Mandinga Ancestral IV: Capoeira Angola & African Arts Festival Nairobi & Watamu, Kenya

April 13th - 21st, 2024

DESCRIPTION

Welcome to Mandinga Ancestral IV – an immersive 8-day Capoeira Angola and African Arts festival in Nairobi and the stunning coast town of Watamu, Kenya! The 2024 festival marks its fourth edition and includes the presence of Mestre Jogo de Dentro; Professor T.J. Desch Obi; Contra Mestre Salim; Professor João Reis; Francisco Morales Bermudez; and invited guests from Kenya.

The journey begins in Nairobi, where guests will participate in Capoeira Angola; traditional Kenyan percussion; and yoga workshops with youth from Capoeira Angola Center Kibera. From Nairobi, guests will fly to the serene coastal town of Watamu for four days of workshops, knowledge sessions, and time at our stunning hotel located within the Watamu Marine National Park in the Indian Ocean!

OFFERINGS

WHATS INCLUDED

WHATS NOT INCLUDED

AVAILABLE FOR ADDITIONAL PURCHASE & AD-ON’s

* the organizers can connect guests with reliable tour guides for those who would like to stay for an additional day or two to visit the National Park (wihtin Nairobi). For a more comprehensive safari experience, the organizers can connect guests with reliable tour companies.

ACCOMODATION

In an effort to make Mandinga Ancestral accessible to a wide range of guests, we are offering two accommodation options for the Nairobi portion of the festival.

Option 1: a stay at the Inuka Guest House in Kibera, hosted by Capoeira Angola Center Teaching Artist, John Odhiambo (10 min. walk to the St. George Orthodox Church where workshops will take place).

Option 2: a hotel stay at King Post Hotel

ABOUT Nairobi - Guest House

Capoeira Angola Center Kibera operates under the umbrella of a Kibera-based NGO called Inuka Cultural Center. Inuka is a youth empowerment program that uses movement arts; interactive knowledge-based workshops; entrepreneurship; and professional development training to create expanded life choices for youth and communities.

In addition to offering free classes in capoeira, breaking and girls empowerment to youth in Kibera, Inuka has a social enterprise called the Inuka Guest House. The Guest House is a hostel-style house in Kibera that’s managed by Inuka Program Manager and Capoeira Teaching Artist, John Odhiambo. Kibera, commonly regarded as the largest slum community in Africa, is also a cultural hub within Nairobi with street vendors, open air markets and numerous informal businesses. The Guest House regularly hosts visitors from Europe and the U.S. who are visiting Kibera for social and non-profit projects.

ABOUT Nairobi - HOTEL OPTION

Our first package includes a stay at King Post hotel apartments in Nairobi for four nights followed by four nights at Temple Point, Watamu. The King Post is a recipient of Trip Advisor’s 2017 Certificate of Excellence award.

The apartments are designed with beautiful Swahili, Arabic, Indian, and Portuguese elements. There’s an outdoor pool, free WiFi, a fitness center, and a spa with massage treatments.

Watamu (Coast) - Temple Point Hotel

For the second half of the festival, our group journeys by plane to the magical coast town of Watamu. We’ll be at the stunning Temple Point Resort located in Watamu Marine National Park at the junction of the Mida Creek and Indian Ocean.

Overlooking a coral reef and its own private beach, Temple Point offers traditional Swahili-style rooms. All of the air-conditioned rooms include a modern bathroom and stunning views of the Indian Ocean, Mida Creek or lush tropical gardens from a patio or balcony.