This year’s planned ‘Over The Border’ Festival has sadly had to be moved to 2021. The good news just out though is that the organizers of the popular music diversity festival have now been able to still schedule one event in 2020. Local ambassadors are already a tradition at the Festival. The formation around Fanta4 percussionist Roland Peil, who has been part of the festival since its inception, will be the evening’s main guests, but there will be lots of top-class additional guests to enjoy too. In order to comply with hygiene considerations in view of Corona Virus the concert will now take place at Bonn Brückenforum on 19 September at 8pm, seating and tables will allow the correct distancing of attendees. Note too that everyone who has already purchased tickets (the concert was originally scheduled to kick off the Festival in March 2020) should contact Manuel Bahna promoter at m.banha@wunsch.com for registration and table reservations.
This year the winners of the song competition “Your Song for a World” from Engagement Global – Byrd & Ward will be playing, presenting their winning song “Molotov zum Blumenstrauss” Their music focuses on a desire for peaceful coexistence in the ONE WORLD. They will als be presenting a second song with their musical partner Manu Meta.
Two West African artists are invited as foreign guests, who are currently causing a sensation in their countries with their music and powerful lyrics. Kande Kanté is considered one of the most impressive singers in Mandingo music. Her origin is Guinea Conakry. In 2011 she moved to Ivory Coast due to political unrest. Her musical inspiration comes from her family environment around Mory Kanté and Dianka Diabaté.
As a link between the local ambassadors and the West African artists, there is also a special guest with his formation African Melody, to complement the local ambassadors in a congenial way. Pape Seck, based in Kessenich, has been one of the most famous African percussionists in Germany for years. He comes from the well-known Senegalese griot family Seck and grew up in the musician district Pikine of Dakar.
The formation is complemented by the great Cuban singer Ney Portales and the well-known Syrian rapper Murderyez. It will be interesting to see 17 musicians from 13 different countries playing together.
The top musical cast will also be taking up socio-political issues that are more topical than ever. This will include Serge Palasie, specialist promoter of flight, migration and development (Eine Welt Netz NRW), who will be presenting his exhibition “Black is the ocean – what have refugee boats off Europe’s coasts with the history of slave trade and colonialism do? ”.
Festival ticket holders have admission for this year’s event as well as for the entire festival in 2021.