The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History is gearing up for the 41st Annual African World Festival, set to take place from July 12 to 14 at Hart Plaza. This three-day event is expected to draw nearly 20,000 attendees, celebrating the rich heritage of the African Diaspora through a vibrant showcase of performances, arts, and community engagement.
This year's festival promises a full cultural experience, featuring an array of performances that span music, dance, visual arts, and more. Visitors can also look forward to a diverse mixture of vendors offering food, clothing, and health products, along with live demonstrations and community resource sharing.
Headlining the event is Third World, celebrated for their dynamic reggae-fusion style that blends elements of R&B, funk, pop, rock, dancehall, and rap, making them one of Jamaica's most beloved crossover acts. Also featured is Rapsody, an American rapper renowned for her intricate lyricism and powerful hip-hop narratives.
Additionally, Detroit’s own Charity will captivate audiences with her unique fusion of R&B, neo-soul, and hip-hop, contributing to a diverse lineup of performances at Detroit's Hart Plaza.
Charity shared her enthusiasm about performing at the festival for the first time.
“I’m looking forward to performing,” Charity said. “I’m a long time AWF attendee. It’s a summer staple for a culture obsessed Detroiter like me. Some of my most precious summer memories with my sisters are at this festival, but I’ve always gone as an audience member and not as a performer. This year my position and perspective changes and I get to help administer some of the joy that I always felt being there.”
For families, the festival does not disappoint. Special performances tailored for children will feature the Ballet Folklorico of Detroit, Detroit Youth Choir, TeMaTe African Drum & Dance, Fyütch, and the Mosaic Youth Theater, all set to provide engaging entertainment for the younger crowd.
Reflecting on the festival's significance, Charity said, “It’s a beautiful amalgamation of diasporic cultures. From food, to fashion, to music, somehow the AWF captures it all- from the continent to Motown. So, it means unity to me. It means connection. It means shining a blaring light on the richest culture in the world.”
Admission to the African World Festival is complimentary for all Charles H. Wright Museum members. For non-members, ticket prices are set at $15 for adults, $10 for seniors (65+) and students over age 13, with free admission for children under age 13.
For those interested in becoming members and enjoying free admission, details are available on the museum's website. More information about the festival, including a full schedule of events, can be found at
https://www.thewright.org/african-world-festival.
Here's a full list of featured performers:
Third World
Performing a style described as “reggae-fusion" that combines elements of R&B, funk, pop, rock, dancehall, and rap, Third World is one of Jamaica's most popular crossover acts and has performed on six continents.
Rapsody
Rapsody is an American rapper known for her intricate rhyme patterns, metaphors, and wordplay. She is often hailed as one of the best living lyricists in the hip-hop genre. Rapsody cites Jay-Z, Mos Def, Lauryn Hill, and MC Lyte as the biggest influences on her music.
Thandiswa Mazwai
Thandiswa has been one of the most influential post-Apartheid singers in South Africa. After six award-winning albums with Bongo Maffin she ventured onto an award-winning solo career that has seen her perform all over the world.
Dumpstaphunk
Dumpstaphunk stands out amongst New Orleans' best, cementing themselves as one of the funkiest bands to ever arise from the Crescent City. Born on the Jazz & Heritage Festival stage, and descended from Neville and Meters family bloodlines, these soldiers of funk ignite a deep, gritty groove that dares listeners not to move.
Our gathering this year will highlight and represent our community and our shared past, present, and future. We look forward to exchanging stories and honoring where we've been and where we're going.
Other performances include:
Fyütch is a GRAMMY-nominated music and social justice artist who performs a high-energy dance show for kids about self-love and empowerment.
Mokoomba, an explosively talented six-man crew from the Victoria Fall, has been hailed as one of the most exciting bands from Africa in the 21st century!
Charity's music paints the kind of picture you'd see hanging on a loved one's wall. It's sacred, strong, and let's face it - Black.
Larry Lee, former NFL player, NFL executive and professional musician who started the band in the early 2000s.
Vox Sambou is an MC, poet, and multilingual performer, fluent in Haitian, French, English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Drey Skonie and The kLOUDs Band a.k.a. "Skonie and The kLOUDs" emphasis on the loud.
Named Best-Managed Nonprofit by Crain's Detroit Business in 2006,
Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit is an internationally acclaimed youth development program whose mission is to empower young people to maximize their potential through professional performing arts training and the creation of theatrical and musical art that engages, transforms and inspires.
Allen Dennard is a professional trumpeter, composer, recording artist, bandleader and an activist born and raised in the city of Detroit.
TeMaTe Institute for Black Dance and Culture exists as a dance justice and cultural equity organization.