The AfroLatino dance project was first introduced in Africa in 2007, as a commemoration for Africa's lost heritage of influence in Latin world music and dance cultural platforms.
The Roots From as early as the 1700`s, the global markets demand for African slavery gave rise to one of the world's most inhumane and brutal crimes of`human trafficking. In addition to this global market of monstrosity, many years later the same African enslaved people suffered some of the worst racism crimes of brutality and demonetization of a people ever known in recorded history. Millions of black Africans, men, women and children were utterly enslaved, tortured, debilitated, cast out and even grotesquely terminated by the thousands.
Today in the world, and in Africa, in many respects, black Africans are still powerfully shackled by the global market. Generations of people, dis empowered, enslaved and exploited (now by more civil means) struggle to free themselves, to gain the civil liberties, opportunities and at least the respect afforded to the rest of the world.
The Spirit In spite of such a grotesque history, and against all odds, Africans, by their very nature, enjoyed, shared, and substantially contributed towards the world's growth and development in many fields. Proudly, in most countries today, Africans, are with great courage and determination, moving forward to empower themselves as individuals, as family and as a proud international community.
With extraordinary influence, contribution and developmental skills, spirited Africans all over the world today stand up as triumphant giants for the infallible reflection of the human nature to strive, adapt and to overcome.
The Influence Much of the international music and dance culture today embodies some of the greatest influence and fundamental elements of African heritage, but in spite of their tremendous influence and contribution to world music and dance platforms, very little respect and recognition is afforded to African people as actually the fundamental contributing pioneers of certain art forms. Namely here, their influence and contribution to Latin dance and music culture. In fact, by all rights, it should be well noted that it is not Latin dance and music culture, but actually Afro-Latin dance and music culture.
Unfortunately though, with the least research, you will be most surprised to find that black Africans are almost non existent at all in the international dance teaching and performance arena today. Yet, when we observe in countries like Brazil, where there is one of the largest communities of Africans outside of Africa, we can clearly see the influence and the incredible development of many dance art forms. In fact, no country in the world possess more raw natural talent and skill for dance culture than Brazil, with over 15 thriving dance cultures of their own, Brazilian people are a shining example of the potential of Afro-Latin dance culture innovation and pioneering skills.
The Initiative AfroLatino dance art project is an international dance art and music culture developmental project, founded by Deon Wood (SA) in 2007.
With the primary objective to re- introduce Afro-Latin dance forms into Africa, and to ignite the creative awareness, and ongoing development. Specifically of Tango and Salsa dance and music culture amongst African people. This concept has tremendous potential to open up extensive opportunities, creatively and professionally, for the international dance art and music community and for African people. With Africans sharing their natural soul and rhythm, exceptional dance attributes, and their fiery hearts of passion, Afro-Latin dance art can only grow richer, as was well proven in the mid 1800`s, by some of its very first pioneers.