The Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI) is celebrating its 4th annual AFRIBEMBÉ FESTIVAL on Aug. 13. The festival is a celebration of the African Diaspora and the culture it created in New York City today.
The New York Department of Cultural Affairs, Coalition for Theaters of Color and the Howard Gilman Foundation all fund the festival’s activities.
In the spirit of Sankofa, a Twi word meaning “to retrieve,” the festival is meant to honor the community’s African ancestors by sharing traditions and generational teachings. This Pan-African event gives NYC the chance to see all the pop culture that has stemmed from African roots, and give thanks to their creativity, intellectuality and musicality.
The festival brings together local dancers and musicians to celebrate the dynamic sounds of congas, barriles, caixa, atabales, amongst other drums and instruments. These celebrations are made possible by the Black and African community’s excellence in innovative performing arts.
The festival’s SoulFull Food Plaza and Ujamaa Market will provide food and drink for the event. Your heart, soul and, most importantly, your stomach will be full with the taste of traditional African dishes spanning all across the continent. There will also be more Americanized food inspired by Black-made innovative cuisine; along with Caribbean-inspired dishes.
“There is a saying in Spanish, Barriga llena, corazón contento; Full belly, happy heart. That’s exactly what you’ll experience at our SoulFull Food Plaza! Enjoy the flavors of comfort food from across the African Diaspora throughout the day.” said a representative from SoulFull Food Plaza according to AFRIBEMBÉ’s website.
The Family Village will provide interactive activities for all ages to make art, move and learn together about the history of Black culture. Their goal is to inspire the next generation of creators.
AFRIBEMBÉ will have a line-up of live music performances and DJs that will be representing music and dance traditions of Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, Haiti and Guinea. These activities will “connect the community we are today with the community from whence we came.”
The festival will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Harlem Art Park. The first 100 people to arrive at the festival will receive a raffle ticket to potentially win a special, to-be-announced, prize. As well, 200 registered guests will have the chance to receive a CCCADI swag bag upon their arrival. To register, click here.
