Festival of African Diaspora

Costa Rican music is a reflection of its diverse cultural bequest. Among the various types of music its shelters, the genre of Afro Caribbean has a greatly inspired all the melodies composed in this region. The Costa Rican-Caribbean coast is much influenced by the African and Caribbean styles and the musicians here are specialists in adding the Costa Rican spice to the African Calypso and Reggae.

This genre of music is famed for its incredible use of banjos and drums. It is enlightened with the addition of sinkit, a rhythm composed with special percussion instruments like marimba which are inherited via the Africans. These instruments which are modified by the Costa Ricans are known for their harmonies that contain more control than the marimbas at other places. Among the other traditions of the Afro Caribbean origin is a special maypole dance called Cuadrille. The dance is performed around a post with colorful ribbons attached to the top. The dancers dance around the pole as the ribbons get entangled beautifully.

A culture this rich and beautiful is celebrated every year in Costa Rica at various festivals and people from all around the world make a date to attend them. Among these, is the Festival of Diaspora that showcases the Afro Caribbean culture annually in August. Organized by the Development of Art and Culture, it is celebrated in many places around Costa Rica like San Jose, Alajuela, Guanacaste and the province of Limon. It brings out the best of gospel, jazz, soul, hip hop, reggae and socca performances and attracts over 25,000 people nationally and internationally.

The Festival of African Diaspora has been successfully promoting and celebrating the African culture by its fascinating music and didactic programs. Its goal is to bring together the people of Costa Rica and Caribbean through the power of music and art, as it indeed can augment the wealth of culture in the region.

The two week celebration compromises of live music performances, workshops to educate students of the culture of Caribbean and dance performances by the dancers of the Venezuelan group Danzas Mandela among others. This festival also highlights the instruments that came from the people of Africa such as the steel drum. The famous steel band, Caribbean All Star’s leader stated, “The festival celebrates the achievements of blacks. The steel drum is the only musical instrument created in the last century and it was created by the black man. It is only fitting that we come and celebrate.”

The performance by group Olodum is greatly awaited by its fans. These guys are famed to have performed with the King of Pop, Michael Jackson and are in to surprise their crowd this year at the festival.

Apart from the music, this festival offers traditional food while you are there and serves the best, authentic recipes straight from the kitchens of pure Afro Caribbean people.

This festival is one of the best opportunities to experience the music and literature of this region. It’s a one in a lifetime chance to loose yourself in the enthralling and spirited music and the beautiful gospels while indulging in the best of Afro Caribbean cuisines.