KIKWETU NIGHTS | AN AFRO-SOUL SOIREE

A quarterly event hosted by Kikwetu Coffee, this special night of music, food, and stimulating conversation is a must-attend for many locals. A night where community members gather to meet other cultural enthusiasts while immersing themselves in the fullness of the African culture through incredible live African music, delicious ethnic bitings and shared stories.

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

☆ LIVE PERFORMANCE☆

Headlining Artist; Mailman Kone & Wemowo Band

Malima Kone, is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist from Burkina Faso, West Africa. Originally from Mali, Malima belongs to the ancient Jeli (“griot”) music tradition of the Bwaba people, which dates back to the Mali/Mandingo Empire (1230-1600). Malima Kone was born Salifou Kone in 1984 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. He was given the name Tayourou Malima at age 5 by his late paternal grandfather Wamia Kone, which means: “The Way it Is.”

Malima and his band, Wemewo, which means “From the Heart” in his native Bwamu language, further enriched his sound by incorporating traditional African percussion, kora and bala, with Western acoustic guitar, flutes, horn section, bass, drums, and keyboard. This fusion has attracted fans and audiences across several genres.

Wemewo has played for packed houses at Yoshi’s (Oakland), The Independent (San Francisco), the Rio Theatre (Santa Cruz, Californa), Whisky A-Go-Go (Los Angeles), and at the Esalen Zen Institute in Big Sur, California.

☆ AFRICAN CUISINE- A Journey Through the Continent☆

Curated by CHEF ESKENDER, Owner of Radio Africa Kitchen.

Originally from Ethiopia, Chef Eskender arrived in San Francisco in the late 80’s where he spent the next 20 years working in the Bay Area with such luminary chefs as Jeremiah Tower, Joyce Goldstein, Nancy Oaks, Daniel Peterson and Daniel Humm. During this time, inspired by these great chefs, he began experimenting with different food preparations of his own.

Chef Eskender is going to take guests on a tantalizing culinary journey through East, West, South, North and Central Africa. We can't wait to see what masterpieces he serves!

☆AWARD CEREMONY☆

Kikwetu Night HONORS

A special award ceremony sponsored by the SF Arts Collective honoring Africans in the Bay Area who are doing exemplary work in their community

ABOUT ORGANIZERS

Kikwetu Coffee [est. 1998] has had a long presence in the Bay Area since 2009 supplying specialty African coffee to local establishments, building strong community ties with coffee coinnoisseurs and being a source of entertainment and conversation in upscale pop-up shop settings.

The San Francisco Arts Collective [est. 2013] has been fortunate to work in San Francisco's arts, tech, design and performance communities, establishing platforms for indie & label artists and performers, while creating branded partnership opportunities for corporates such as Uber, Columbia Records, Globerly and more.

With the patronage and sponsorship of the SF Arts Collective, Kikwetu Coffee is excited to bring you this signature branded upscale experience celebrating African culture, African arts and the honorees who carry the Africa spirit across the world.

We look forward to ushering-in the 2019 Summer Season with you on this magical evening.

Admission with Formal African Attire.