12-19 AUGUST EN BENICASSIM 2017 FROM AFRICA TO JAMAICA The Main Stage combines the reggae from Jamaica, Europe and America with touches of Africa and the continent’s reggae scene with names such as The Specials, The Wailers, Gentleman & Ky-Mani Marley, Steel Pulse, Shaggy, Youssou NDOUR and Seun Kuti. TASTE THE WORLD 40 gastronomic proposals turn the festival into a show- case for international cuisine, with dishes and refreshing drinks from practically every corner of the world without having to leave the festival venue in Benicassim. 19 HOURS ‘NON STOP’ The children and family areas reinforce their programmes, consolidating the Rototom Sunsplash as a festival to enjoy by day, the sunsets and the nights give way to the best music and close after 19 straight hours of riddim. GREENER. MORE SOCIAL. Reusable glasses, drinking water fountains to reduce the consumption of plastic and more recycling points deepen the festival’s environmental com- mitment, which also activates multiple new solidarity projects in its areas this year. AmbIN la col.laboracióCOLLABORATION de / Con la colaboración de WITH Rototom Sunsplash 2017 CELEBRATING A2017: aF specialRICA edition that focuses on Africa and its ancestral cultures he theme for the 24th with the place that gave festival brings us closer to the actors and actresses; dancers; with guests from Tunisia, edition, Celebrating birth to humanity, music neighbouring continent, that anthropologists; etc., will help Egypt, Senegal and Burkina Africa, represents the and culture. Learning from a despite its proximity always us understand Africa’s present Faso, to name but a few; in fulfilment of what has place, where the basic human seems so distant. It will do so and future of. the activities and workshops been a long standing values of friendship, tolerance, thanks to the participation With this tribute Celebrating at African Village, Rototom desire of Rototom solidarity, imagination and of the people who truly Africa, the Rototom Sunsplash Circus and Magicomundo; in Sunsplash: focusing on respect for Mother Earth, still understand this reality: not closes, in a way, a circle, the parades and batucadas; a place that marks an exist. The very values that are only African women and men recovering the link between with the international cuisine origin. On a continent at the heart of the Rototom but also the diaspora and Jamaican and African music, on offer each year in the venue; that is so vast, rich, Sunsplash philosophy. Afro-descendent collectives. the two main axes of the it is even in the air. And in the complex and diverse as is Over eight intense days, Musicians; professionals of different stages at the festival. philosophy of Rototom, which TAfrica, and that has so much from August 12 to 19, with art, literature and journalism; The essence of Africa will be felt grows and is strengthened to share, culturally speaking. its stages and extra-musical economists; political on all of the stages and in all of by this bridge to its origins in It means bridging the gap areas as loudspeakers, the scientists; Nobel Laureate; the areas: in the Social Forum Africa. 2 Rototom Sunsplash 2017 ROTOTOM RESONATES WITH AFRICA Reggae is musically, historically and spiritually can countries that had sown the seeds for reggae connected to the continent of Africa. At reggae’s to create reggae music of their own. core is the heartbeat of the drum - a means of com- Therefore it is fitting that Rototom Sunsplash munication for African peoples in ancient times Festival should commemorate its 24th edition that was prohibited by colonial slave masters in with the theme: Celebrating Africa. Rototom has the Caribbean as an instrument of sedition. curated an exceptional line-up boasting many Reggae music, created in the 1960s by post- artists – from more than 30 from 22 countries colonial Jamaicans of African descent, always kept on five stages- or with longstanding connections its connection back to the motherland. Many of to the continent. Alpha Blondy from the Ivory Jamaican music’s early pioneers were influenced Coast, Senegal’s Youssou NDOUR and Seun by the teachings of their countryman Marcus Kuti, (Nigeria) with his Felabration, South Garvey - who advocated repatriation to Africa and Africa’s Nkulee Dube and Treesha (Kenya) will prophesied the coming of an African king. be up on Main Stage that will also be celebrating This prophecy found its fulfilment in the 1930 Africa with artists from the diaspora, or with coronation of Haile Selassie 1st of Ethiopia. personal and spiritual links with the continent. Selassie came to be celebrated as divine by adop- Here we are talking about the Wailers, Ky-Mani ters of Rastafari - a faith based “livity” established Marley and Gentleman, Steel Pulse, Jamaica’s new Destinations in early 1930s Jamaica by Leonard P Howell. When young hope Chronixx, the voice and music of Selassie visited Jamaica in 1966 he saw thousands Toots Hibbert with Toots & The Maytals, Twinkle of dreadlocked Rastafarians waiting to great him Brothers, Beenie Man, Luciano, U-Roy and Big TO DISCOVER at the airport. Youth, Mad Professor and Nadine Sutherland. At first the pan-African and repatriation messa- Africa will also sound off on the neighbou- THE AFRICAN ges of reggae and its predecessors, ska and rock- ring Lion Stage, with Bombino, Lutan Fyah’s and steady, were subtle - due to Rastafari’s rejection by his Rasta lyrics, Nakany Kante, Lyricson and Me- MUSIC SCENE Christian Jamaican society. By the seventies they hdi Nassouli, setting the standard. In the Dub Aca- had become explicit - and a new wave of dread- demy, there will be Kebra Ethiopia, with Dynamq locked reggae stars began singing openly of Africa Sounds International and Shashamane Intl perfor- AND THE roots and the need to return to their ancestral home. ming at DanceHall. And then there is African Villa- The worldwide success of Bob Marley amplified ge (see page 4), which will offer the purest African 23 OF REGGAE Rastafari teachings and in turn inspired the Afri- vibes. 3 Festival by day Cultural Activities EVERY NIGHT 21:30 | STAGE @ AFRICAN VILLAGE SHOWS STORYTELLING, THEATRE, EVERY DAY ACOUSTIC CONCERTS 15:30 | ABHA (HOUSE OF THE WORD) AND SABAR PARTY. AFRICAN VILLAGE DISCUSSIONS LED 22:45 | STAGE @ AFRICAN VILLAGE BY AFRO-DESCENDENTS CONCERTS A space that brings you closer to the continent of Africa and With performances by Elemotho 17:00 | UBUNTU (Namibia), Docakene (Ivory Coast), to learn from it through its cultures. A journey from its roots and TaLKS-WORKSHOPS Mohammed Alidu (Ghana), Mehdi Nassouli (Morocco), Kwame traditions to its most contemporary expressions ‘AFRICA THROUGH Afrovibes (Ghana), Kilema ITS CULTUREs’’ (Madagascar), Afrikemet (Ghana/ USA) and Hermanos Thioune A journey through the continent’s gastronomy, expression of African culture and its countries to 18:45 | UBUNTU dance, art, fashion, stories, politics, femininity, raise awareness regarding them and their diver- (Senegal). literature and above all music with, African men sity. TRADITIONAL 2:00 | AFRICAN DISCO and women and Afro-descendants leading the way. Another of the major attractions of the African AND CONTEMPORARY SESIONES That is what is on offer, for the #CelebratingAfrica Village is its stage, which will hosts shows by ar- AFRICAN daNCE Sets with DJ Floro, Sr. Lobezno, edition in the African Village, which gains in sym- tists from countries such as Namibia, Ghana, Ca- Safura, Fiesta Ashanti, Wiriko 18:45 | UBUNTU bolism and adds new features. Among them Abha meroon, Equatorial Guinea, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Sounds and DJ Vera G. Moumie, (the House of the Word in Guinea), that will pre- Guinea Bissau and Angola. RHYTHM AND SONG among others. sent the realities of the African diaspora and the Afrodescendent collectives with United Minds, Black Barcelona, Espacio Afroconciencia, Afro- murcia en Movimiento and the Potopoto Project, that will bring their projects and concerns to the festival. Abha will be joined by the workshops of the Ubuntu space that aims to be the maximum staff. DESIGN AND LAYOUT:Edita (edita.in). COORDINATION: Francesca Turrini. TEXTS: Ana Burgos, Maria Pitarch, Angus Taylor. TRANSLATION & REVISiON: Sylia Amrarène, Fiachra Mc Donagh, Francesca Turrini. MAP: Ángel de la Mata Cabrera. PHOTOS: ©Rototom Sunsplash: Guillem Chesa, Luca d’Agostino, Laida Jauregui, Dominique Pozzo, David Sandoval Cantos, Luca Valenta. We are grateful to agencies and management for the photos provided. 4 Festival by day Cultural Activities MONDAY 14 16:45 THE IMPORTANCE Moderator: Boniface Ofogo, oral narrator OF ORAL TRADITION IN and intercultural mediator, Cameroon. FRIDAY 18 AFRICAN EDUCATION 16:45 AFRICA IN THE MEDIA: THE Boniface Ofogo, Oral narrator and WEDNESDAY 16 FABRICATION OF STEREOTYPES intercultural mediator, Cameroon. 16:45 AFRICAN CULTURE Lucía-Asué Mbomío Rubio, journalist Agnès Agboton, narrator of and reporter for “Aquí la tierra” of TVE, stories and legends, Benin. CONQUERS THE WORLD Spain-Equatorial Guinea Safiatou Amadou, African oral literature, Natalia Molebatsi, author, poet and Javier Mantecón, specialist in African Niger. singer, South Africa. culturue and director of Afribuku, Spain Thabiso Mohare, author and poet. Gemma Solés, correspondent specialised 18:45 DECOLONIZATION Cultural Word N Sound Association, in African Culture and editor of Wiriko, South Africa. Spain AND FREEDOM: THE AFRICAN Moderator: Javier Mantecón, specialist in SOCIAL FORUM WAY TO DEMOCRACY African culture and director of Afribuku, 18:45 SOCIAL MOVEMENTS Present the ‘Africas of Africa’ through Firoze Manji, human rights activist. Ex- Spain AND NETWORKS THAT ARE President of Amnesty International, Kenya debate, reflection and active listening Rafa Crespo, Anthropologist. Secretary 18:45 LEARNING FROM AFRICA. CHANGING AFRICA General of the Centre d’Estudis Africans, Firoze Manji, human rights activist. Ex- Spain REMEMBERING THOMAS president of Amnesty International, Kenya. Africa, six letters that define and embody a diverse conti- Mamadou Dia, writer activist and SANKARA Sebastián Ruiz, photo journalist and nent in which multiple realities coexist.