Afro-Venezuelan female group - Eleggua

[Jongo]

Hey Congueros! This was really cool, an all female Afro-Venezuelan group called Eleggua performed at the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center here in San Antonio last night. They were really good, great percussion, vocals and dancing. They played congas and some traditional Venezuelan tambores, lots of different styles of music and different instrumentation.
My wife is from Venezuela but she had to work so I took our nine month old son and we had a boys night out. He really enjoyed it, he loves the music and he tries to dance!

[Derbeno]

This is a report from when they were in DC earlier in the year, mi papa es Venezolano so I wanted to see them badly but they came nowhere near Socali

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHK66hGJfIY&NR=1

Here are the few shows left in the USA


July 11: Elegguá at the Station Museum. Houston, Texas. 7pm.
July 12: Elegguá at Chevron Corporations Headquarters. Houston , Texas . 12pm
July 14, 15: Elegguá en International Folk Art Market. Santa Fe, New Mexico
July 18th: Elegguá at The Mission Cultural Center. San Francisco. 7pm
July 19: Elegguá at La Pena Cultural Center. Oakland, California . 8pm
July 19: Elegguá at Chevron Corporation Headquarters San Ramon, California. 12pm
July 21: Elegguá at the Festival Betances of Villa Victoria. Boston. 6:30pm

[Jongo]

I had to cut my post short yesterday as work was calling. Those of y'all in the bay area I would take the time to check them out. I think you will find it totally worth it. Very cool humble people, one of the ladies in the group has been declared a living cultural treasure of Venezuela. It is good to see people recognize the impact and importance of music and culture.
So back to the performance, many different styles in the Venezuelan African genre but all very good traditional folkloric style. At the end they got people up on stage to dance so I took my boy up and we danced a little and they even let some kids and a couple adults who had brought some djembes come up on stage and play with them. I was kind of surprised by that but maybe the did not have permission and just went up and the group did not want to make a fuss but at any rate. Not a large Venezuelan population here in San Antonio, especially not when compared to Houston so a unique opportunity for us. One last thought, the African culture is a thread that connects North America, South America, the Caribbean, Central America and beyond and to me that is a great thing. I think I really realized that watching this group perform and seeing some commonalities.

[Jongo]

Did anybody in the Bay area get to check them out?

[pcastag]

Bummer, just got your post, missed them here in Houston, would've loved to see them, our percussionist is from Maracaibo, he would've probably enjoyed it as well.
PC