More than 25,000 attendees are expected in Hart Plaza throughout this weekend to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the African World Festival, an annual event thrown by the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History.
The festival runs Friday through Sunday with a powerful lineup of live performers including Parliament Funkadelic with George Clinton, who will headline Friday night at 8 p.m. on the Ford Main Stage.
“It’s gonna be a lot of good music for everybody,” Clinton told the Free Press. “Some fresh funk, some old funk; a lot of new stuff people aren’t used to hearing, and stuff some might be too young to remember.”
Clinton, who’s working on three albums, is also an artist who spends much of his free time painting. He said efforts are currently underway to bring an exhibition of his art to Detroit, which was like a second home to Clinton in the 1960s and ’70s, when he logged countless hours recording at United Sound Systems and worked as a staff songwriter for Motown.
More: United Sound Systems Recording Studio in Detroit needs to move for I-94 project
“Let ’em know we’re on our way home,” Clinton advised, adding, “Tell them to bring two booties to shake, ’cause one ain’t enough!”
The festival returned to Hart Plaza last year after 12 years on the grounds of the Wright Museum and, due to the ever-increasing costs associated with holding major events, now charges admission. General admission, single-day tickets are $15 for ages 13 and up, $10 for seniors and college students and free for children under 13. Weekend passes can be purchased for $35. Admission is free for Wright museum members.
Festival organizer Njia Kai called the event “a gift to the community, which allows for some of our finest traditions, cultures, foods and entertainment.”
“Visitors from across the nation, and from international places, come here to enjoy it,” she said. “We want to place a significant spotlight on this 40th celebration because we think it’s worthy of honoring.”
Along with food vendors, family activities, dance classes and a special 40th anniversary exhibit featuring artifacts from the festival’s history, live music options will include jazz, reggae, R&B, hip-hop, blues and Afro-Latin sounds. Cuban pianist Omar Sosa will bring his Quarteto Americanos to the main stage Sunday at 5:30 p.m.
“I’m always happy to come back to Detroit, but especially with this, because it’s important to keep the song of the Motherland alive,” Sosa said. “It’s so easy to forget where we came from. What we call ‘groove,’ everything comes from Africa, comes from the drum.”
Funkmaster Clinton agreed, and took it a step further, when asked if funk is dead.
“Funk is the DNA of hip hop,” he said. “Funk is just getting started! Afrofuturism, hip hop, that’s all the same. It’s all one nation under a groove. Funk is the DNA for music that you use your booty to dance to.”
“It’s gonna be a party!” he added.
Contact Free Press arts and culture reporter Duante Beddingfield at dbeddingfield@freepress.com.
