ABOUT US
WACF was formed to showcase the values, traditions and life lessons found in the rich rhythms and authentic voices of West African cultures. Our work is centered around the drum. Using this instrument, the fundamentals of Yoruban language, religion and philosophy unravel themselves to those who have the power to listen and the discipline to invoke them.
WACF was formed to showcase the values, traditions and life lessons found in the rich rhythms and authentic voices of West African cultures. Our work is centered around the drum. Using this instrument, the fundamentals of Yoruban language, religion and philosophy unravel themselves to those who have the power to listen and the discipline to invoke them.
- Origins: Yoruba House
- The Foundation Today
- Four Elements
- Music
- Spirituality
- Education
- Performance
Origins: Yoruba House
The roots of the West African Cultural Foundation were planted in Los Angeles’s Yoruba House. Founded after the Rodney King Incident and the attendant riots of 1991, Yoruba House sought to unite the divided ethnic groups of the city through an inclusive program of African music, culture and spirituality. Yoruba House hosted hundreds of guests and participants during its ten years of existence, and developed many of the performances and educational programs it now uses today. A tragic fire in September of 2001 brought the era of Yoruba House to an end, but not before its proprietors, which includes current member Ayo Adeyemi, created a system for translating the devotional underpinnings of Ifá spirituality and its connection to traditional Yoruban drumming for the needs of Western society. These teachings guide the work of the Foundation today.
The roots of the West African Cultural Foundation were planted in Los Angeles’s Yoruba House. Founded after the Rodney King Incident and the attendant riots of 1991, Yoruba House sought to unite the divided ethnic groups of the city through an inclusive program of African music, culture and spirituality. Yoruba House hosted hundreds of guests and participants during its ten years of existence, and developed many of the performances and educational programs it now uses today. A tragic fire in September of 2001 brought the era of Yoruba House to an end, but not before its proprietors, which includes current member Ayo Adeyemi, created a system for translating the devotional underpinnings of Ifá spirituality and its connection to traditional Yoruban drumming for the needs of Western society. These teachings guide the work of the Foundation today.
The Foundation Today
Nowadays, the Foundation spreads its message of peace, spirituality and celebration through an ecstatic embrace of Yoruban culture around the country and world. Audiences have witnessed our activity annually at the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market, a multicultural exhibit which we have played since 1992, and Esalen. Members have contributed to Hollywood feature films/television (“Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls,” “Vampire of Brooklyn,” “Coming to America”) and rock LPs (Gary Wright, “First Signs of Life,” Rust Epique’s first post-Crazy Town group pre-Thing, “22nd Century Lifestyle”).
Whatever project we may undertake, on our own or with other nonprofits or corporate clients, the Foundation injects the following values into our contributions to any event or cultural undertaking:
Nowadays, the Foundation spreads its message of peace, spirituality and celebration through an ecstatic embrace of Yoruban culture around the country and world. Audiences have witnessed our activity annually at the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market, a multicultural exhibit which we have played since 1992, and Esalen. Members have contributed to Hollywood feature films/television (“Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls,” “Vampire of Brooklyn,” “Coming to America”) and rock LPs (Gary Wright, “First Signs of Life,” Rust Epique’s first post-Crazy Town group pre-Thing, “22nd Century Lifestyle”).
Whatever project we may undertake, on our own or with other nonprofits or corporate clients, the Foundation injects the following values into our contributions to any event or cultural undertaking:
Music
Emerging through the pioneering efforts of West African scholar/musician Babatunde Olautunji and his Drums of Passion performance troupe, traditional West African music has established creative beachheads in every major city in America. We continue to spread the message of peace and peace of mind by teaching devotional rhythms on the djembe, the shekere, the djun-djun and the African talking drum. The bestselling book (title TK) was written based on our Foundation’s teachings, and the power of our creative work comes through its mastery.
Emerging through the pioneering efforts of West African scholar/musician Babatunde Olautunji and his Drums of Passion performance troupe, traditional West African music has established creative beachheads in every major city in America. We continue to spread the message of peace and peace of mind by teaching devotional rhythms on the djembe, the shekere, the djun-djun and the African talking drum. The bestselling book (title TK) was written based on our Foundation’s teachings, and the power of our creative work comes through its mastery.
Spirituality
The Ifa faith underpins the rhythms we teach. The lower orishas epitomize primal forces, from Oshun, the goddess of love, to Shango, god of Thunder and lightning, that are present in everyone’s life. All of creation, from these orishas unto their worshippers and their ations, possesses an ashé, or force, which can change the world around it. The Ifa faith uniquely communicates this purpose in its art and its spritual teachings. The Foundation serves as a repository and dispenser for the wisdom of this faith. One can explore Ifa’s divination system, inscribed by UNESCO on their Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, through the Foundation, or learn the esoteric bases behind its musical hymns. For the Foundation, every session serves as ritual and every chant a prayer. All are welcome to take part.
The Ifa faith underpins the rhythms we teach. The lower orishas epitomize primal forces, from Oshun, the goddess of love, to Shango, god of Thunder and lightning, that are present in everyone’s life. All of creation, from these orishas unto their worshippers and their ations, possesses an ashé, or force, which can change the world around it. The Ifa faith uniquely communicates this purpose in its art and its spritual teachings. The Foundation serves as a repository and dispenser for the wisdom of this faith. One can explore Ifa’s divination system, inscribed by UNESCO on their Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, through the Foundation, or learn the esoteric bases behind its musical hymns. For the Foundation, every session serves as ritual and every chant a prayer. All are welcome to take part.
Education
From kindergarten up to the university level and beyond, opportunities to learn should not be squandered. Above all else, the Foundation is a space for learning about the ever-expanding history, creativity and legacy of West African peoples and expanding its wisdom throughout the planet.
We can teach students how to speak the Yoruba language or lead an auditorium of grade schoolers through a traditional Ifa chant. Much like the cultures themselves, the Foundation’s educational process is interactive -- a call and response from the master to the student -- leading to a greater understanding of human relationships as the primary goal.
From kindergarten up to the university level and beyond, opportunities to learn should not be squandered. Above all else, the Foundation is a space for learning about the ever-expanding history, creativity and legacy of West African peoples and expanding its wisdom throughout the planet.
We can teach students how to speak the Yoruba language or lead an auditorium of grade schoolers through a traditional Ifa chant. Much like the cultures themselves, the Foundation’s educational process is interactive -- a call and response from the master to the student -- leading to a greater understanding of human relationships as the primary goal.
Performance
One can entertain through song, dance and rhythm, and the Foundation’s performers are fully capable of doing so. We also focus our efforts on solstices and sacred festivals, and commemorate the commonalities that bridge together all of the world’s faiths and cultures. We have harmonized our rhythms with musicians from China, dancers from South America and audiences from the world over, and we have showcased our musicians and their skills by themselves.
Whether by itself or in tandem, the power of West Africa to expose and strengthen a primal accord in humanity remains consistent however it is presented.
One can entertain through song, dance and rhythm, and the Foundation’s performers are fully capable of doing so. We also focus our efforts on solstices and sacred festivals, and commemorate the commonalities that bridge together all of the world’s faiths and cultures. We have harmonized our rhythms with musicians from China, dancers from South America and audiences from the world over, and we have showcased our musicians and their skills by themselves.
Whether by itself or in tandem, the power of West Africa to expose and strengthen a primal accord in humanity remains consistent however it is presented.