The Omo Yorùbá ni wa Association, led by Yisel Ifálàdé and Kilian Ifáwuyì, presents the fourth edition of YorùbáFest, a Yorùbá Art and Culture festival that will take place at La Carpa de la Villa de Teguise on October 11 and 12. The event, which has established itself as a benchmark in the dissemination of Yorùbá culture in the Canary Islands, will offer a free and altruistic program that includes conferences, workshops, dance, gastronomy, crafts, and bàtá drums.
High-level international meeting
The festival will feature prominent special guests from Nigeria, including Awoniran Faniyi Ọmọyẹni, Awoniran Ifamuyiwa Akinwumi, Jelili Atiku, and Popoola Owomide Ifagbenusola, who will share their knowledge and experience of Yorùbá traditions.
The academic field will be represented by Francisco Javier García Mamely and Salvador Benítez Rodríguez, professors at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, along with Grecy Pérez, professor at the University of La Laguna, who will bring an academic and research perspective to the conference.
In addition, the program includes the participation of Irene Shams, voice mentor, and Giuliana Cesarini, a therapist specializing in biofrequency, who will complement the offering with proposals for personal development and healing. The festival will also feature dancers and drummers who will offer live demonstrations of these traditional artistic expressions.
International Recognition and Conservation Work
One of the most prominent figures will be Julio "Manguero," a representative of UNESCO and the UN, who continues his mission to rescue and preserve everything related to Yoruba culture, a work recognized internationally for its value in the conservation of intangible cultural heritage.
A festival with a social dimension
The 4th YorùbáFest has evolved into an event with a marked charitable character. This year, they will collaborate with the Asociación Marca tu Pisada and, for the first time, the Asociación Amaday, organizations that work for social causes and that will find in the festival a space to give visibility to their projects.
Mayor Olivia Duque added, regarding the festival, that "Teguise is once again a meeting point between cultures, hosting a festival that not only celebrates the artistic richness of the Yoruba people, but also the values of respect, community, and diversity that we so strongly defend in our municipality. It is a source of pride that the Villa continues to be the setting for initiatives that promote knowledge, tolerance, and cultural exchange between peoples."
Programming
Saturday, October 11: 10:00 AM to 8:30 PM.
Sunday, October 12: 9:00 AM to 2:30 PM.
Location: La Carpa de la Villa de Teguise, Lanzarote
Admission: Free
More than a festival, a movement
According to its organizers, Yisel Ifálàdé and Kilian Ifáwuyì, "YorùbáFest is more than a festival, it is a movement of awareness and transformation that seeks to connect people with the deep roots of Yoruba culture and its universal message of respect, community, and spirituality."
The fourth edition of YorùbáFest promises to be a unique gathering that combines tradition, art, academic knowledge, and social commitment, all within the incomparable setting of the Villa de Teguise. For more information: Omo Yorùbá ni wa Association. Organizers: Yisel Ifálàdé and Kilian Ifáwuyì.
For his part, the councilor for culture, Andoni Machin: “The YorùbáFest is an example of how culture can be a bridge between worlds. From the Culture area, we want to continue supporting events that, like this one, unite the academic, the artistic, and the social, offering the public an experience that transcends the merely festive and becomes an opportunity for learning and collective growth.”