Afribembé 2023 celebrates music, culture and Black liberation in Harlem

A celebration of music, culture, and Black liberation, the daylong festival of pan-African artistry, expression, and intergenerational exchange, was held at the Harlem Art Park and on E 120th Street between Lexington and Third Avenues, with more than 1 000 community members in attendance.

The event takes its name from “Bembé”, an African term spanning the diaspora, encompassing notions from drumming and rhythm to festivity, serving as a unifying factor. This year's programme harnessed the power of its theme, Black to the Future, to elevate Afrofuturism from a global diasporic lens with Africa at the centre.

The festival featured artists and a DJ lineup that moved festivalgoers through statements of Black identity, agency and freedom. Performers who graced the Bembé Stage included Grammy-nominated Cuban percussionist Pedrito Martinez (presented in partnership with National Jazz Museum in Harlem), Combo Chimbita, Chimurenga Renaissance, Imani Uzuri, Asase Yaa Youth Ensemble, Chief Awosánmí Sékou Alájé, and DJ Bembona. Rasu Jilani served as the event’s MC.

Afribembé also made a special call to remember ancestors who consistently pushed toward creating a future that stretched beyond the reality of their present.

Through artivism activities in the Family Village, the SoulFull Food Plaza, and the Ujamaa Marketplace, the initiative ultimately aimed to galvanise the community's imagination and collaborative efforts in shaping a liberated future for the entirety of the African diaspora.

CCCADI is an arts, culture, education, and media organization that advances cultural equity, and racial, and social justice for African descent communities. CCCADI’s programs serve children/youth, families, young professionals, elders, local and international artists, and practitioners of African-based spiritual traditions. Through our work, the organisation offers a collective space where African descendants honour the contributions of the global African diaspora through exhibitions, performances, conferences, educational programmes, and international exchanges.