Madaraka Festival bringing African artistry to Seattle

Madaraka Festival 2021 is coming this Sunday, July 25th. The festival will take place at Bellevue Youth Theater from 2 pm - 6 pm and will feature African art, music and food. Produced by One Vibe Media, the list of performers includes Jaye Ware and Austin Dean Ashford.

As part of the leadup, these performers joined the Morning Update Show to discuss their artistry and anticipation for the event, which will be the first time Madaraka Festival has taken place outdoors. 

“I’m going to Seattle for the first time ever, and I’m really excited,” Ashford said. “It feels like a first date with someone who someone has told you about before.”

Ashford is a recording artist from the Bay Area who just released his debut album, Sophisti-Ratchet Soundtrack, and will be playing some of the new songs for the first time this weekend. He’s also a PhD student studying Interdisciplinary Fine Arts at Texas Tech University. Although he studies in Lubbock, he credits his community in the Bay Area with inspiring him to create music.

“Part of what fuels me is knowing I have support from genuine people that I know,” Ashford said. “One of the things that fuels me is growth. I’m so excited that my first project ever just dropped.”

Jaye Ware is a spoken word artist. She’s equally ready to grace the Madaraka Festival stage. 

“I am super excited about Madaraka,” Ware said. “It is way outside the box of my comfort zone, it is a humongous festival with some astounding talent. It really requires that I prepare and present in a different way, and I’m so excited to stretch myself.”

You can see Ware this Sunday at 3:15 pm, followed immediately by Ashford at 3:30 pm. 

Austin: https://www.austindeanashford.com/bio

Jaye: https://www.4culture.org/touring_arts/jacqueline-ware/

You can get tickets for the festival now at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/madaraka-festival-2021-tickets-161169370927