The batá is a sacred drum tradition originating among the Yoruba people of West Africa and brought to the New World during the slave trade era. Female in nature, the three two-headed drums played by three men activate a sacred language that communicates with the spirit world of the Orisha (or…
Congolese Ngoma, Drumming
Kalenda (African stick dance/fight ritual)
Afro-Latin percussion refers to percussive instruments, traditions, rhythms, dances, and musical forms that have given voice, identity, and much inspiration to urban communities across the Americas. In specific countries and regions, local percussive/musical traditions are learned in tandem with the Afro-Cuban, Afro-Caribbean traditions that have come to represent…
Khaley Adouna African Dance & Drum is a collective of performing artists based in the East San Francisco Bay Area. It was formed in 2006 by Danielle DeLane to further promote cultural arts in the Bay Area by creating opportunities for independent artists to share their…
L.A. Commons works in neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles, facilitating artistic processes, open to all, that result in highly visible public art projects that tell dynamic neighborhood stories. L.A. Commons builds community by validating the importance of local narratives, enhancing the sense of belonging felt by a…
Crosspulse is a nonprofit arts organization dedicated to the creation, performance, and recording of rhythm-based, intercultural music and dance. Grown out of the artistic vision of founding executive director Keith Terry, Crosspulse has sponsored scores of projects involving outstanding artists from many cultural traditions. The organization…
Negro spirituals
California arts and cultures
