KONGO ROOTS OF LATIN DANCES

Latin-American dances and music styles are famous the world over - but less so, their African origins. One clue to these is in the names for these styles and dances. Etymologically, words like ‘samba,’ ‘tango’ and ‘rumba’ can be traced back to Kikongo, spoken by the Kongo people of Central Africa, who were brought over to the Americas as slaves. With them, they brought their language and rich cultural practices. African Stream’s Inem Richardson digs deeper into the African roots - linguistic and cultural - of Latin-American rhythms and vibes.