Afro Legacy Fest: Honoring African Roots

   For the second year, La Casa de la Cultura, in collaboration with the Harvey B. Gantt Center and the Mint Museum, celebrated Afro-descendant heritage from Latin America and the Caribbean, offering a rich cultural experience through music, dance, and education.

The festival kicked off on February 7 with a vibrant Lunar New Year celebration, presented by Manera Foundation, blending traditions and setting the tone for the weekend. Performances by Son de Pueblos, showcasing Puerto Rican Bomba and Cuban Rumba, Nadia Calmet, who shared Afro-Peruvian rhythms, Tambor y Caña with Marisabel Pérez Venezuelan Calypso, and Bodoma Garífuna Cultural Band, highlighting the Garífuna people’s powerful rhythms like Gunchey and Punta, set the stage for a dynamic festival.

However, Saturday, at the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture February 8 truly became the heart of the celebration, filled with engaging workshops, performances, Drop in art session and educational panel, that connected the attendees to Afro-descendant cultures across the Americas.

• Son de Pueblos led a Bomba workshop, guiding participants to explore the deep connection between dancer and drummer in this powerful Puerto Rican tradition.

• Keudis Sánchez and Milagros Ugueto de Sánchez, co-founders of La Casa de la Cultura, led a thought-provoking panel through their Cultura Disruptiva podcast, discussing the African influence on Latin American music, dance, language, and food. They shared stories of resilience, such as the creation of drums from barrels in Puerto Rico and Peru after African instruments were banned.

• Tambor y Caña, alongside Marisabel Pérez, continued to explore the vibrant Venezuelan Calypso tradition, where Marisabel used her book to teach about the colorful characters of the carnival and the rhythms of Tambor de la Costa.

• Nadia Calmet, along with Mauricio Salas and Ángela Castillo from Salas Art Agency, presented a stunning demonstration of Afro-Peruvian culture, inviting children and adults to experience traditional instruments while learning about their cultural significance.

• Bodoma Garífuna Cultural Band closed the day with a powerful workshop on Gunchey, an important rhythm in Garífuna culture that connects African and Indigenous roots. The band’s performance emphasized the role of music as a form of cultural resistance and unity.

In addition to these incredible sessions, Colombian artist Samia Jaramillo made an outstanding contribution as both a collaborator and an artist. She organized a collective Drop in art session, where children and attendees created beautiful pieces of art together. Samia’s leadership and passion brought creativity to life, offering the young participants an opportunity to express their connection to the cultural themes of the day through art.

A heartfelt thank you goes out to all the collaborators and volunteers whose dedication and love made this event possible. Their hard work and commitment were crucial in bringing the festival to life. To the artists, who gave their all throughout the day, we are deeply grateful for your passion and energy that made this celebration unforgettable.

The day culminated in an unforgettable circle of rhythm, where artists and participants joined together, creating a unified sound that resonated with the collective power of Afro-descendant communities. The festival not only celebrated culture but also reaffirmed the vision of unity, respect, and cultural pride that La Casa de la Cultura strives to uphold.

We extend our deepest gratitude to Salas Arts Agency for their collaboration, and to our sponsors: ASC, Knight Foundation, Sonesta, Car & Body Repair, SA Carolinas Realty, Mint Museum, and especially to the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture for making this celebration possible.

Afro Legacy Fest is just the beginning—see you at the next edition!

Press(La Noticia)