Put on your colourful wardrobe and dancing shoes and join the week-long celebrations of African culture in some of Dalston’s finest venues, in a cultural experience brought together by the community, for the community.

Kasai Masai’s music reflects their journey from the rural to urban, performing music which has been passed on from generation to generation combined with their own contemporary style. Written in Swahili, Lingala and Kimongo, Kasai Masai’s lyrics portray the cultural diversity of Congo where more than four hundred languages are spoken.

Kasai Masai’s original compositions have moved beyond traditional expectations of Congolese music with their galloping rhythms, strong melodies, passionate beats, swinging guitars, moving saxophone.

“Kasai Masai successfully marry a respect for vintage grooves with an overwhelming urge to move the dance floor this is the sound of the old and new, of the countryside and the city, from deep in the heart of Africa…” – Nige Tassell—Womad Festival

Kadialy Kouyate is a musician, a singer songwriter inspired by the West African Griot repertoire. Born into the great line of Kouyate Griot in Southern Senegal, Kadialy’s mesmerising kora playing and singing style have been appreciated in many prestigious venues as both a soloist and in different ensembles.

Since his arrival in the UK Kadialy has played a significant part in enriching the London musical scene with his griot legacy. He has been teaching the Kora at Soas university of London for the last decade and he has also been involved in countless musical projects both as a collaborator and a session musician.