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Afro-Colombian Music & Song
Colombia and Queens, NY
Tradition Type
Music
Audience
Grades 3-7 | Grades 7-12
Theme
African Diaspora | Immigrant Traditions

Tradition: Afro-Colombian Music & Song

Starting in the 16th century, enslaved West Africans were forcibly brought to the northwest coast of South America, to what is now the country of Colombia...»

Artist: Rebolú

Singer, composer, and gaitero (performer on the traditional gaita flute) Ronald Polo and percussionist Morris Cañate of Rebolú became friends as school children at a music school in the coastal Colombian city of Barranquilla...»

Place: Colombia and Queens, New York

Ronald and Morris are both from Barranquilla, a large city on the Caribbean coast of Colombia with a world-famous Carnival celebration...»

Questions for the Teacher

After viewing Rebolú’s video, before showing it to your class...»

Prior to Artist Virtual Visit

1

Watch

Students watch the accompanying video about Rebolú.

Image for artist video
2

Discuss

In a small group of 2-4 classmates, share your answers to these questions:

  • What were your first impressions and thoughts about Rebolú?
  • What did you like or find interesting about their music and singing?
  • Why do you think it’s important or interesting that they embrace the various influences of Jackson Heights, Queens in their music?
3

Question

In groups of 2 or 3, write down 3 questions you want to ask the members of Rebolú when you meet them.

4

Journal & Interview

Johanna of Rebolú talks about how Colombians created a “Little Colombia” between 79th street and 84th street in Jackson Heights, Queens because it makes Colombian’s “feel like home.” Home is not just a place, but all the things that give the feeling of comfort, safety and love.

  • Take 5 minutes and write down a list of all of the things that make your home. These can include objects (a special chair or blanket), foods (my mom’s chicken soup!), feelings, people, music and things nearby (a playground or park).
  • Choose the most important item to you and write it on a piece of paper and add some color.
  • With your class create an outline of a ‘‘home” out of these words on the wall. Some will be the roof, some are walls, maybe some are windows or doors. Together, you have created the items your class community would need to “feel like home.”

Schedule a Virtual Visit With This Artist

Book now

Bringing it Back Home: Follow-up Activities

1

Individual Journaling

Explore the following questions as you think about your life, home, and community:

  • What was similar about the Rebolú’s home and community to your own? What was different?
  • What surprised you during your visit with Rebolú?
2

Thank You Card

Write a thank you card to Rebolú—be sure to include something personal about yourself and how it connects to them and their music.

3

Home Interview

Have a family member or care-taker create their own “list of home.”

Once they have taken the time to write down the things that they feel make up home to them, compare your list to theirs. What is shared? What is unique?

Using a camera phone, make a video of you reading off the items that overlapped. Send the video to your teacher who can create a larger video of the greater class community ideas of home.

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Prior to Artist Virtual Visit

1

Watch

Students watch the accompanying video about Rebolú.

Image for artist video
2

Discuss

In a small group of 2-4 classmates, share your answers to these questions:

  • What were your first impressions and thoughts about Rebolú?
  • What did you like or find interesting about their music and singing?
  • Why do you think it’s important or interesting that they embrace the various influences of Jackson Heights, Queens in their music?
3

Question

In groups of 2 or 3, write down 3 questions you want to ask the members of Rebolú when you meet them.

4

Journal & Interview

Johanna of Rebolú talks about how Colombians created a “Little Colombia” between 79th street and 84th street in Jackson Heights, Queens because it makes Colombian’s “feel like home.” Home is not just a place, but all the things that give the feeling of comfort, safety and love.

  • Take 5 minutes and write down a list of all of the things that make your home. These can include objects (a special chair or blanket), foods (my mom’s chicken soup!), feelings, people, music and things nearby (a playground or park).
  • Take your list and use it as the basis for a short poem or story.
  • Go around the room and share your work. After each person reads, pick out the key items that represent home to them. Write them down on a master sheet to create the list of what you feel represents home to your class.
  • When you meet with the band, share this list with them. Discuss where your feelings of home overlap with the groups.

Schedule a Virtual Visit With This Artist

Book now

Bringing it Back Home: Follow-up Activities

1

Individual Journaling

Explore the following questions as you think about your life, home, and community:

  • What was similar about the Rebolú’s home and community to your own? What was different?
  • What surprised you during your visit with Rebolú?
2

Thank You Card

Write a thank you card to Rebolú—be sure to include something personal about yourself and how it connects to them and their music.

3

Home Interview

Have a family member or caretaker create their own “list of home.”

Once they have taken the time to write down the things that they feel make up home to them, compare your list to theirs. What is shared? What is unique?

Using a camera phone, make a video of you reading off the items that overlapped. Send the video to your teacher who can create a larger video of the greater class community ideas of home.

Loading...
Invalid passcode - please try again

Common Core Connections

Reading – Literature

Describe how a narrator’s or speaker’s point of view influences how events are described.

Reading – Informational text

Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text.

Writing

Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
Introduce a topic clearly, provide a general observation and focus, and group related information logically; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.

Speaking & Listening

Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Review the key ideas expressed and draw conclusions in light of information and knowledge gained from the discussions.

Reading – Literature

Compare and contrast the experience of reading a story, drama, or poem to listening to or viewing an audio, video, or live version of the text, including contrasting what they “see” and “hear” when reading the text to what they perceive when they listen or watch.

Reading – Informational text

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings.

Writing

Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and refocusing the inquiry when appropriate.

Speaking & Listening

Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Review the key ideas expressed and demonstrate understanding of multiple perspectives through reflection and paraphrasing.
Interpret information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how it contributes to a topic, text, or issue under study.
Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, images, music, sound) and visual displays in presentations to clarify information.

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