The World Music Ensemble and the group Eleguá lead this celebration of the influence of African culture on the music of the Americas. The first part of the evening is hosted by Brother Ah, founding director of the World Music Ensemble. Along with a variety of guests, he explores the continuum of African traditional music by focusing on the blues idiom. The second part of the show features Eleguá, a vocal and percussion ensemble formed by nine women from the Barlovento region on the central coast of Venezuela. Directly descending from the African slaves who cultivated cocoa and coffee in the area, the members of Eleguá are dedicated to researching and rescuing the purest African roots in their music. The performers will all come together for a finale.

African Musical Roots: A Hands-On Family Program

Sunday, February 11, 2 pm

Bolivarian Hall, Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, 2443 Massachusetts Avenue, NW

Members of Eleguá teach participants the basics of their percussion style. Recommended for all ages.

Sponsors: Anacostia Community Museum, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies, Smithsonian Heritage Months Steering Committee, Smithsonian Latino Center, and Petroleos de Venezuela and the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.