The Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI) proudly presents its 8th annual Afribembé festival, taking place on Sunday, August 16 during Harlem Week’s iconic ‘Harlem Day’.  

This year, Afribembé: Under One Sun aligns with CCCADI’s 50th Anniversary Year, carrying forward five decades of legacy, and with our year-long theme of AfriCarnaval, honoring Carnival as a living practice of culture, joy, and resistance.  

For the third year in a row, Afribembé is presented in collaboration with Harlem Week, whose fitting theme for this year is “Honoring Our Legacy”.  

Afribembé: Under One Sun is responsible for closing out the show on the Harlem Day Main Stage, from 7pm-8pm, featuring performances by Pan Evolution Steel Orchestra and Kofago Dance Ensemble, and an opening procession led by Los Pleneros de la 21 and Danza Fiesta.  Viannca Velez will serve as host for the evening. Festival-goers can also explore CCCADI’s Ọjà Marketplace, giveaways, and a selection of CCCADI archival materials from our Community Archiving Lab for Culture and Justice.  

Just across the street, from 12pm to 5pm, the Afribembé Children’s Village will bring the festival to our youngest community members at Howard Bennett Park, with offerings of face painting, storytelling, Carnival headpiece making, and games for kids of all ages. 

Our title of “Under One Sun” highlights a phrase used throughout CCCADI’s history as a way of reminding us that the African Diaspora is one community, connected across oceans and continents.  It also pays tribute to the name of CCCADI’s official printed newsletter throughout the 1980s and 90s, and to a historic series of Under One Sun summer concerts presented by CCCADI during the late 1990s

Join us now, Under One Sun, as we celebrate 50 years of CCCADI and a legacy of uniting the African Diaspora by highlighting its musical expressions, Carnival traditions, and endless creative spirit.

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