From Africa to the Americas: The Musical Heritage of “Ataole”

"Ataole" Song Around The World is Playing For Change's latest commemoration in honor of the International Day for People of African Descent. This song showcases the connection between the bridges that unite Palenque, Colombia, and Angola's musical traditions, featuring emerging artists around the world.

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The African Roots of Colombia and Brazil Connect Through Music

Deeply rooted in the history of the forced migration of African people during the transatlantic slave trade, Angola served as a major point of origin for enslaved individuals brought to the Americas, creating lasting cultural connections between Africa and countries like Colombia and Brazil.

Specifically, San Basilio de Palenque was founded in the 17th century by escaped enslaved Africans and is considered the first free African town in the Americas. It was later declared a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2005.

Since then, the community has preserved many African traditions, including language, music, dance, and religious practices, making it a living testament to African heritage in the Americas. Among the most important of these traditions are the drumming practices. The drums are used in religious ceremonies and rituals, often associated with African spiritual practices. The rhythms and music are believed to have spiritual significance and are used to connect with ancestors and deities.

Festival de Tambores de Palenque | Palenque Drum Festival (Documentary)

These drumming traditions have influenced various musical genres in Colombia and beyond. Elements of these rhythms can be found in cumbia, champeta, and other Afro-Colombian musical styles. These African rhythms, instruments, and musical styles have parallels in Brazilian musical traditions such as samba, candomblé, maracatu, and capoeira.

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FEATURED ARTISTS 🎶

Louis Mhlanga

Kyoto, Japan

Louis Mhlanga is a highly accomplished musician from Zimbabwe. Although a guitar player by profession, he loves all instruments, from the traditional to the modern. "My music is just an expression of my experiences and the connection I have with day-to-day events," says Mhlanga. "It is also about the happiness I feel when I can reach other souls through music."

How we met: Our guide while in Johannesburg, Lesego Rampolokeng, told us about his good friend, Louis Mhlanga, whom he described as a more electrifying guitar player than Jimi Hendrix. Wow. We had to meet him. Lesego called him and set up a meeting with him. After telling him who we were and what our vision was, he said the only time he had available was right then, so he gave us directions to his place and we recorded in his backyard. The spontaneity of PFC is amazing and one of the secrets of beauty the project possesses.

Raúl Tolingas

Luanda, Angola

Raul Fernandes Da Fonseca, known artistically as Raúl Tolingas, is an Angolan multi-instrumentalist born in Luanda, Bairro Marçal, on June 10, 1954. He was a former member of the “Agrupamento Kissanguela.” Kissanguela is an Angolan musical group formed in 1974, a year before National Independence, by the cultural section of the JMPLA with the prospect of becoming its cultural arm. Its main objective was to serve as a vehicle for the transmission of MPLA guidelines and policy strategy. The group brought together several singers and composers, following the closure of the main recording studios.

The political-cultural group died out in 1981 (Kissanguela, in the national language Kimbundu means socialization and equitable distribution of means). Raul still lives in Luanda, Bairro Marçal, where PFC met him in 2022 during our trip in Angola. He's still actively performing in local clubs and always remains close to his community.

Andrew Baham & Big Sam

New Orleans, Louisiana

Escuela de Danzas Batata

Palenque, Colombia

Escuela de Danzas Batata

Palenque, Colombia

Alana Alberg

Paraty, Brazil

Alana Alberg

Paraty, Brazil

Julian Mojica

Cartagena, Colombia

Julian Mojica

Cartagena, Colombia

Ichika Nito

Tokyo, Japan

Ichika Nito

Tokyo, Japan

Washboard Chaz

New Orleans, Louisiana

Washboard Chaz

New Orleans, Louisiana

Paulo Heman

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Paulo Heman

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

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