I created Lukumi Arts in Chicago due to the lack of representation of Afro-Cuban musicians and music at a high level that was happening around the country at the time. The spirit of this collective is informed by my connections to Pogolotti, a black working class section of Havana that is steeped in Afro-Cuban religiosity and musicality. After studying and learning a base with Naivis Angarica, who was born and raised there, I developed a passion for uplifting my spiritual and musical school that was led by my teacher’s teacher—the late Andrés Chacón (ibaye).

I began to develop theatrical productions based in Afro-Cuban sacred music that could also speak to the lack of visibility of figures like my teachers, especially in the diaspora. Over time this collective became dedicated to lifting the voices of Afro-Cuban and Afro-Latinas who have given so much to this music. I began to curate happenings, peñas, cultural workshops, concerts and other unique events that strengthened bonds between recent Cuban migrants and the older communities of émigrés in Chicago and New York City.

There are still lots of elders, ancestors, and cultural figures that we hope to lift up in our future work. We have been fortunate enough to collaborate with some of the most gifted Afro-Cuban musicians in our generation, and to teach many along the way. Currently our project is sponsored by Fractured Atlas, where we will continue to expand our performance work in the future. If you have been to one of our shows or moved by our work, we ask that you continue to support giving to our project and supporting the artistic, intellectual work of the original artists involved. We are currently archiving our first twenty five years of work in Havana and the US, and I plan to share more updates about upcoming work through my newsletter and social media. Ashe.

Hansell Vaillant dances in La Sirene (2016), photo credit: Sokari Ekine