Sfinks Mixed Festival celebrates a local – and global – anniversary

At a time when the world wasn’t considered a global village yet, Sfinks used to bring exotic sounds from all over the planet to the small village of Boechout. Although the organisers initiated the festival in 1975 with a rather folk-oriented line-up, throughout the 1980s and ’90s, the festival site between Antwerp and Lier was the place to see a quality mix of Latin American, African, Middle Eastern and Balkan artists. 

Locals got to know the music of Youssou N’Dour, Gilberto Gil, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Femi Kuti, Cesária Évora and Goran Bregovic among many others through their gigs at Sfinks, then mainly known as a world music festival.

In the meantime, the world has changed, with everyone listening to anything and going everywhere. Sfinks dropped the term “world music”, but kept embracing their mission as a global village.

Grooves, DJs and local artists became more important to attract a younger audience. An enormous Kidz Village and a Baby Bar seduces families. But the biggest change came in 2013 when the organisers decided to make the entrance to the festival free.

Spread over four days, last year 80,000 visitors dropped by, illustrating that the renewed focus on both local and global was a success.

This year’s 40th anniversary edition includes local heroes such as Slongs Dievanongs, Bart Peeters and Jan Leyers, who’s launching a Dutch-language album in September, along with spiritual melodies by the Senegalese star Cheikh Lo (pictured), dub grooves by reggae legend Bunny Wailer and explosive Mexican party beats by Los de Abajo.

Urban grooves come from NoMoBs, straight from the Kiel underground, while the talented ZwartWerk, a foursome from Mechelen with Congolese and Angolan roots, present a solid mix of Afro house, hip hop and Zouk. DJ duo Discobaar A Moeder will surely stick to their popular vinyl dance floor killers and dirty Antwerp slang. 23-26 July, Molenveld, Boechout

Photo © Bernard Benant