Africa Night started in May 1998 in Tilburg, the Netherlands because of the necessity to provide Africans and lovers of African music an opportunity to listen and dance to, and enjoy the rich pot-pourri of modern swing and dance music the continent has to offer. It was difficult in those days for African people to go out and enjoy themselves in the discotheques in Tilburg. It was either one got turned away at the door or the music was one-dimensional house or techno. After being refused entrance by the fifth discotheque in 1997, I got so mad I wrote several letters of protest to various organisations including the press, the police, the anti-discrimination agency, the local Green party and the Mayor. Till today I am still waiting for a reply!
In the meantime, I took the conscious decision to channel my anger into doing something positive to change the situation. This was because I realised there were many people in the same kind of situation as I was at the time. What was more, I realised that Tilburg also harboured a large number of Dutch people who liked modern African dance music. That was how the idea of Africa Night was born.
The first show took place in May 1998 and it was immediately obvious that the show was had a great future. The first Africa Night took place at Partycentrum de Albatros, or ‘The Boat’ as many people call it. (It is actually a large ship anchored in the old port of Tilburg). After a year, we moved to another location in Tilburg. This was because ‘The Boat’ changed owners. Africa Night stayed at this new location called Paradox for two years. In 2001, Africa Night returned to its original home on ‘The Boat’. Since then Africa Night has moved to Bosvreugd, Partycentrum Oase and Horeca T’Kwadraat.
One of the reasons for starting Africa Night in 1998 was to provide, through music, an avenue for interaction amongst all races in the Dutch society. This goal is being achieved every time we have another show. It is always a thing of beauty to see how the different races get along, with music acting as the great glue. Africa Night attracts almost an equal number of Dutch and ‘foreign’ people. The public is from all segments of the society. They are young and old, black and white, rich and poor, jobless and employed. Today Africa Night is visited by people from all over The Netherlands and beyond! On a given night, there are guests from across Europe, from Belgium to Russia to Sweden! This is a source of pride to all. Africa Night represents a beautiful mirror of the society we live in.
Africa Night is a labour of love that is blossoming and providing people the opportunity of going out once a month in Tilburg. This is especially true for many people going out without the fear of being turned back at the door. Africa Night has retained its flavour over the years. Even when the deejays change or move on, the ambiance has always remained the same.
The atmosphere is cosy and it is one to cherish. Africa Night will continue to serve its audience the best of African music and music with roots in Africa. For the best Ndombolo, Naija, Mbalax, Zouglou, Reggae, Hip-hop, Kizomba, Genge, Kwaito and so forth, Africa Night is the place to be.
The Africa Night public rocks!
