Spirit of Africa is a celebration of the music, dance, and culture of Africa. The festival bring high quality musicians, dancers, and other artists to the festival to showcase the richness, diversity, and joyfulness of African music and dance. Yet, it also strives to educate the community about African culture and the importance of music and dance both today and throughout history. Spirit of Africa is a yearly, one-day event held at Seattle Center.
The festival showcases the cultural and ethnic traditions of the African countries and the African diaspora for the enjoyment and enlightenment of the broader community. Its mission is to bring people together in peace, love, and unity. The festival has been active for 14 years, expanding its audience throughout the Northwest region, and hosting more than 1,500 people in 2019.
The festival also brings out-of-town artists to perform individually and also together with local African artists. It showcase the amazing talents of both out-of-town artists and the excellent talent in the Seattle area. Together, this group represents the music, dance and culture from many different African countries.
Founded and produced by a local Senegalese Griot musician, Spirit of Africa was formerly known as the Spirit of West Africa. In a conscious effort to rebrand and be inclusive, the festival now celebrates the whole Africa continent and African diaspora.
