#201 The Sound of Salsa in Cali, Colombia
In Cali, Colombia, Kim joins thousands of Afro-Colombians as they converge in the city for a rhythmic four-day festival of traditional Afro-Colombian music. The festival was named after legendary Afro-Colombian musician, Petronio Alvarez, and celebrates the rhythms and sounds of the Pacific. While in Cali, Kim gets a hands-on lesson in salsa dancing and drumming at the Salsa Museum. During a visit to the nearby city of Buenaventura, she meets one of the most revered marimba players alive today. Along the way, she tastes Afro-Colombian cuisine and even gets a new hairstyle!
#202 Afro-Colombian Culture Along the Pacific Coast
Colombia’s Pacific coastline is home to lush rainforests, beautiful beaches and the African diaspora. During this episode, Kim learns about Colombia’s colonial-era and the key role Afro-descendant people played in building the country’s sugar cane and rail industries. She traces the fight for freedom to the country’s first Black female vice president, brilliantly portrayed by painter Jose Eibar Castillo. And, traveling via a unique motorcycle rebuilt for the rail line, Kim travels off the beaten path to the biodiverse natural reserve of San Cipriano.
#101 San José, Costa Rica
We travel to Costa Rica’s capital city, San Jose. In the capital, we meet with one the country’s most renowned writers, Quince Duncan, whose career spans more than 50 years and is responsible for introducing the Afro-Costa Rican experience in Costa Rican literature. We will also meet up with dancer, Sharifa Crawford Clarke, whose grace, style and elegance will charm viewers as she demonstrates some Afro-Caribbean inspired dance movements. Our journey also includes dinner with two sisters, Doris and Sasha Campbell, sisters of the country’s first black vice president. They engaged us in conversation as they shared their family’s traditions and legacy of Afro-Costa Rican pride.
#102 Limón, Costa Rica
We travel to Limon, Costa Rica, on the Caribbean coast. This sun-drenched coastal city is steeped in African Diaspora history including a residency by Pan-Africanist Marcus Garvey. From tour guide, Sergio Bolanos Soto, we learn about the role thousands of Jamaicans, Afro-Costa Ricans and other Caribbean islanders played in the construction of the country’s railroad more than a century ago. While on the Caribbean coast, one of the most beloved restauranteurs, Selvin Brown, teaches us how to cook rondón, the Jamaican inspired seafood stew. And, we finish our visit to Limón with a dance lesson, led by Yetshira Wilson, who inspires young Costa Ricans through dance.