The 28th edition of Afro-Pfingsten closed yesterday and what a colourful, peaceful, and multicultural spectacle it was, once more. Afro-Pfingsten is a music festival (actually much more than that) in Winterthur/Switzerland and takes place during the week up to and over the weekend of Pentecost. The latter means Pfingsten in German, hence the name Afro-Pfingsten. It is a week full of music, laughter, drums, humans from every walk of life, food from all over the world, and a mixture of languages, cultures, looks and styles that you feel like travelling the world by visiting just one city in a small country.

There is a buzzing market from Thursday through to Saturday, workshops, free concerts on two stages in the picturesque old town of Winterthur, buskers to stop an listen to, a film festival showing relevant movies, and even more concerts in the evenings.

This festival is best when listened to, that is why you will have several options in this post to indulge your ears and souls into a little bit of what was going on here. Let’s start with the drums with a view of some of the old town houses :0):
And on to two concerts on the outdoor stages. It is normally very hot on Afro-Pfingsten. This year it was not so hot, but just pleasant to enjoy Congolese vibes, Balafon sounds, and some groovy dance moves.

Clear blue sky and the characteristic church just behind the Balafon playing Amadou Banoura. Juvet Baka with the calabash. I love to see how a lot of children start to dance whenever they hear music of any kind. Enjoy!

What a pity that flavours and smells are not yet digitally transmittable. Maybe your brain recalls some from your experiences by just looking at photographs.

The legendary Daniel Bühler launched Afro-Pfingsten after being infected with the music of Burkina Faso. The band he experienced there first hand all those many years ago also played live yesterday: Farafina. Here is a little ear candy for you.

My heart especially warmed when Elemotho entered the stage, for they are a Namibian band with the singer coming from the Kalahari desert. Namibia has a very special place in my heart for many reasons and I can thoroughly understand why Meghan and Harry – as rumor has it – chose this mind-boggling country for their honeymoon. Ours lasted four weeks and was also spent in Namibia ;0). This is another story and it may well appear here, or at least some photographs from that unforgettable journey.

For now, I leave you with Elemotho’s song about their homeland and the name giving desert:

P.S.: Even the shops were in African mood. I took the head image of this post from a shop window. They sell glasses.