Abdel Ouedraogo, founder of Burkinabe Entertainment, will hold Harlem's first-ever African music festival at Marcus Garvey Park. Mafrika, named after "Mama Africa" will be held from noon until 6 p.m. Afrobeat, reggae, and hip-hop bands, along with traditional dance groups, will showcase the diversity of African music. The festival is open to the public and is free of charge. Ouedraogo, a native of Burkina Faso who has lived in Harlem since 1999, put over $50,000 of his own money into organizing Mafrika. He worked night and day, running a moving company and working at the Lower East Side club Piano's, to raise money. He also called in favors, contacting respected African musicians - in New York and across the country - ultimately convincing them to perform without pay. "It's very important that this is in Harlem, the Black capital of the world," Ouedraogo explained to them. "I believe we can somehow build a bridge." Mafrika is geared at African immigrants, like Ouedraogo, as well as native New Yorkers, who he hopes will learn about the rhythms that have inspired Black music here in the U.S. Mafrika's headliners include: Zozo Afrobeat, a 13-piece band known for its blazing horn section and a singer who used to perform with Fela; Fuarkistra, a politically conscious dance band, headed by the lead singer of Antibalas; Beetroot, an Afro-Brazilian group formed by members from the original cast of Stomp; and the Senegalese hip hop band Daara J. When asked how many West African countries will be represented at the show, Ouedraogo laughed, "All of them." Mafrika is modeled after African concerts sponsored by Celebrate Brooklyn! and Summerstage, with one important difference - the organizer. "I'm an African musician. I know better my music than anyone else, no?" Ouedraogo said. Several thousand people are expected to show up for the Mafrika Festival this Sunday. Alongside the music, there will be African food, and, Ouedraogo hopes, families out enjoying a Sunday in the park. Ouedraogo got his start organizing cultural events in Burkina Faso and across Europe, where, he says, governments are more invested in preserving the culture. His ultimate aim is to get African music into schools - enlisting Mafrika artists to hold drum, dance and African language workshops to teach African-American students about their heritage. To Ouedraogo, Harlem has always felt like home. "I love it. I get off the subway and feel at home. All the dark faces." When he arrived here, he spoke French and five African languages, but no English. Since 1999, it's been a steady climb towards becoming a New Yorker and making a contribution to the cultural life of the city. Today, Ouedraogo seems to know everyone - in Harlem and beyond. The weekend before Mafrika, he sat at a coffee shop in the Caribbean heart of Brooklyn, calling to friends on the street, handing out flyers.

Address:
NYC