Africa Oyé light up the lockdown with radio shows, digital exhibitions and more

Africa Oyé – Warren Miller

As Africa Oye festival organisers adjust their plans for a summer like no other, Getintothis’ Lob Klopper on the digital delights for us to enjoy.

The postponing of the Africa Oyé Festival wasn’t something any of us could have foreseen at the start of 2020 and we can’t imagine it was a decision the organisers enjoyed having to make.

Despite this, thanks to the efforts of the festival team and their partners across the arts and cultural sector, Oyé have been busy creating digital content for everyone to enjoy without having to leave the house.

And while the usually buzzing Sefton Park summer programme will be sadly missed, this online collection can at least scratch that Oyé itch as the UK sun gets warmer and the days get longer.

Since celebrating their 25th Anniversary Festival in 2017, Oyé have joined forces with Melodic Distraction Radio in Liverpool to produce a wonderfully varied monthly show.

This latest instalment sees Oyé’s artistic director, Paul Duhaney plunge in to the depths of his record bag, and also features a guest mix recorded at last year’s festival from the Melodic Distraction team themselves.

If you want your playlists a little more interactive however, you can always visit the Oslo World Music Festival Map.

Oyé is in fine company among a selection of international festivals to have been chosen to showcase some of their favourite artists in this hands-on guide to music celebrations across the globe.

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There was good news earlier this month for one of last year’s Oyé Introduces performers and Getintothis’ Deep Cuts alumna Tabitha Jade.

The artists chosen will now be whittled down to a shortlist by judges including Emily Eavis and Glastonbury’s Head of Music Programming Nick Dewey, with the winners not only getting the chance to play Glasto in 2021, but also receiving a grant from PRS Foundation.

As a registered charity and Liverpool’s only major free festival, fans can still support Oyé while the festival remains postponed with donations via PayPal on their homepage.

Their online store not only includes branded tees, vests and stickers but also the new official Liverpool Monopoly Board, in which Oyé features along with a host of landmarks and organisations.

If you want to go the extra mile, the Friends of Oyé scheme allows you to support the festival with a larger one-off donation that will earn you a load of goodies in return.

And, if anyone thinks they can bring their own professional experience to the organisation, the charity’s Board of Trustees is currently accepting applications for the roles of Company Secretary and Treasurer, following the recent appointment of new Trustees, Anna Maloney, Paul Cesay and Serge Patrick-Heselton.

Oyé have told us that they’re holding off on announcing a new date while the situation surrounding the pandemic and social distancing remains ever-changing.

In its absence there are still opportunities to get a slice of Oyé from home and still support this Liverpool institution.