"We have a magnificent group of veteran and talented young calypso and Soca artists. The orchestra, The Sunshine Band, is led by Don Diaz, son of the famed Cyril Diaz," explains Michelle Young, coordinator of the Festival & Tent. "Fans of every age and nationality will enjoy five tantalizing nights of strictly calypso and soca plus celebration of Trinidad & Tobago 51st independence birthday." "Come show love and support to our artists that live amongst us," says Yankey Boy who sang in the 2013 Trinbago Unified Calypsonian Organization (TUCO) Calypso Tent and in this year's Trinidad and Tobago (International) Soca Monarch.
Latin Americans of African descent, often referred to as Afro-Latinos, synchronized their African traditions with Latin culture, creating enduring African roots throughout Latin America. For example, Cuba's Santeria religious tradition traces its roots to Nigeria's Yoruba. Mofongo, Puerto Rico's savory fried plantain dish, is of West African origin. And the Dominican Republic's signature sound, merengue, developed from strong African rhythms. Today, New York City is the home of most of the United States' 4 million Afro-Latinos. In addition to being the center of Puerto Rican and Dominican culture in the country, New York City is also where Afro-Latinos from throughout the Diaspora reside.