BombaYO, ignites the ancestral rhythms of Bomba, an African-derived music and dance tradition developed in Puerto Rico. The synergy of call-and-response singing, drumming, and dance provides the foundation for a dynamic interplay between the solo drummer and the dancer. In the spirit of Sankofa -looking to your past for a better future- BombaYo members draw from the bomba tradition to enrich their lives and embrace their cultural legacy. Through workshops, cultural presentations, performances, and partnerships, BombaYo engages communities throughout the NYC area to raise awareness of Afro-Puerto Rican culture and to connect Bomba to the vast traditions of the African Diaspora. BombaYo creates an intergenerational and participatory experience that honors people of all ages and abilities.
BombaYO will perform on Sunday, June 8 at Old Dutch Church in Kingston, NY.
Chief Baba Neil Clarke will lead a group of Pinkster reenactors who will perform skits and music reminiscent of the 17th and 18th centuries. He is a master percussionist of legendary status. He is internationally acclaimed as a percussionist who has been involved with traditional African drumming and the percussive arts for more than half a century. He performs regularly with and has had long-term musical relationships with artists such as Randy Weston, Harry Belafonte, Dianne Reeves, Miriam Makeba, and many others.
In addition to his activities as a professional performer, Chief Baba Neil (as he is now affectionately called), has been active in arts in education programming for more than four decades as an educator and a consultant. He has designed and implemented programming at educational levels from elementary through college, including artist residencies and master classes at institutions such as Harvard University, Duke University, Rutgers University, Lewis and Clark College, and many others. And over the years he has served as a presenter and consultant for many of the major cultural institutions in the New York area including The Caribbean Cultural Center, the Museum of Natural History, and the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, to name a few.
Chief Clarke will lead the Pinkster Walk on June 8 around Old Dutch Church in Kingston, NY.
Lavada Nahon, is Interpreter of African American history for the New York State Office of Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation. She is a generalist in New York African American history 19th through the 20th century. She has 20-plus years of public history experience working with a variety of historic sites, societies, and museums across the Tri-State region. Her mission is to bring history to life by giving a presence to the Africans and people of African descent enslaved and free in the New Netherlands/New York in whatever way possible.
Lavada Nahon will moderate a discussion with Margaret Washington PhD at Old Dutch Church, and teach mancala at the Senate House Grounds on June 4 in Kingston, NY.
AYO Nish! Meet Kanisha E. Henderson, better known as "Ayo Nish!", Vibe Creator. —she's a multi-talented artist, dj, producer, educator, and social entrepreneur.
This vibrant soul hails from Newburgh, NY, where she discovered the incredible power of music at a young age. For her, music transcends mere notes and rhythms; it's the heartbeat of life itself, weaving connections, creating unforgettable moments, and curating vibes in safe spaces.
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