Join us for a conversation with the BYENVENI exhibition curator, Yvena Despagne and featured exhibition artists.

Yvena will lead us in a discussion about BYENVENI, CCCADI’s current multimedia exhibition that welcomes contemporary Haitian Diasporic art. This exhibition shines a spotlight on the creative expressions of eleven artists who focus on the theme of lakay (translated as home in Haitian-Kreyòl), and explore Haiti as both a cherished internal sanctuary, preserving cultural traditions and religious practices, as well as an external haven, a space of refuge, familial and communal development, a source of boundless joy, and the cornerstone of sovereignty.

This talk will feature BYENVENI exhibition artists Steven Baboun, Tania L. Balan-Gaubert and Madjeen Isaac.

There is no cost to attend but RSVP is strongly encouraged. Admission is based on space capacity.

This event is the first of three Curatorial Talks that will feature the BYENVENI exhibition artists in conversation with curator, Yvena Despagne. Mark your calendars for the following talks on May 18, 2024 from 2 - 3:30 p.m. and June 27, 2024 from 6 - 8: 30 p.m.

MEET OUR GUEST SPEAKERS:

Lakay se Lakay

BYENVENI is part of CCCADI’s Lakay se Lakay, a year-long homage that celebrates the legacy of Haiti, Our Black Nation. Lakay se Lakay is a cultural odyssey through which we dedicate much of our programming. Using the lens of Haitian arts and scholarship, CCCADI explores home as a space for refuge, building family and community, preservation of traditions, a foundation for cultivating joy, and the roots of sovereignty.

You can support this work by making a donation to CCCADI. Help us advance Pan-Caribbean and Pan-African connections so that together we may build a brighter AfroFuture.

This April installment of our family art-based education program, Sou Sou! Saturdays celebrates the written and spoken word in the spirit of National Poetry Month with traditional Haitian call and response storytelling, Krik-Krak!

Inspired by the financial resource-sharing traditions known throughout the African Diaspora by such names as "Colecta", "Box Hand", "San", "Partna", or "Sou-Sou", this family-based art and education program reinterprets Sou Sou as an exchange of cultural resources.

There is no cost to attend this event. Register below.

Register For Free

Lakay se Lakay

Lakay se Lakay, which translates to Home is Home in Haitian Kreyòl is a year-long homage that celebrates the legacy of Haiti, Our Black Nation, Lakay se Lakay is a cultural odyssey through which we dedicate much of our programming. Using the lens of Haitian arts and scholarship, CCCADI explores home as a space for refuge, building family and community, preservation of traditions, a foundation for cultivating joy, and the roots of sovereignty.

You can support this work by making a donation to CCCADI. Help us advance Pan-Caribbean and Pan-African connections so that together we may build a brighter AfroFuture.

BYENVENI is a multimedia exhibition that welcomes contemporary Haitian Diasporic art. This exhibition shines a spotlight on the creative expressions of eleven artists who focus on the theme of lakay (translated as home in Haitian-Kreyòl), and explore Haiti as both a cherished internal sanctuary, preserving cultural traditions and religious practices, as well as an external haven, a space of refuge, familial and communal development, a source of boundless joy, and the cornerstone of sovereignty. The exhibition will be on display February 15 - November 14, 2024.

Gallery Hours:

Beginning Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Tuesdays & Thursdays: 3 PM - 7 PM
Wednesdays: 11 AM - 2 PM
Every 3rd Saturday: 12 PM - 4 PM

Gallery hours will be affected on the following days:

• April 18, 2024 - Closed 3 - 6 p.m. Open for a public event from 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Student tours are available by appointment on Thursdays 10 am - 2 pm. Visit the page below for details.

BYENVENI is a multimedia exhibition that welcomes contemporary Haitian Diasporic art. This exhibition shines a spotlight on the creative expressions of eleven artists who focus on the theme of lakay (translated as home in Haitian-Kreyòl), and explore Haiti as both a cherished internal sanctuary, preserving cultural traditions and religious practices, as well as an external haven, a space of refuge, familial and communal development, a source of boundless joy, and the cornerstone of sovereignty. The exhibition will be on display February 15 - November 14, 2024.

Gallery Hours:

Beginning Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Tuesdays & Thursdays: 3 PM - 7 PM
Wednesdays: 11 AM - 2 PM
Every 3rd Saturday: 12 PM - 4 PM

Gallery hours will be affected on the following days:

• March 28, 2024 - Closed

• April 18, 2024 - Closed 3 - 6 p.m. Open for a public event from 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

• May 18, 2024 - Closed

Student tours are available by appointment on Thursdays 10 am - 2 pm. Visit the page below for details.

In celebration of Women’s History Month, this March installment of our Afro Waves series features artist Metrès Riva Nyri Précil! Tune in for this virtual concert in honor of Haitian women in music.

AFRO WAVES is a CCCADI concert series that showcases the Black Cultural Evolution with vanguard artists of the African Diaspora.

Lakay se Lakay:

Lakay se Lakay, which translates to Home is Home in Haitian Kreyòl is a year-long homage that celebrates the legacy of Haiti, Our Black Nation, Lakay se Lakay is a cultural odyssey through which we dedicate much of our programming. Using the lens of Haitian arts and scholarship, CCCADI explores home as a space for refuge, building family and community, preservation of traditions, a foundation for cultivating joy, and the roots of sovereignty.

You can support this work by making a donation to CCCADI. Help us advance Pan Caribbean and Pan African connections so that together we may build a brighter AfroFuture.

Tune in for a virtual discussion with filmmaker Rúben Durán, director of "Cimarrón Spirit" and "Colores del Carnaval Dominicano", led by moderator Clarivel Ruiz, founder of Dominicans Love Haitians.

This installment of In the Director’s Chair, explores Kanaval as a liberation space and practice in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

This program is part of the CCCADI Lakay se Lakay theme and it provides an opening to examine the layers of shared cultural practices across the Caribbean and the specific lineages of celebration and collective expression across the island that is home to 2 countries.

How to Watch:

On February 29, 2024 at 7 p.m. (EST) you can view the program on this webpage or join us via our Youtube and Facebook pages.

Lakay se Lakay:

Lakay se Lakay, which translates to Home is Home in Haitian Kreyòl is a year-long homage that celebrates the legacy of Haiti, Our Black Nation, Lakay se Lakay is a cultural odyssey through which we dedicate much of our programming. Using the lens of Haitian arts and scholarship, CCCADI explores home as a space for refuge, building family and community, preservation of traditions, a foundation for cultivating joy, and the roots of sovereignty.

You can support this work by making a donation to CCCADI. Help us advance Pan Caribbean and Pan African connections so that together we may build a brighter AfroFuture.

Join us for the opening reception of our latest exhibition!

BYENVENI is a multimedia exhibition that welcomes contemporary Haitian Diasporic art. This exhibition shines a spotlight on the creative expressions of eleven artists who focus on the theme of lakay (translated as home in Haitian-Kreyòl), and explore Haiti as both a cherished internal sanctuary, preserving cultural traditions and religious practices, as well as an external haven, a space of refuge, familial and communal development, a source of boundless joy, and the cornerstone of sovereignty.

Curated by Yvena Despagne.

Featured Artists:

Nic[o] Brierre Aziz

Steven Baboun

Daveed Baptiste

Tasha Dougé

Laurena Finéus

Tania L. Balan-Gaubert

Madjeen Isaac

Fabiola Jean-Louis

Metrès Riva Nyri Précil

Natacha Thys

Oyasound Project

There is no cost to attend. Pre-registration is closed. Walk-up registration at the door is welcome. Space is limited and admission will be granted based on capacity limits.

Refreshments to be provided by Navet 1804.

As Children Of Caribbean Immigrants, Navèt 1804’s Four Founders Share A Profound Connection To Their Haitian And African Heritage Through Clairin. Lifelong Friends Turned Brothers, The Founders Bonded Over Their Shared Experiences And Cultural Upbringing. Since Their Pre-Teen Years, The 3 Haitian American Founders (Eddy, Jay, And Joe) Shared A Mutual Desire To One Day Effectuate Change And Development In Haiti. Immersed In His Brothers’ Culture, Dwayne, A Barbadian American, Felt His Brother’s Passion And Vowed To Help In Their Mission.

The Brothers Decided That They Would, Together, One Day Create A Company And Utilize A Portion Of The Profits To Effectuate Change In Haiti. Known As “The Rhum Guys” Since College, It Was Only Natural That The Founders Are Expanding Their Introduction Of Clairin, Haitian Rhum, To The World. Navèt 1804 Was Founded To Sell And Bring One Of Haiti’s Historical and Cultural Beverages To Broader Recognition In The U.S. And Around The World

BYENVENI is a multimedia exhibition that epitomizes the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute’s theme for 2024, Lakay se Lakay, which translates to Home is Home in Haitian Kreyòl. A year-long homage that celebrates the legacy of Haiti, Our Black Nation, Lakay se Lakay is a cultural odyssey through which we dedicate much of our programming. Using the lens of Haitian arts and scholarship, CCCADI explores home as a space for refuge, building family and community, preservation of traditions, a foundation for cultivating joy, and the roots of sovereignty.

Annually, CCCADI hosts a panel of Lucumi priests (oluwos, oba oriates, and oloshas) for an evening of multi-generational dialogue on the cultural, social, and philosophical implications of the long-standing tradition La Letra del Año or Odu of the Year. All are welcome to participate in this virtual discussion, the first installment of our Sacred Traditions series in 2024!

CCCADI’s Sacred Traditions: Letra del Año panel discussion centers the collective wisdom of the Lucumi community in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, in response to this annual tradition. This program is not a divination ceremony nor meant to replace the wisdom and guidance of Lucumí elders and practitioners across the globe who also divine on behalf of their countries, regions, and iles (religious houses and temples) and country-specific associations.

Participants will have an opportunity to ask questions and engage in dialogue throughout the program. To receive the link to the virtual program, you must register in advance. 

Este programa contará con un intérprete de español.

Tune in to our Sacred Traditions virtual program commemorating the feast day of the Orisha Changó (celebrated on December 4th), lord of drum and dance, and a figure of social justice.

Our Sacred Traditions series is dedicated to the preservation and education of African-based spirituality, and through this installment, we offer a look at how Changó is celebrated within the NYC Lucumí community with a musical presentation by master batá and rumba abakuá musicians. 

Los Tambores Son de Changó (The Drums Belong to Changó) highlights the traditional art of batá drumming in New York as greatly influenced by master percussionist Orlando “Puntilla” Ríos who moved from Havana, Cuba to the South Bronx, New York in 1980. Puntilla trained and initiated Añá drummers and taught the NYC Yoruba community how to properly execute the different rituals related to the sacred Batá drums, referred to as Fundamento Batá - essential to Yoruba practices.

In 1981, he formed the group Nueva Generación in New York. Nueva Generación became an important preserver of sacred and secular Afro-Cuban music in the U.S.

This presentation features some of Puntilla’s students, members of Nueva Generación, and master musicians who continue to uphold these drumming traditions. 

CCCADI Executive Director, Melody Capote and professional musician and scholar Chief Baba Neil Clarke, Alufopejo Awo of Osogbo;
Ol'Osun, Awo Ifa, Al'Ayan, & Schomburg Fellow, join the program to discuss Puntilla’s influence and the essence, energy, and power of Changó.

Invest

In alignment with our mission and in the spirit of Changó, orisha of social justice, we invite you to set up a recurring investment in our work using multiples of 6. We also welcome whatever amount feels right for you, choose “other” to set a custom amount.

Present day, we are accustomed to subscribing to content and services that offer entertainment or a benefit to our individual lives. What about the benefits of investing in our communities and culture?

Join us in elevating intergenerational cultural reclamation, rematriation, and affirmation - work that advances the collective of our global African Diasporic community.

GUEST SPEAKERS

Melody Capote was appointed executive director of CCCADI in 2018. She began her long tenure at the organization in 1984 and throughout the years has established herself as a leader in arts administration and cultural activism. She is a vocal and bold voice in advocating for cultural equity, racial and social justice for African descendant communities.

Prior to assuming the role of executive director, Melody was instrumental in the creation and successful implementation of the capital campaign that secured funding from public and private sectors to renovate a landmarked firehouse into a state-of-the-art facility in the heart of El Barrio (East Harlem) which opened its doors in 2016.  

Looking to expand audiences for CCCADI, Melody established creative and enduring collaborations with cultural partners like Los Hermanos Fraternos de Loiza/Loiza Festival of El Barrio, Hostos Center for Arts & Culture, Taino Towers, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (La Casita Project, MidSummer Night Swing and Lincoln Center Out of Doors); The Dwyer Cultural Center, and the Apollo Theater, among others. 

Experienced in development, government relations, external affairs, and special event programming, she has also supervised and mentored countless individuals who have gone on to pursue careers in the nonprofit arts field and other community-based organizations. 

Melody's leadership in challenging the dual pandemics of Covid-19 and continued systemic racism and police violence, has resulted in the development of important CCCADI initiatives such as; the organization’s successful pivot to digital programs designed for all ages, the creation of CCCADI’s Anti-Racism Webinar Series for leaders of mainstream arts and culture organizations to examine personal, programmatic and organizational biases, an all-digital professional development fellowship for artists economically impacted by Covid-19, and the creation of #ArtsGoBlack, a campaign demanding actionable change be instituted by arts and culture institutions and the philanthropic community that funds these entities. 

Melody is a Bronx native and graduate of The City College of New York, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies with a major in Dance and a minor in Black and Latino Studies. She is a New School Tennenbaum Leadership Institute Fellow, and received her Not-for-Profit Executive Management Certification from Columbia University.  Melody is currently one of the first 12 arts leaders selected to participate in The Pinkerton Advanced Leadership Network launched after the murder of George Floyd at the hands of the police.

Chief Baba Neil - Adewede Ayanlere Tokode Clarke, Alufopejo Awo of Osogbo is an award-winning master African-centered percussionist, educator, band leader, producer and independent scholar. He has been grounded in the exploration of Yoruba Orisa traditions and other African spiritual systems since the age of 13. Mentored by Chief” James H. Bey, Baba Kwame Ishangi, Ladji Camara, Olukose Wiles and Orlando “Puntilla” Rios, among others, for more than half a century his connection to traditional African and spiritual percussive arts has been comprehensive. Clarke was initially introduced with elekes from pioneer Ol’Osa Osa’nko and received his “warriors” from Pancho - Ifa Moroti- Mora in 1972. He has since been initiated as an Ol’Osun of Ibu Anya in the Lucumi tradition. His hands were washed for the sacred Anya drums by Orlando Puntilla Rios.

In 1994, he was fully initiated to Ayan in Oyo, Nigeria. Clarke went on to be initiated to Ifa by Chief Fakayode Faniyi, Agbongbon Awo of Osogbo. In 2016 Baba Neil was himself installed as an Oloye (chief) by the highest-ranking priests in Osogbo, Nigeria. This honor was bestowed based on his life-long commitment to traditional African culture and values. His title translates as the “Drummer to/for the Spiritual Elite”. He is additionally the Onilu of a very rare set of Iyesa drums sacred to Osun and Ogun. Professionally Chief Baba Neil has collaborated and performed with countless revered artists globally. Most notably: Dianne Reeves, Phyllis Hyman, Third World, Norman Connors, David Sanborn, Miriam Makeba, Letta Mbulu among others.

This includes a 15-year tenure with Mr. Harry Belafonte and a 30-year tenure with NEA Jazz Master Mr. Randy Weston. An Arts Educator since the 1970’s, Chief Baba Neil enjoys educating students about his lifelong passion. He has taught, lectured, been in residence or featured at Medgar Evers College, Brooklyn Historical Society, The City University of New York, Harvard, Yale, the American Museum of Natural History, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and countless other institutions. In 2019-20 Clarke was honored with a Scholar-in-Residence Fellowship at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

Musical Presentation By:

Anthony Carrillo - Master Drummer, Omo Aña.  Moperc Artist, Itótele, Conga, and Cajón Drummer

Román Díaz - Oni Yemaya and Moni Bonko Ekueritongo Apapa Umon Efik.  Iya drummer and Abakua Dancer (Ireme)

Gene Golden - Omo Aña, Omo Chango.  Concolo Player and Quinto Player.

Dawn “Amma” McKen - Oloye Siwanju Mojelewi.  Akpon Singer

Alexander La Rosa Pérez - Changó Dancer

Awo Orumila Xavier Rivera - Omo Obatala, Omo Aña.  3 Golpes y Itoteles Player.

Angel Rubén Rodríguez - Theater Director, The Point CDC.  Coro Singer and Percussionist.

Abraham Rodriguez Jr. - Olu Bata Oba I’ll; Omo Orun, Omo Osain.  Singer, Akpon

Awo Orumila Juan Usera - Omo Aña, Omo Obatalá.  Coro Singer, Percussionist, Producer.

Sado - Itoteles Player

Afro-Dominican bandleader and guitarist, Yasser Tejeda, and Haitian rooted DJ Sabine Blaizin (Oyasound) will take over Harlem Stage!

We are collaborating with Harlem Stage’s Uptown Nights Latin Music Series to present this evening concert in celebration of music from the Latin diaspora.

World Music Institute also joins us as a collaborator to host Afro-Dominican bandleader and guitarist Yasser Tejeda performing a combination of traditional folkloric music, jazz, rock, and Caribbean rhythms.

Keeping us moving before and after the performance, our very own Director of Programs DJ Sabine Blaizin (Oyasound) will spin Global House and Soul, Afrotech, Afrobeat, and other diasporic Afro-Caribbean dance music with a nod to her Haitian roots.

You’re invited to join us for an intimate evening with the creators of Forgotten Lands, an annual publication that provides a platform for the many forgotten stories of the Caribbean while interconnecting and showcasing the region’s unique history. 

Moderated by CCCADI’s Crossroads Senior Program Associate, Marissel Hernández Romero, Cory Torres Bishop and Don Brodie will introduce their most recent issue, Volume 05: The Haunted Tropics, which showcases 18 artists across the Caribbean and the diaspora while examining the colonial origins that are still at work within and around the Caribbean today. Joining Cory and Don in conversation are two of the featured artists of Vol. 5, Guarionex Rodriguez Jr. and Savannah Lyons Anthony. 

While we delve into this neocolonial theme, it’s imperative to also consider the context of these matrixed layers of identity and the reality of our own displacement in the current post-globalized world.

Forgotten Lands Vol. 5 - The Haunted Tropics and the ‘Decolonize the Caribbean’ tshirts will be available for purchase.

November 16, 2023 

6 - 8 p.m. 

120 E 125th Street

New York, NY 10025

No cost to attend, but RSVP is required.

GUEST SPEAKERS

Cory Bishop & Don Brodie

In 2017 Cory Torres Bishop (@rasbishop) & Don Brodie (@dbp) co-produced a benefit art show in Brooklyn, NY to help those affected by hurricanes Irma & Maria in the Virgin Islands & Puerto Rico. After this exhibit was positively received and proceeds were given back to damaged communities and unrepresented artists from the same diaspora, momentum continued and inspired the team to create an annual publication known today as FORGOTTEN LANDS.

Guarionex Rodriguez Jr. 

Guarionex Rodriguez, Jr. is a Dominican-American artist based in Brooklyn, NY. He received a BFA from Massachusetts College of Art and Design in 2011. His work explores the ways in which diasporic unity and niche musical movements have served in the creation of community and identity in the recent past and present. Simultaneously, he experiments with analog techniques to bring elements of abstraction to his figurative images. This manual practice heightens the intimacy of his work while additionally asking himself and the viewer to consider the ways in which we influence and are influenced by our surroundings. 

Rodriguez has been featured in various publications including Forgotten Lands, Hola Pardo, It’s Nice That, and Musée Magazine, and he was recently selected as a finalist for Aperture’s 2023 Portfolio Prize.

Savannah Lyons Anthony

Savannah Lyons Anthony is a multidisciplinary performer and writer. She was born and raised in St. John, US Virgin Islands before earning a BA from Bard College in Choreographic Forms. She now splits her time between Harlem, New York, and the Virgin Islands making work within the spaces of theater, dance, and film.

Moderator:

Marissel Hernández Romero

As Senior Program Associate for CCCADI’s Caribbean cultural sustainability initiative, Crossroads, Marissel supports the Interim Program Director by undertaking a variety of administrative and program design duties, including the development, planning, implementation, and management of new activities and programs. She also serves as a liaison with internal and external constituencies in support of the objectives of CCCADI’s Crossroads program.

A Black Puerto Rican Independent Scholar and Afrofeminist, Marissel is a recipient of the 2022 Soros Equality Fellowship for her work on achieving racial equity through art and culture and currently works as a consultant on issues of race, anti-racism, and racial equity. Founder and coordinator of multiple projects including De coco y anís. Proyecto Cortijo and Saberes Afrorriqueños, her most recent initiative examines Afrofuturism in Brazil and the Hispanic Caribbean, proposing current theoretical reflections on music and sound to understand both the processes and the social movements of black and Afro-descendant people.

Marissel earned her Ph.D. in Hispanic and Luso-Brazilian Studies from The Graduate Center, CUNY.

We Lit is a CCCADI series dedicated to exploring Black and Brown authors who have beautifully woven their experiences, cultures, and dreams into their works. This series is a call to writers, griots, storytellers, and lovers of the written word to spark collective conservation, reflection, and celebration for African Diasporic literature.

Join us for our next Critically Black Dialogue: Climate Justice Now!, presented in collaboration with UPROSE. Climate Justice Now! highlights climate justice through the lens of the sacred traditions of African-based spirituality and is a direct response to the global effect of recent climate changes specifically for Black & Brown nations and communities. 

This program features a panel discussion that will focus on: The Historical Context of the Climate Justice Movement; Reclaiming Ancestral Methods for Combatting Climate Injustice; A Call To Action through Cultural Arts; and Preparedness. 

Join us in Brooklyn for this powerful roundtable event which includes an interactive community activity. 

Saturday, November 4, 2023

11 AM - 3 PM

UPROSE 462 36th St, Brooklyn, NY 11232 

There is no cost to attend, but RSVP is requested.

Guest Speakers

Moderator:

Elizabeth Yeampierre, Executive Director of UPROSE

Panelists:

Owólabi Detroit, Co-creator of Bullet*Train

Monica Atkins, Co-Executive Director of the Climate Justice Alliance

Lumumba Bandele, Organizer at Malcolm X Grassroots Movement

Dr. Sheriden Booker, Director of Beyond Identity Scholar Activist Program at The City College of New York

Melody Capote, Executive Director of CCCADI

About UPROSE: Founded in 1966, UPROSE is Brooklyn's oldest Latino community-based organization. An intergenerational, multi-racial, nationally recognized community organization, UPROSE promotes sustainability and resiliency in Brooklyn's Sunset Park neighborhood through community organizing, education, indigenous and youth leadership development, and cultural/artistic expression. Central to our work is advocacy to ensure meaningful community engagement, participatory community planning practices, and sustainable development with justice and governmental accountability. As lead advocates of climate justice, UPROSE views the just urban policy—ranging from transportation to open space—as the heart of climate adaptation and community resilience.

CCCADI’s Critically Black Dialogue Series is dedicated to exploring issues and topics that examine the deeply rooted Pan-African vision that has allowed us to survive, despite our struggles, and has kept us interconnected to this day. 

Sueños Perdidos (Lost Dreams) is a panel discussion featuring filmmakers from the Afro-Latine/Afro-Caribbean Diaspora as they share their experiences creating successful projects through the inspiration of their own cultural heritage.

This is a two-part experience, guests will first see a visual presentation and panel discussion that explores the work of 4 accomplished filmmakers/storytellers. Following the discussion, attendees will have the opportunity to rotate through 4 roundtable breakouts to learn more about each panelist through timed intimate discussions. 

The featured panelists include:

• Djali Brown-Cepeda: Archivist, Filmmaker, Public Speaker, founder of NuevaYorkinos

• Diana Peralta: Filmmaker, Producer, Writer, and Columbia University Adjunct Professor

• Dwayne LeBlanc: Filmmaker, WGA writer

• Sisa Bueno: Documentary Filmmaker, Multimedia Artist and Tisch Faculty

Moderator: Casiano Hamer, NYU Latinx Project

No cost to attend. RSVP Required. Space is limited, admission not guaranteed. First come, first serve.

Agenda:

• 1:30 pm - 3 pm (Panel Discussion) 

• 3:30 pm to 5 pm (Conversation Cafe) 

• 5 pm to 6 pm (Mixer)

All events may be subject to change.

You're invited to join us for an intimate evening with author Zelda Lockhart as she reads from her latest novel Trinity. This book carries readers through a spiritual journey detailing the sacrifice, struggle, and love of an African American family experience over several generations. Zelda will also join guest moderator Yona Deshommes in conversation, followed by a Q&A with the audience and book signing.

Trinity will be available for purchase at the discounted rate of $20.00.

October 11, 2023

6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

120 E 125th Street

New York, NY 10025

No cost to attend, but RSVP is required. Capacity is limited.

We Lit is a CCCADI series dedicated to exploring authors of the African Diaspora who have beautifully woven their experiences, cultures, and dreams into their works. This series is a call to writers, griots, storytellers, and lovers of the written word to spark collective conservation, reflection, and celebration for African Diasporic literature.

We’re co-presenting the October edition of the Caribbean Film Series at BAM for a new program featuring Cuban filmmaker Daniela Muñoz Barroso’s search for a congo legend in MAFIFA paired with a wandering portrait of Canarsie, Brooklyn on Oct. 6 and a collection of personal short films from Caribbean filmmakers Oct. 7. 

All events may be subject to change.

Our 5th annual AFRIBEMBÉ FESTIVAL harnesses the power of its theme, Black to the Future, to elevate AfroFuturism from a global Diasporic lens with Africa at the center.

This year’s festival seeks to inspire our community to envision and create a liberated future for the entire African Diaspora through the:

Bembé Stage

• Live music, DJ sets & “In the Valley of Coming Forth” Play Excerpt

Family Village

• Artivism activities for creatives of all ages

SoulFull Food Plaza

• Comfort food from across the Diaspora

Ujamaa Market

• Merchandise, arts and crafts

Sankofa Tribute

• Honoring the late Greg Tate, Cultural Theorist and CoFounder of the Black Rock Coalition

This event is in partnership with Friends of Art Park Alliance (FAPA) and the National Jazz Museum in Harlem.

All events are subject to change.

We are collaborating with Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City to present Orquesta Broadway!

The Lincoln Center Dance Floor spotlights NYC's salsa legends, Orquesta Broadway, led by their founding flutist, Eddy Zervigón. Adherents of the Cuban charanga style, which foregrounds flute, strings, and an extensive rhythm section into the mix, this incredibly prolific band has released over twenty albums since their start at the Palladium Ballroom in 1962. With more than sixty years of global touring under their belt, La Broadway is the longest-running charanga ensemble still playing outside of Cuba.

SKIP THE LINE! As a member of the CCCADI Community, you have access to free fast track tickets, click the link below and use promo code: CCCADI23

All events are subject to change.

The House is A Feeling Day Party is a CCCADI & XCLSV Events collaboration culminating the Rhythm, Bass and Place Black music series!

Celebrate the close of our five-month-long series Rhythm, Bass and Place and tap into the power and intersection of Black Music Appreciation and Caribbean Heritage Month.

Rhythm, Bass and Place closes with the House is a Feeling, an XCLSV day party that will move you through African Diasporic sounds and dance music such as Latin, Disco, and House.

Tickets:

$15 In Advance (Includes a free raffle ticket for a chance to win a CCCADI Swag Bag! Raffles will be held throughout the day.)

$20 At the Door

The event will feature a Cash Bar, CCCADI Marketplace, and Raffle Prizes.

HOUSE IS A FEELING DAY PARTY - IT’S A VIBE

Kicking Us Off With The First Set From 1 - 3 pm:

Taking Over From 3 - 4 p.m.:

The Legend Closes Out The Party From 4 - 6 p.m.:

Rhythm, Bass and Place: Connections and Reflections on Music of the African Diaspora:

This event is part of CCCADI's Rhythm, Bass and Place series, a 5-month celebration of Black music that traces its migratory nature and constructs a living archive through engaging stories from neighborhoods, stages, studios and dance floors that shaped the sonic landscape in select U.S., U.K. and Caribbean cities over the last three decades.

Tune in for this next installment of our series dedicated to exploring issues and topics that examine the deeply rooted Pan-African vision that has allowed us to survive, despite our struggles, and has kept us interconnected to this day. 

In this June dialogue we draw from Rafael Cortijo Verdejo to highlight and expose cultural and intellectual production of Black and Afro-descendent people from the archipelago of Puerto Rico and its Diaspora.

Rafael Cortijo Verdejo’s (1928 - 1982) repertoire has been engraved by his affection for his people, especially his Black people. Stemming from this source, our speakers will share the importance of reclaiming the figure and work of Cortijo, highlighting Black artists and intellectuals, disseminating the cultural and intellectual production of Black Puerto Ricans as much as possible, spotlighting Black and Afro-descendent icons and mentors … for our children and Black people.

Part of our Rhythm, Bass and Place series, this conversation brings an important discussion about the historical meaning of the Afro-Latin Diaspora and how it shows up in sound. This talk compliments the work of Joe Conzo Jr. in particular, his relentless capturing of Afro-Latino history and it raises awareness about the musical interdependence between Africa and the Americas.

This talk is in collaboration with Proyecto Cortijo and connects it to the music conversations that have happened for decades as a compliment to the project. 

You can view this talk right here, or by visiting the CCCADI Facebook and Youtube channels at the time of the airing.

Rhythm, Bass and Place: Connections and Reflections on Music of the African Diaspora:

This event is part of CCCADI's Rhythm, Bass and Place series, a 5-month celebration of Black music that traces its migratory nature and constructs a living archive through engaging stories from neighborhoods, stages, studios and dance floors that shaped the sonic landscape in select U.S., U.K. and Caribbean cities over the last three decades.

Join us for a celebration of June as Caribbean Heritage Month & Black Music Appreciation Month through the presentation of Yasser Tejada representing traditional Afro-Dominican sounds with a Futuristic lens and DJ Sabine Blaizin spinning Global Soul anchored in her Haitian roots.

This event is a special collaboration with World Music Institute and Harlem Stage Gatehouse. The evening features Afro-Dominican bandleader Yasser Tejeda performing a combination of traditional folkloric music and jazz, rock, and Caribbean rhythms. Plus, Haitian DJ Sabine Blaizin (Oyasound) offers African Diasporic dance music to kick off and close the event.

Rhythm, Bass and Place: Connections and Reflections on Music of the African Diaspora:

This event is part of CCCADI's Rhythm, Bass and Place series, a 5-month celebration of Black music that traces its migratory nature and constructs a living archive through engaging stories from neighborhoods, stages, studios and dance floors that shaped the sonic landscape in select U.S., U.K. and Caribbean cities over the last three decades.

Join us for a virtual curatorial talk with the curator and featured artists of our current exhibition Rhythm, Bass and Place: Through the Lens! You can view the talk on this page or via the CCCADI Facebook and Youtube channels.

We’re chatting with the featured artists of our current exhibition to examine their artistic practice and the impact music has had on their respective bodies of work within the exhibition, “How Do You Stop Time, How Do You Remember A Feeling, How Do You Remember A Movement” (Malik Yusef Cumbo) and “Who Was All There? Kinship, Community, and Connection in the Making of Hip-Hop” (Joe Conzo Jr.).

Speakers:

Joe Conzo Jr., Exhibition Artist 

Malik Yusef Cumbo, Exhibition Artist

Moderator: 

Lynnée Denise, Exhibition Curator

Join us on May 4 at 7 PM (EST) on this page or via CCCADI’s Facebook and Youtube platforms.

Rhythm, Bass and Place: Through the Lens

The works of Joe Conzo Jr. and Malik Yusef Cumbo are both being featured in our Rhythm, Bass and Place: Through the Lens exhibition. These have captured the essence and elements of Black music as it has evolved between the 1970s - 2000s through black and white photographs. The exhibition is available for in-person viewing during gallery hours:

Thursdays & Fridays 3 - 7 p.m.

Saturdays 12 - 4 p.m.

The exhibition will close on June 24, 2023.

Location:

CCCADI

120 E 125th Street

New York, NY 10035

Rhythm, Bass and Place: Connections and Reflections on Music of the African Diaspora:

This event and exhibition are part of our Rhythm, Bass and Place series, a 5-month celebration of Black music that traces its migratory nature and constructs a living archive through engaging stories from neighborhoods, stages, studios and dance floors that shaped the sonic landscape in select U.S., U.K. and Caribbean cities over the last three decades.

Join the CCCADI community for a celebration of vinyl records on International Record Store Day! All day, we'll be featuring live DJ sets spinning a variety of genres on this nostalgic medium that transports us to the past.

We'll also be hosting a special screening of the short film “Record Shop” by Mario Carrión and The Shop NYC will be hosting a vinyl record and roller skate pop-up.

All attendees will have access to view the current CCCADI exhibition Rhythm, Bass and Place: Through the Lens featuring the works of Malik Yusef Cumbo and Joe Conzo Jr.

DJ Sets By:

• Uptown Vinyl Supreme: Latin/Disco

• Sucio Smash: Hip-Hop

• Reborn: Black Music History Presentation + DJ Set Of House, Funk, Soul

• Hard Hittin Harry: African/Caribbean

• DJ Kamala: Jazz/House

Film Screening:

“Record Shop” by Mario Carrión - Two local New York DJs walk into a Red Hook record shop searching for a rare salsa record, where the record shop clerk shares their love of Caribbean music. As the day unfolds, different dynamics come to the surface between the three of them, forcing reflection on shared social spaces and personal introspection.

Current Exhibition On Display: Rhythm, Bass and Place: Through the Lens

Rhythm, Bass and Place: Through the Lens - This exhibition will feature the works of photography documentarians, Joe Conzo Jr. & Malik Yusef Cumbo who have captured the essence and elements of Black music as it has evolved between the 1970s - 2000s through black and white photographs.

Space for this event is limited, please help us plan accordingly by registering in advance.

Registration does not guarantee entry. All events may be subject to change.

Rhythm, Bass and Place: Connections and Reflections on Music of the African Diaspora:

This event is part of CCCADI's Rhythm, Bass and Place series, a 5-month celebration of Black music that traces its migratory nature and constructs a living archive through engaging stories from neighborhoods, stages, studios and dance floors that shaped the sonic landscape in select U.S., U.K. and Caribbean cities over the last three decades.

Join us for the next installment of our Critically Black Dialogue Series! You can view this program here during the time of its airing or via CCCADI’s Facebook and Youtube platforms.

This virtual panel discussion and musical performance will elevate Dominican Haitian voices through music, poetry and literary works of Dominicans of Haitian descent impacted by statelessness. Our Critically Black Dialogue Series is dedicated to exploring issues and topics that examine the deeply rooted Pan-African vision that has allowed us to survive, despite our struggles, and has kept us interconnected to this day. 

This installment uses art and dialogue to draw from the spirit of global Black solidarity as a means to build and strengthen bridges that combat the systemic divisions created among inhabitants of Ayti/Kiskeya. 

Speakers: 

Ana Belique

Epifania St Chals

Rocio Silverio (Moderator)

Performance by: 

Sanctuario

Meet The Speakers:

Ana Belique

Ana María Belique (she, her) is a founding member and leader of Reconoci.do, a movement that mobilizes and empowers Dominicans of Haitian descent and campaigns for equality and their citizenship rights. She studied Sociology and has a specialization in Afro-Latin American and Caribbean studies from CLACSO. Ana’s activism focuses on the fight for the restitution of the right to nationality of Dominicans of Haitian descent affected by ruling 168-13 of the Dominican Constitutional Court, as well as promoting the empowerment of the Dominican population of Haitian descent living in Dominican bateyes. Through training spaces, accompaniment and incidence to change the policy of denationalization in the Dominican Republic.

She has coordinated the publication of two books, Nos Cambió La Vida (Our Transformed Lives) and “Somos Quien Somos,” which document the stories of members of the Reconoci.do movement who have been denied Dominican citizenship. She recently coordinated the Critical Training Space for Dominicans of Haitian descent.

Ana María Belique has visited various international academic spaces where she talks about the reality of Dominicans of Haitian descent in the DR, human rights, Afro-descendants, and the experience of working with batey women.

She is currently visiting Columbia University in the Human Rights Advocacy Program 2022-2023 cohort.

Epifania St Chals

Epifanía was born in the community of La Higuera in the municipality of Santa Lucía in the province of Santa Cruz de El Seibo, Dominican Republic. She is the daughter of Haitian migrants, both of whom worked in the sugarcane fields. Epy is a founding member and a leader of Reconoci.do, a movement that mobilizes and empowers Dominicans of Haitian descent, campaigns for equality and their citizenship rights. She also accompanies and supports those who need legal aid to access their documents, specifically in the province of El Seibó.

Rocio Silverio - Moderator

Rocio Silverio is an Afro-Caribbean activist based in NYC. She is a founding member of the collective “We Are All Dominican” which builds towards a more just Dominican society that legally recognizes the citizenship rights of Dominicans of Haitian descent. Rocio has collaborated in principled solidarity with Black racial justice movements based in the Dominican Republic for more than a decade.

Meet The Artists:

Mónica Ortiz Rossi - Vocals

Mónica Ortiz Rossi brings delight, dance and health to spaces in New York City and across the world.  As an artist she leads Sanctuario, an Afro-Latin music and dance ensemble formed in 2021 in Brooklyn, New York.

Mónica was one of the invited performers in the nightly outdoor musical shows at the beginning of the pandemic in Prospect Park spearheaded by Alegba and Friends.  Alegba’s consistency created a magical space of hope and music during uncertain times and Sanctuario was birthed out of community and the desire to continue to create spaces for Black joy and liberation.

During one of the first outdoor Sanctuario performances her grandmother mentioned that it reminded her of dancing Palo (and Afro-Dominican rhythm and dance form) in the hills of the Dominican Republic. The African-derived rhythms are a unifying recognition that the people of Quisqueya, or Ayiti (as the indigenous Taino Arawak refer to the island), present day Dominican Republic and Haitii, encompass multitudes and share a rich African history. Sanctuario, rooted in Afro-Latin rhythms, creates songs and movements that inspire freedom, invite release and build diaspora and earthly connection.

Mónica has worked with a number of musical projects for over a decade, sharing her vocals on Kemo The Blaxican‘s (Deliquent Habits) Latin hip-hop album La Receta as well as Giovanny Blanco and JasWho‘s live Spigga performances in Los Angeles. Upon her return to her native Brooklyn, New York she worked with San Juan Hill, Frank Diggz Afro-Latin group, Badinba, an Afro-Caribbean band and La Madrugada, Mike Frazier’s salsa ensemble; all formative experiences for creating Sanctuario the Afro-Latin musical and dance ensemble.

Okai Musik - The percussionist

Okai is a vocalist/percussionist who embodies all the music of the African Diaspora. Brooklyn born with Haitian descent young Okai was beating on anything that he could get his hands on to help his imagination grow. His ears became infected with the hard boom bap drum loops of Hip Hop, and roots music from the Caribbean. Those sounds led him on a musical path to find rock, Jazz, samba, salsa, rumba and pretty much anything that involves percussion. Okai began his path of percussion on the trap set playing for various churches. He then played Congas for his High School band for several years. Once he was introduced to the West African Djembe he concentrated on that for more than 10yrs.  

Aside from being an accomplished percussionist and producer, Okai is also an achieved Emcee that has worked with various Artists and has a couple of solo albums "Deconstruction of the Mind" produced by Ayatollah and "Okai's Odyssey".

Okai's cultural background shaped him into being the full round artist he is today. He is Currently the lead singer and percussionist of Brown Rice Family who won “The Battle of the  Boroughs” in NYC in 2012. Okai is also co-founder of Strings N Skins who are currently finishing an album to be released in the fall. He is an active percussionist in New York always sharing his voice and energetic rhythms.

Locally Okai has performed at the Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Academy of Music(BAM), the legendary African art auction exhibition at Sotheby's, Madison Square Garden, Carnegie Hall and venues throughout the States. Internationally Haiti, Canada, Tanzania, Ivory Coast, Colombia, Brazil,  Australia, and Japan, have been showered with his sounds and soon the rest of the world will.

Deglel Tecle - Guitarist

Deglel "Deg" Tecle is a guitarist with World music influences spawning from his experience as a global citizen.  An Addis Ababa-born Eritrean, who grew up in Italy, and came to the US via NY for college, Deglel combines various musical tastes - Reggae / Jazz / Hip Hop / Latin -  into a blend of sounds that emphasizes the commonality of human experience, and challenges the listener to open their minds through their ears.

Rhythm, Bass and Place: Connections and Reflections on Music of the African Diaspora:

This event is part of CCCADI's Rhythm, Bass and Place series, a 5-month celebration of Black music that traces its migratory nature and constructs a living archive through engaging stories from neighborhoods, stages, studios and dance floors that shaped the sonic landscape in select U.S., U.K. and Caribbean cities over the last three decades.

Take a seat in the Director’s Chair through this virtual discussion and screening of select scenes from our featured film, “Salsa, un tumbao’ caribeño”. This program will give viewers an opportunity to hear directly from filmmakers Jeanette Charles and Beni Marquez on the source of their inspiration and creative direction.

“Salsa, un tumbao' caribeño” (Salsa, A Caribbean Flow) explores salsa music’s cultural legacy and its everyday realities from the heart of the Caribbean to New York City. This project is deeply rooted in Beni Marquez’s background as an Afro-Venezuelan filmmaker and immigrant. Marquez hails from San Agustin, Caracas where salseros like Ismael Rivera, Eddie Palmieri, and Cheo Feliciano among other great musicians performed and shared with community artists. 

Featuring interviews with celebrated percussionists and singers, cultural stewards, including CCCADI Executive Director Melody Capote, community activists, and everyday people, this film addresses issues such as race, gender, and immigration providing a fresh perspective on salsa in the 21st century. “Salsa, un tumbao' caribeño” is a bilingual production that traverses Caracas, Venezuela; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and New York City, New York. 

This film captures the soul of how salsa transformed from a musical genre into a socio-cultural movement whose social impact, global reach, and intergenerational role has forever shaped Latinx and Afro-Caribbean identities at home and in the Diaspora. 

“Salsa, un tumbao' caribeño” is currently in the final phase of production with an anticipated release date in Summer 2023.

To view the airing of this discussion and scene screening, visit this page on March 29 at 7 PM (EST). This conversation will be in English and Spanish.

Meet the Filmmakers:

Meet the Moderator:

Rhythm, Bass and Place: Connections and Reflections on Music of the African Diaspora

This CCCADI five-month-long series celebrates the migration and creative evolution of Black music by highlighting the routes of rhythms and sound culture in a Diasporic context. Rhythm, Bass and Place: Connections and Reflections on Music of the African Diaspora constructs a living archive through engaging stories from neighborhoods, stages, studios and dance floors that shaped the sonic landscape in select U.S., U.K. and Caribbean cities over the last three decades.

Join us for the launch of our newest exhibition, Rhythm, Bass & Place: Through the Lens featuring the works of photography documentarians, Joe Conzo Jr. & Malik Yusef Cumbo who have captured the essence and elements of Black music as it has evolved between the 1970s - 2000s.

Through black and white photographs, they’ve captured multiple genres of music and have collectively helped us see how musical styles were created in New York City’s Diasporic communities. From portrait to photojournalism, Rhythm, Bass and Place: Through the Lens is a testament of a social movement, a cultural renaissance and a communally crafted sound experience that reverberates throughout the world.

This exhibition is organized during a special time, during the global celebration of Hip-Hop’s 50th anniversary, a culture and genre born of reggae, jazz, salsa, merengue, soul, funk and disco.

These photographers created a visual culture that amplifies the sounds our people make when gathered in neighborhoods across nations.

There is no cost to attend!

Space for this event is limited, please help us to plan accordingly by registering in advance.

Registration does not guarantee entry.

Rhythm, Bass and Place: Through the Lens will be on display March 17 - June 24, 2023 at the CCCADI Firehouse (120 E. 125th Street, NY, NY 10035) during the following gallery hours:

Thursdays and Fridays 3 - 7 p.m.

Saturdays 12 - 4 p.m.

Closed Mar 24, 2023

Featured Artists:

Curator:

Rhythm, Bass and Place: Connections and Reflections on Music of the African Diaspora

This exhibition is part of CCCADI’s five-month-long series that celebrates the migration and creative evolution of Black music by highlighting the routes of rhythms and sound culture in a Diasporic context. Rhythm, Bass and Place: Connections and Reflections on Music of the African Diaspora constructs a living archive through engaging stories from neighborhoods, stages, studios and dance floors that shaped the sonic landscape in select U.S., U.K. and Caribbean cities over the last three decades.

All events may be subject to change.

Join us for the next installment of our Sacred Traditions program. Our virtual March event will focus on Mediumship as a practice of ancestral remembrance through a panel discussion bringing together mediums rooted in African and Indigenous traditions.

Across the African Diaspora, the practice of spiritual mediumship exists as one of many embodied practices. Mediumship is a spiritual faculty that allows contact with the ancestral realm and can manifest as a number of spiritual capacities ranging from clairvoyance to prophetic dreams. Mediumship does not require initiation into any religious tradition and is practiced by people of many religious faiths across the world.

The popular practice of Spiritism or Espiritismo brought to the Americas and the Caribbean by European followers of Allan Kardec, was widespread and often practiced by traditional African religious practitioners and non-practitioners alike.

Don’t miss this virtual discussion with our guest speakers, Nancy Martinez, Kadi Janna, Afimaye Galarraga and moderator Marinieves Alba as they discuss the gifts and responsibilities of mediumship in the modern age.

No registration is required. You can view the program live on March 16 at 7 p.m. on this page. To participate in the Q&A, view this program live at the scheduled time via our CCCADI Facebook or Youtube channel.

ABOUT SACRED TRADITIONS:

In recognition of the role that spirituality plays in the cultures of African people and their descendants, Sacred Traditions is our series dedicated to advocating for the education and preservation of African-based Spirituality. Sacred Traditions programming is often offered in collaboration with traditional spiritual leaders, practitioners, cultural activists, and artists that retell and pass on the stories and practices that bind African descendants into one holistic family-building resilience today and into the future.

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the New York City Council.

All events may be subject to change.