Afrocuba Group Calls for Talent Scouting Workshop.
The workshop will be held at the group’s current headquarters, on Río Street between San Carlos and Mujica, in the city of Matanzas.
The Afrocuba group from Matanzas is an emblem of preserving African roots, highlighting the heritage of the sister continent.
A bearer of diverse Cuban and Afro-Cuban musical genres, the Afrocuba group from Matanzas cultivates rhythms ranging from rumba, an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, to yambú, guaguancó, and columbia, as well as the purest African rhythms, such as brikamo, carabalí, and gangá.
Specialized critics point out that they are distinguished by the creation of their own signature style: the bata-rumba, a kind of Afro-Cuban descarga that combines interwoven percussion with the classic rhythms of Cuban rumba, an African heritage with hints of Spanish conquest and Caribbean influences—sentiments passed down from parents to children through several generations.
Continuing this rich tradition, begun by its founder, the renowned Francisco Zamora Chirino, «Minini,» is his widow, Sara.
Gobel Villamil, the current director of the dance and music institution, and her grandson, Yesiel Domé Noda, a dancer, singer, musician, and communicator, announced in an exclusive interview with Radio 26 a Talent Search Workshop that will begin next March.
Children, teenagers, and adults, male or female, are invited to participate and showcase their dance, instrumental, or vocal skills in African and national rhythms.
The workshop will be held at the group’s current headquarters on Río Street, between San Carlos and Mujica Streets, in the city of Matanzas.
There is ample artistic talent among the residents of Matanzas to ensure a strong selection of future dancers, singers, and percussionists.
Written by María Elena Bayón.
