Preview: Afrofest 2011

One of Toronto's signature cultural events — and one of the best weekends of the summer — is upon us. On Saturday and Sunday (July 9 and 10, 2011) the 23rd annual edition of Afrofest takes over Queen's Park. Simply put, there's no other festival that offers such great music and a relaxed vibe, all right downtown and steps from the subway — and all for free. That means it's great for a casual encounter for anyone who doesn't know much about the huge diversity of African music. Or for anyone who likes a little bit of rhythm — out of all the music spread over two stages across the weekend, pretty much everything will be dance-friendly.

I'm looking forward to the new discoveries that come with every Afrofest (and in that regard, Femi Abosede & Culture Force and Cheick Hamala Diabate, both Saturday night, look promising) but there's also some bands I know that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend. Hanging out under the beautiful trees, checking out the booths and getting some good eats make it worthwhile on their own to come down, but here's some suggestions for a guaranteed good time musically, with a few live samples thrown in so you know what to expect:

Afrafranto

Main Stage: Saturday 5:45 pm

Still one of the best unsung groups in the city, the last time I saw the band play they had added a horn section, moving toward a bit more of a classic highlife sound than the more stripped-down palmwine they had started with. But under the leadership of vocalist Theo Yaw Boakye, this band is as sharp as a tack and relentlessly groovy.

Listen! Afrafranto - Angelina

Resolutionaries Marimba Band

Baobab Stage: Saturday 8:45 pm

I've seen this group from Peterborough play a couple times now, and they always leave me feeling better than I did at the start. A non-stop rhythmic attack with players rotating between three full-sized marimbas, this is tuneful and easy to move along to.

Listen! Resolutionaries Marimba Band - unknown

Tich Maredza Band

Main Stage: Sunday 2:40 p.m.

Evolving from the more mbira-based Masaisai, this combo puts the focus more squarely on Maredza's strengths as a songwriter — but the solid rhythm section keeps things moving. And the secret weapon is guitarist Larry Lewis, whose nimble moves are almost as bright as Maredza's smile.

Ruth Mathiang and Waleed Kush

Main stage: Sunday 4:35 p.m.

With just two voices and a guitar, this pair can bring more of a groove than you might guess. It helps that Mathiang's voice is as striking as the singer herself, and that multi-instrumentalist Waleed "Kush" Abdulhamid plays with a vibrant agility. Both are as equally adept at melancholy ballads as upbeat anthems, and the pair will have no problem filling Queen's Park with their music while still feeling like they're playing an intimate show just for you.

JP Buse

Main stage: Sunday 5:45 p.m.

At least year's Afrofest, only luck prevented a collapsing tree branch from causing more than minor injuries. Safety precautions, however, sent Buse, the night's final performer, to the smaller Baobab stage, where band and crew did an admirable job to set things up for the large band on the fly. It was still a bit of a jury-rigged job, though, so I'm thrilled that Buse is getting another crack at the big stage. Especially as his classic soukous is a stone groove. Learning his trade in some big-name bands in his native Congo (including Zaiko Langa Langa, a band that once included Papa Wemba) watching Buse on stage brings to mind a classic soul revue — like, say, James Brown, Buse knows when to delegate to the crack players in his group, assigning solos with a gesture or glance. And then when the time comes, he can take the reins and show everyone how it's done.

Listen! JP Buse - unknown

Thomas Mapfumo and the Blacks Unlimited

Main Stage: Sunday 8:45 pm

If you don't already know about the "Lion of Zimbabwe", it might seem like any of the descriptions you come across are filled with hyperbole — but such is Mapfumo's stature. Mapfumo is a musical innovator of the highest order — I've discussed this at slightly greater length here, but long story short, his moment of genius came in applying rock'n'roll guitars to traditional Shona thumb-piano rhythms. But he's also a liberation hero whose music played a key role in the birth of an independent Zimbabwe. And as a resolute truth-teller, the same regime that he once celebrated turned on him when he dared to point out their slide into despotism. Now living in exile from his homeland, Mapfumo's recent music has played down the guitar in favour of the mbira, but he still brings the steely presence of a true champion.

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For more information, you can visit Afrofest's website here, or skip to more information about the artists here. If you can't make it down to Queen's Park, remember that, as always, CIUT will be broadcasting live on both days.