Dobet Gnahoré

If it’s mid-June then it must be time for the Africa Oyé festival.

This year marks the 25 anniversary of Europe’s premier festival of music from Africa and the African diaspora - and it’s still free to attend!

I can't claim to have been to all 25 festivals but I've been to a fair few… as long-term followers of my journal will recall!

This year, the weather has been kind. Indeed, today was a veritable scorcher. And the music was absolutely scorching too!

A highlight for me was today's Blip subject, Dobet Gnahoré from the Côte D’Ivoire. Not only does she have a gorgeous voice but she’s a spectacular dancer too! Luckily, she managed to stay still long enough for me to snap this portrait.

Here she is, singing her beautiful song ‘Afrika’ www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSIhQipnzWQ

The collection of Extra Photos includes some of my other favourite performers, and portraits, of the day… Black Prophet (in the red top, from Ghana), Daby Touré (with the dreads, from Mauritania), DJ Edu (with the shaven head, from Kenya, but these days a UK resident and fixture on BBC Radio 1Xtra) and, sporting the fancy hat, one of the members of Liverpool’s very own answer to De La Soul, Nutribe and Butcha B - he could be Butcha B, but I can't vouch for it!

More tomorrow!