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.
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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