Festival of Yoruba Arts: 23rd July 2011 Clissold Park

From www.foya.org.uk:

The Festival of Yoruba Arts is an annual one day open air free event, celebrating the rich, vibrant and colorful culture of the Yoruba’s and the diversity of Yoruba Art in its traditional and contemporary forms through a variety of artistic mediums of cultural, aesthetic and educational value.

Featuring Displays from traditional Bata drummers and dancers masquerades Exhibitions Workshops ‘Gele’ competition Vendors Fashion show traditional Cuisine Film screening and live Performances from artists whose music and performance art is influenced by Yoruba culture.

The Yoruba’s

The Yoruba’s are a large race of people loosely linked around the world by geography language history and religion. They are one of the largest cultural groups in Africa and the largest group of slaves transported in the trans-Atlantic slave trade to countries in Latin America and the Caribbean such as Brazil Cuba Puerto Rico Barbados Trinidad and America.

In Yoruba culture music song and dance go hand in hand and to separate them into distinct categories would be virtually impossible. It is so much more than a mere form of entertainment it is intrinsic to our way of life and complements our highly Intellectual and unique culture.

The impact of Yoruba arts and culture over the last 100 years has led to the creation of new forms of music religion dance and performance art around the world and forms part of our great cultural history such as Capoeira Salsa Rhumba Lucumi Jazz Rhythm and Blues High-Life Afrobeat and Hip Hop music.”