Afro-Pfingsten Fest heading to Ghana in May

Established in 1990, the annual showcase is traditionally held in Winterthur, Switzerland, and attracts more than 70 000 fans. It features live performances with a key focus on African music and culture. Last year, the festival was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

While Yaa Yaa will make her debut at the festival, Atongo Zimba and Wiyaala are hardly strangers to the Afro-Pfingsten stage, having played at the 2007 and 2019 editions respectively. Ghana-based Swiss producer Beda Ehrensperger has also been confirmed on the line-up. 

“If you look at artists like me, Wiyaala and Atongo Zimba, apart from the music, our fashion statements also sell Ghana, so it goes beyond music,” Yaa Yaa told 3 News in April. “I’m really honoured to be part of the musicians performing at the festival.”

Last month, the festival’s film crew shot a documentary in Mali, Ghana and Switzerland. Bassekou Kouyaté and Tiken Jah Fakoly are among the musicians who make an appearance in the film. In Ghana, the crew captured the rehearsals of the upcoming festival’s headline acts. 

Afro-Pfingsten Festival, as well as its documentary film, will be broadcast from Bader’s Cultural Center in Accra. Ghanaian music lovers can call +233 20 667 0615 for limited in-person tickets.