Featuring Columbian singer-songwriter – Elkin Robinson. Elkin is the new face of Caribbean Folk and brings calypso, mento, sailor folk, gospel, and zouk influences into his healing sounds. All these influences are subsumed in his ‘Old Providence new roots’ sound, which is centred around his guitar and traditional instruments such as horse-jawbone, shakers and tub-bass, full of easy-loping positive grooves and messages to match.
Trinidad and Tobago will be enchanted with this Caribbean son of the African Diaspora. We look forward to his culture rich, positive music which is filled with the emotions of life in the Caribbean.
Special thanks are extended to the Embassy of the Republic of Columbia in Trinidad and Tobago for securing Elkin’s performance at the Pan African FestivalTT Commemorating Emancipation. The Columbian Ambassador, His Excellency William Sidney Bush Howard, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and his colleagues in the Diplomatic corps have been a tremendous support to the ESCTT due to our shared history and experiences.
The concert will also showcase the talents of Freetown Collective (T&T) and Adesoga (T&T/Nigeria) and WASAFOLI (T&T)
The music of Freetown Collective is not only profound and meaningful; but catchy, energizing and deeply satisfying. Within the last few years, the band has steadily been growing its global appeal and reach. In fact, the group will perform at UB40’s anniversary concert in the United Kingdom later in August. Their music is charismatic, mixed up in this living sound you will hear hip hop, soca, blues, trap and many more styles rooted in love, brother and sisterhood, integrity, gratitude and humility. With crowd favourites such as “Feel the Love”, “Me on my TV”, ‘Kasandra”, “Mas”, “Represent’, “Good Swimma”, “Sons of the King”, ‘Where I am From”, their performance is sure to invigorate the audience.
Odunbamku Adesoga Somorin who goes by “Adesoga” is a true Pan-Africanist. Born in Nigeria, he lives in Trinidad and Tobago and spent much of his childhood in Carenage. He brings to the stage an Afro Beats style which embraces African energies and Dancehall flavour. With songs like “Vibrate”, “Annihilate” and “Off your Feet”, he’s expected to keep the crowds jumping for more.
Wasafoli Trinidad and Tobago are pioneers of West African Art & Culture in dance and have steadily been gaining a name for themselves all over the world. Wasafoli means ‘Happy to play.’ We DANCE, We DRUM, We SING….West African Drumming and Dance with a Trinbago folk twist… #Dance #Drum & #Sing.
The Pan-African Night always includes the best entertainers from Africa and its Diaspora to the Lidj Yasu Omowale Emancipation Village. International singing sensations such as Miriam Makeba, Bunny Wailer and Angelique Kidjo have been featured along with prominent local artistes including Brother Valentino, David Rudder, Ella Andall, Black Stalin, Mighty Duke, and Isasha. The festival has also featured premier African dance companies such as the National Ballet of Senegal, KanKouran from the USA, Something Positive from the USA and Venezuela’s Danzas Mandela.
Join us at the Lidj Yasu Omowale Emancipation Village at the Queen’s Park Savannah from Friday 28th July until Tuesday 1st August. Entrance after 4pm is $40, children are FREE. For the full schedule of events, visit – https://www.emancipationtt.com/