National Geographic Music (National Geographic)

The first-ever Women of Africa festival will take place on April 19th—22nd, 2007 in Marrakech, Morocco, and will feature concerts with artists from across the continent and the African diaspora, as well as daily seminars on women's issues in Africa. The festival's organizers, the Women of Africa Cooperative, state their goals as paying tribute to the women of the African Continent and promoting culturally responsible, sustainable tourism.

Among the artists confirmed to perform will be Acantha (USA), Kaissa (Cameroon), Lorraine Klassen (Congo), Maria de Barros (Cape Verde), Oum (Morocco), Najat Aatabou (Morocco), Somi (Rawanda/Uganda/USA), and Les Go de Koteba (Mali/Guinea/Cote d'Ivoire). These artists will be performing in a musical tribute to South African diva Miriam Makeba.

In addition to these musical offerings, the festival will also include four days of dance, film, fine arts, panel discussions and a market. The festival will take place in multiple venues in Marrakech, including the Palais des Congres and the Jemma El Fna. UNESCO World Heritage Site.

For more information, please consult the Women of Africa Festival website.