The African diaspora is a vast cultural archipelago, and in each community spiritual and communal necessities gave rise to music and dance traditions reflecting the realities of the landscape. Neblinas del Pacífico is an ensemble devoted to marimba de chonta music from the Afro-Colombian Pacific coast.
Rarely heard in California, it's music that evokes the verdant environment of rivers and mangroves, combining polyrhythmic percussion and multi-part harmonies. Featuring San Francisco State University mathematician Federico Ardila, Pipe Arrechea, May-Li Khoe, Juliana Mejía and Andrés Reyes all taking their turns on the marimba, bombos, cununos, guasás and vocals. The Mission and East Oakland-based group partners with and contributes 50 percent of all proceeds to Black-led grassroots community initiatives in Buenaventura, Guapi, Timbiquí, Tumaco, Quibdó, and Cali, Colombia.