect a roots and reggae set for his Oye debut.
Firehouse
Formed by local selector Josh Ray, Fire House is a Merseyside DJ/production collective with a focus on bass heavy, booty-shakin’ edits, mash-ups and reworks; from Afro to Latin, Dub to Disco and Jungle to Funk.
Dub Defenders
DJ/Production duo playing everything from roots, heavy dub, electro dub and anything bass heavy with a reggae influence.
Positive Vibration DJs
Positive Vibration DJs have performed at high-profile events, festivals & venues, including Glastonbury Festival, London International Ska Festival and The Jazz Café and have also supported some of the biggest names in reggae music, including Toots & The Maytals, The Selecter, Scientist and Dawn Penn.
Freetown – Saturday 22nd June
Stepping Tiger
Stepping Tiger is a monthly night, in Chester UK, showcasing live jazz, soul and afrobeat acts at the forefront of the scene. Resident selectors, Ben the Roman & Mark V, play eclectic worldwide rhythms on wax.
Melodic Distraction
James Zaremba, Nina Franklin, Tom Lye and Josh Aitman head up Liverpool independent music station, Melodic Distraction Radio and will be playing records at this years’ Africa Oyé. With a wide interest in global music, the three will be reaching far into their record bags to pull out some of the music they love that celebrates the diaspora of African music from past up until the present.
Jess Gascoigne
With everything from Latin gems and hip-hop to soul and funk, Jess brings a varied selection of the best beats from around the globe to get the Sunday session moving.
Jamie Holligan
Helmed by long term reggae spinner DJ Jamie Holligan, Schmame Industries bring the heat to Freetown with an infusion of reggae, roots and dub.
Robin Jackson
Robin Jackson is a DJ, Radio Presenter and Music Producer with over 30 years of experience. One of the two original Africa Oye DJ’s, Robin supported the early festivals and concert promotions, from 1997 with an eclectic mix of styles and sound.
DJ Mayeva
Less Pop, More Style – Not Strictly Roots! From Africa to Latin America, and a few other places in between. Both regulars to the world music festival scene, join the pair for a set guaranteed to get you moving.
Thomas White
A strong selector of Dancehall, Bashment, Afrobeats & Soca – Tom has played with and supported the likes of Swing Ting, The Heatwave, Murlo, Zed Bias, Goldie, AJ Tracy and many more in venues around the North West. He also hosts the monthly ‘No Behaviour’ radio show on Liverpool’s Melodic Distraction in which he explores the worldwide carnival sound; from Jamaica to Ghana, London to Lagos, Trinidad & Tobago and and everywhere in between.
Subcora
Academic by day, Dj by night. Originally from Istanbul, Subcora is a a passionate music alchemist/DJ, currently based in Liverpool, UK. After years of being involved in music through different roles, i.e., as a singer, music writer and interview editor, she is now mostly focusing on DJing and creating online podcasts. She is keen on playing melodic and instrumentally rich songs from different genres of house, blending sounds of different cultures and times.
Freetown – Sunday 23rd June
Andrew James
Andy James is a record collector and DJ who’s been a regular on the Liverpool crate diggers circuit for many years. This year he makes his debut at Africa Oye and he’ll be searching his collection for some African heat specially for the occasion.
Dave Butcha & NUtribe
Festival stalwart Dave Butcher will be packing his bags full of deep Reggae and Dub, along with other nuggets from across the globe, making use of what’s good… Nutribe are fresh like the fruiture, with vibes that’ll suit ya…
No Fakin’
Through hip-hop, funk, soul, disco, reggae and more, No Fakin’ DJs flip the classic and obscure into a mix that’s guaranteed to get the party started right.
Sound Of Music & Sons (Bernie Connor, Joseph Kaye, Kyd Dub)
The Sound of Music & Sons it’s a family affair. Featuring Liverpool deejaying fixture Bernie Connor, and new breed selectors Joseph Kaye and Kyd Dub. The family that plays together, stays together.
Holmesy
Holmesy has a deep love of African sounds from right across the spectrum. Expect a diverse selection ranging from rootsy spirituals to Malian ringtone music!
Dharma Collective & Dash
With an over-enthusiastic love of African Disco & Funk Synthesizer music from the 60’s 70’s & 80’s, Dash is the brains behind ‘Disco Africa’ – a monthly party and radio show. He goes toe to toe with Dharma Collective – Liverpool based DJs playing underground Disco, House, Afro-beat, Boogie & World Grooves and Promoters of Electric Boogie.
Elliot Hutchinson
Crate n’ counter guru at Liverpool’s Dig Vinyl Records & king of the cover version, Elliot has brought weird, wonderful & worldly 45s to the younger ear for over a decade.
Find out more via www.africaoye.com
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