Fronted by Omar Gaindefall, Afro Begue is a group of Senegalese-Japanese musicians whose wonderfully energetic show at Gypsy Avalon closed the stage for the festival. “Begue” means “enjoy” in Wolof, a language spoken in Senegal, and so the band name fits the outfit perfectly.

The percussion-led band incorporate jazz, pop and reggae into a fusion that truly encompasses their “world-music” tag. With guitar playing that is so reminiscent of that made famous by the likes of Mali’s Ali Farka Toure, Afro Begue have an engaging mix of flute, saxophone, drums and percussion melding together to create a energetic and exciting show. Gaindefall is an engaging frontman, getting the audience to clap and dance along, dancing about himself and eliciting whoops from the crowd with his djembe. With the colorful and intimate surrounds of the Gypsy Avalon stage it makes for a warm and entertaining show to end the evening.