The AfroBanana question: to be or not to be?

For weeks now, the embattled AfroBanana Festival has been fighting for its very life. ALIX NORMAN uncovers the raw, truth which in parts has eight legs!

This is the festival that was almost stopped by a single spider! Yes, this award-winning, internationally recognised gathering, a community that supports all ages, backgrounds and beliefs nearly fell prey to an arachnid.

In the beginning, there was Alternative Brains Rule, a local non-profit organisation that ran various events designed to inspire people islandwide to embrace inclusivity and community. In 2011, they decided to take things one step further, and launched the Afro Banana Republic Festival: a two-day event that would marry music, movement, art, craft and wellbeing into one magical experience.

Over the next eight years, the festival became a place for fostering ideas and idealism; in the words of co-founder Constantinos Kyprianou, “a place where the world truly could be changed for the better.” The event garnered international recognition, winning an EFFE award for being one of Europe’s finest festivals – an accolade that puts it in the same frame as The London Jazz Festival, Germany’s World Music Expo, and the venerable Festival D’Avignon in France. And, as it grew in scope, attracting more participants, the annual festival began to move from place to place to bring inclusivity to new areas of the island.

“Every place we’ve been has lent a singular atmosphere to the event,” explains Constantinos. “In Kiti, we had the beauty of the sea; in Kornos, the enchantment of the forest; in Gialia, the ancient magic of Cyprus’ western coastline. Wherever the festival goes, we honour and celebrate the unique nature of the area, ensuring we respect all that has come before and will come after.”

This spirit of eco-awareness saw the festival pioneering the use of reusable cups over single-use plastics as early as 2015, well in advance of other, similar events. By 2017, much of the lighting came from solar energy, and phone charging stations were driven by bicycle. In Kiti, organisers took advantage of the weather conditions with custom-made wind turbines powering one of the stages.

“This year,” says Constantinos, “we’re collecting grey water from showers for reuse, and have partnered with a local NGO to turn used cooking oil into bio-diesel – profits from its sale will go to local primary schools. Every year, alongside the music, workshops and screenings, we introduce new eco-initiatives. Because, at its core, the ABR Festival is about celebrating our unique island, past, present and future.”

So what does a spider have to do with all this? Well, this year’s iteration was to be held in a remote area of Dali, to the south of Nicosia. Unfortunately, local residents took exception, citing a long list of complaints, including that a novel species of spider exists only in this area.

“You can imagine our concern,” says Constantinos. “We are here to leave nothing but footprints, and aim to make the world a better place for all its lifeforms, no matter their number of legs! But on consultation with ecological and biodiversity experts, we discovered that there would be no adverse impact at all on said spider: the official environmental impact screening – which although not required, is something we carry out in advance of all our festivals – states that there will be no adverse long- or short-term consequences on the flora or fauna in this area.”

Despite the fact that the festival was supported by the Dali Municipality, Potamia Council, and the Deputy Ministry of Culture (this year, for the first time, the ABR Fest is included in the prestigious Kypria programme), organisers this week ultimately decided to move the festival to a different location…

“From July 13 to 16, the ABR will be setting up camp in Lefkara,” says Constantinos of this late change. “This is a gorgeous village that’d long been associated with warmth and hospitality, and typifies the best of the island’s rich cultural heritage. We’ve received a heartfelt reception and were immediately greeted with open arms. We are immensely grateful to the Lefkara Municipal Council and the village’s wonderful mayor for their hospitality and their support.”

Long a favourite with festival-goers for its distinguished past, warm welcome, and gorgeous mountain scenery, Lefkara is a popular spot for summer events. This year, as the new home of the 2023 ABR Fest, it can expect a host of magical happenings, including the world-renowned entertainment, cultural and natural celebrations for which the festival is famed.

Here, far from the rush of everyday life (and with a minimum of disruption to any eight-legged lifeforms), the festival will fuse an eclectic selection of live music acts and renowned DJs, together with multi-sensory art installations, sustainability workshops, wellness sessions and creative activities for all ages.

Festival-goers can delight in the Bantu Continua Uhuru Consciousness, whose unique take on modern African music comes all the way from Soweto, as well as the mischievous Pantaloons trio from Slovenia, and Barcelona’s multidisciplinary collective, Mainline Magic Orchestra.

Hackney-based producer Raz Olsher and Ghanaian master musician Afla Sackey will transport attendees on a cosmic journey; Swiss duo Blind Butcher are preparing an infectious dance set; and touring DJ and producer Nickodemus will bring his signature afro-house storm of electronic sounds underscored by Latin, African, and Eastern instrumentation.

There’ll also be the chance to appreciate more local talent: Athens-based Los Tre will bring a heady instrumental fusion of 70’s psychedelia and jazzy vibes, while Cypriot music legends Antonis Antoniou, founder of the award-winning and world-travelled trio Monsieur Doumani, will be debuting his latest project, BuzZ’ Ayaz.

“And, as always, we’ll have a full programme of other events in addition to the musical line-up,” says Constantinos. “AfroBanana has always been about building a community so we can build a magical future together. We are truly grateful for the support and love that people have shown us over the years and immensely happy that we continue to grow and build together, as new friendships, new projects and new collaborations are born of this communal experience.”

For more information and tickets, visit www.afrobanana.com