October at QANC
Hello neighbor!
We hope you’ve had a beautiful summer. With the school year back in full swing, we are excited to return to our Watoto programming. We have an exciting year planned–Watoto has plenty more dance workshops, drumming lessons, and skit-writing in its future!
There’s still time to sign up your child for this year’s program–click here to register now.
Open House
We were thrilled to see both old and new faces at this year’s Open House. The kids made the most of the lingering summer weather with a high-energy round of Tug-Of-War.
Inside, the room was alive with latin grooves from our long-time friends, Socky y La Nueva Creacion. Joshua, a staple instrumentalist for both Socky y La Nueva Creacion and Nzinga’s Daughters, gave us a special introduction to a very special instrument: The Cuatro.
Spanish for the number “four”, the cuatro was originally a four-stringed instrument shaped like a violin but played like a guitar. Today it’s more common to find cuatros with 10-12 strings, contributing to its rich sound. If you love Puerto Rican music, you’ve likely heard the Cuatro played before–you can even hear it strummed in the beginning of reggaeton hit “Despacito”.
It is so beloved on the island that every year on November 17, Puerto Ricans celebrate “El dia del Cuatro”--the day of the cuatro. Luckily, we didn’t have to wait until November to listen to this uniquely beautiful instrument.
The Open House ended on a sweet note, thanks to a delicious cake donated by Harvest Bakery. We are so grateful to local businesses helping make our programs a success–we can’t do it without support from our community!
Nzinga’s Daughters
Nzinga’s Daughters had the joy of performing at Westover School in Middlebury, CT on October 1 as part of Lumina — the school’s weekly community gathering for reflection, celebration, and connection.
More than 200 students and 60 faculty came together for an inspiring morning of music, mindfulness, and shared spirit. We’re grateful to have been part of such a beautiful tradition of unity and light.
CT Rhythm & Blues Festival
Last year, Watoto youth were invited to sing at the 2nd annual CT Rhythm & Blues festival. We’re proud to say that they blew the audience away with their musical talent and have been invited back for the 2025 concert! We’re so grateful to organizer Scott Sebastian for his support of New Britain's youth.
Watoto will be singing alongside contemporary R&B powerhouses like Sugaray Rayford and Vaneese Thomas. Join us at Trinity-on-Main on November 8th–You don’t want to miss this groovy, soulful performance.
