Roots and Resistance: Music, Diaspora and Social Action

Our director, Adrian Sabogal, took part in Raíces y Resistencia (Roots and Resistance), a conversation held in connection with the visit to Colombia of renowned Ivorian musician and activist Tiken Jah Fakoly.

The gathering opened a conversation about the bridges that can be built between Pan-Africanism, music and social action, and about culture’s ability to create connections, transform realities and generate opportunities.

During the conversation, Adrian shared how Marimbea works to turn culture into economic opportunities for communities by strengthening the recognition, circulation and value of their knowledge and cultural expressions.

He also spoke about one of our ambitions for the future: building stronger connections with the African diaspora in Colombia and around the world, starting by increasing the visibility of the extraordinary diversity of Afro-Colombian cultural expressions, knowledge and initiatives across the country.

We left the gathering with a simple yet powerful reflection: music does more than communicate messages; it can transform lives and bring communities together around shared purposes. When those connections become collective action, possibilities emerge that would be difficult to achieve separately.

We are grateful to Cedric David and Afropicks for their generous invitation and for creating this space for connection. We also thank our fellow panelists Edna Liliana Valencia, Claudia Mosquera, Catherine Dunga and Wilfrid Massamba for bringing their voices, experiences and perspectives to the conversation.

At Marimbea, we continue building bridges so that living culture can travel, connect communities and create opportunities.