On Sunday October 25th, the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI) offered our community a gift: Violines Para Ochún, an original four-chapter musical and spiritual journey from Africa to Cuba to New York City.
Presented in collaboration with Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture and the Leonard Davis Center for the Performing Arts, and under the musical direction of master percussionist Louis Bauzó, the production brought together an intergenerational cast of musicians, dancers, and practitioners- many of them a big part of CCCADI’s Village and Living Archive. Together, they celebrated the Sacred Traditions of the African Diaspora.
We honored two beloved artists from our past concert series: Rita Macias, performer and educator of Afro-Cuban dance, and Freddy Sanchez, former member of Patakin and performer with Puntilla y Nueva Generación.
Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Rita and Freddy performed in numerous CCCADI Sacred Traditions presentations as members of Grupo Patakin (directed by Louis Bauzo), with Rita embodying Ochún and Yemayá and Freddy bringing Changó to life through dance.
Our deepest thanks to every artist who brought this vision to life:
Musical Director & Composer: Louis Bauzó
Choreographer and Dancer (Ochun & Yemaya): Beatrice Capote
Omo Ochún: Anayansi Ife Freilla Williams
Dancers: Isabela Estrada-Jamison (Oya & Elegua), Alex De La Rosa (Obatala & Ogun), Tony "Yemaya" Domenech (Chango)
Omo Añás (Drummers): Nick Laboy, Kehinde Baker Fann, Greg Askew, Reynaldo Alcantara, Nelson "Mateo" Gonzalez, Jerome Goldsmith
Akpons (Singers): Nina Rodriguez, Amma McKen, Emilio Barreto, Abraham Rodriguez, Richard Byrd
Strings: Riza Byrd (harp), Ali Bello and Shejeru "Shay" Sarimiento (violin), Samuel Marchan (viola), Mara Navas (cello)
We also thank our partners at Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture and the City College Performing Arts Center for years of authentic partnership, trust, and commitment to telling our stories through music and dance.
Special thanks to Felix Arocho and the staff at Hostos Center, Greg Shanck and the City College Performing Arts Center, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Cultural Development Fund, and the Howard Gilman Foundation.
The production moved through four chapters, tracing the story of a people:
I. Ile Oshun Osogbo: The House of Oshun in the Land of Osogbo.
II. Ba-Jagun / Oko Enu: War and Captivity/Slavery + Arin Agbedemeji: The Middle Passage.
III. Isikuro-Iyipada / Ajo: Transition and Foreign Land.
IV. Se-Jo Mu-Jora / Ise Irante: Assimilation and Celebration
From the tranquility of home, to the sorrow of captivity and the Middle Passage, to the joy of celebration, the story honored both the pain and the resilience of the African Diaspora.
The evening was also a communal gathering. Attendees brought intentional offerings to the Ochún Community Altar. At the Community Archiving Lab for Culture and Justice pop-up table, folks explored archival materials from five decades of CCCADI's Sacred Traditions programming.
Ochun is the mother of fertility, love, kindness, beauty, and community. She is represented by the sweet waters of the river, with its constant flow and mirror-like reflections. African descendants revere her as the one who leads and cares for all people. She is also known as a warrior. Her offerings include honey, sunflowers, gold, peacock feathers, and her favorite instrument: the violin.
“The river flowed through that room. Every note and every step was an offering, and I am grateful beyond words to Louis, Beatrice, the artists, the CCCADI team, and our partners who believed in this vision and helped to bring Ochun’s violins to life. ”
Violines Para Ochún served as the landmark Sacred Traditions event of CCCADI’s 50th Anniversary Year, as we continue celebrating this milestone throughout the year. What we ask in return from our community is to help us enter the next 50 years with the stability, resources, visibility, and momentum our institution deserves. This can look like many things:
Giving to the 50 for 50 Campaign to support Sacred Traditions programming.
Purchasing a ticket to our 50th AnniverSoirée, an AfriCarnaval-themed celebration honoring our founder, Dr. Marta Moreno Vega, which will be the grand finale of our 50th Anniversary Year on April 28, 2027.
You can purchase an ad in our AnniverSoirée commemorative journal or even become a sponsor of our anniversary year.
Without your support, we couldn’t have built this 50 Year Legacy of Justice, Joy and Resistance.
With your continued support, we shall carry this Legacy into the Future.
