The Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI) is celebrating its fourth annual AFRIBEMBÉ FESTIVAL on August 13. The festival is a celebration of the African diaspora and the culture it created in New York City today.
The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the Coalition for Theaters of Color and the Howard Gilman Foundation fund all festival activities.
In the spirit of Sankofa, a Twi word meaning “to regain,” the festival aims to honor the community’s African ancestors by sharing generations of traditions and teachings. This pan-African event gives NYC the chance to see all the pop culture that has flowed 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, among 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 of the taste of traditional African dishes that span the entire continent. There will also be more Americanized foods inspired by innovative Black-made cuisine; along with Caribbean inspired dishes.
“There is a saying in Spanish, Barriga llena, corazón contento; Full belly, happy heart. This is exactly what you will experience at SoulFull Food Plaza! Enjoy comfort food flavors from across the African diaspora all day.” said a representative from SoulFull Food Plaza according to the AFRIBEMBÉ website.
The Family Village will offer 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 feature a series of live music and DJ performances representing the 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 we came from.”
The festival will be held from 11:30 am to 7:00 pm at Harlem Art Park. The first 100 people to arrive at the festival will receive a raffle ticket to potentially win a special prize, to be announced. Also, 200 registered guests will have the opportunity to receive a CCCADI swag bag upon their arrival. To register, click here.
