Fostering unity in our community!ONE dance, many movements.
ONE rhythm, many beats.
ONE universe many cultures.
At Delou Africa, Inc. we bridge gaps by celebrating diversity, encouraging equity and promoting inclusion through cultural arts and education. Express yourself! Be creative! Feel empowered! – together we build bridges not walls.
Our Mission
Our mission is to bridge cultural gaps and preserve African culture by facilitating artistic education through traditional African dance, drum, music, art and history. Our goal is to provide children and adults of our diverse community the opportunity for expression, growth and appreciation in a supportive and nurturing environment.
Our Approach
- Continue to provide an on-going platform that showcases and educates the general public on the rich traditions of Africa.
- Establish a learning center where children and adults from all walks of life can experience the rich traditions of Africa by introducing individuals to the A-CEO concept ( Arts, Culture, Education and Opportunity).
Our History
The meaning of DELOU is “Back or Return to”. Delou is from the Wolof language spoken in Senegal West Africa.
Delou Africa Dance Ensemble (D.A.D.E.), was established in 1987 by Njeri Plato to provide a platform that showcases the rich traditions of West Africa through artistic expression, education and cultural preservation.
D.A.D.E. is a premier cultural arts, traditional West African, folklore company comprised of an artist’s collective of talented drummers/musicians, dancers and oral historians/storytellers. Their purpose is to foster awareness, by connecting the timeless traditions of West Africa to the vast presence of the African Diaspora. Their performance presentations are motivated by folktale and life transitions that inspires cultural artistic interpretations that leaves their audience captivated.
D.A.D.E. expanded their brand to include a more in-depth community outreach opportunity which resulted in the creation of Delou Africa, Inc. in 2010…Read More
Our Objectives
- To show the positive impact that African dance, drum, music and history have on our society and its influence in the arts.
- To ensure students explore Africa as a discovery of geographic awareness.
- To implement African dance, drum and music as part of teachers and educational institutions artistic programming.
- To emphasize the vital connections of our global community by discovering the interesting facts of African culture, resources and history.
- To discover and understand that African dance drum and music is an expression of life stories.
- To learn African languages through songs.
- To encourage a sense of belonging, not just to one country, but a global community through online global exchanges where students in America can connect and engage with students in Africa.
- To promote the history of Africa through the universal language of African dance, drum and music.
Our Journey in Arts & Education
Delou has shared their talents through performances, community outreach and educational enrichment forums at the following venues:
- Boca Raton Community High School
- Ada Merritt K-8 Center
- Booker T. Washington H.S.
- Centennial Middle School
- Dorothy Wallace Cope Center
- Carol City Middle and High School
- Young Women Preparatory
- Palmer Trinity School
- Barry University
- Florida International University
- Miami-Dade College
- Florida Atlantic University
- University of Miami
- Florida Memorial University
- Johnson and Wales University
- Florida Agriculture and Mechanical University
- Palm Beach Atlantic University
- Camp Gan Israel
- Kambenkafo
- Sankofa Old Souls
- Sankofa Rising
- Wontanara
- Sundiata
- Capitol Hill
- Tallahassee
- Metro Zoo
- Joseph Caleb Auditorium
- Fairchild Gardens Collaborations
- Flamingo Gardens
- City of North Miami
- Ashanti Cultural Arts
- Fushu Daiko
- Dance Now!
- Children of Kuumba
- House of Ife
- Miami Dade Schools Cultural Passport Program
- Sing Miami/Miami Children’s Chorus
- Rites of Passage Program (Miami Carol City Schools)
- Urgent, Inc. Community Arts & Culture, Inc.
- Little Haiti Cultural Complex
- African Heritage Cultural Arts Center
- African-American Research Library and Cultural Center
- Center of the Arts for Bonita Springs
- Arts Park at Young Circle
- Gibson Park
- Betty T. Ferguson Recreational Complex
- Sweet Honey in the Rock
- 2005 MTV Award
- Chris Evert Pro Celebrity Tennis Classic
- Haiti meets Africa
- Share the love
- Family Fest
- Festival of Nations (Miami-Dade College)
- Discover Art Program (Little Haiti Cultural Complex)
- Daniel Lewis Miami Dance Sampler
- FELA! Community Outreach Event
- Big Night in Little Haiti Children’s Drum Circle
- Artistry in Rhythm A.I.R. Dance Conference
- Village United Methodist Church
- Family & Children Faith Coalition
- Mt. Zion AME Church
- Myrtle Grove Presbyterian Church
- Antioch Missionary Baptist Church Miami Gardens
- Miami Dade County
- Broward County
- Vizcaya Museum
- History Miami
- Harambee, Inc. Arts for Learning
- Concerned African Women
- Miami Bridge
- Ingram African School Alliance
- Foundation for Democracy in Africa
- Community Arts & Culture
- Mustard Seed Initiative
- Diaspora Arts Coalition
- Jack and Jill of America
- Miami Children’s Chorus
- Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County
- Broward Center for the Performing Arts
- Sunrise Civic Center Theater
- Arts and Cultural Center of Hollywood
- Miramar Cultural Center
- American Airline Arena
- Murano Grande Hotel
- Mar-A-Largo Resort and Spa
- Rusty Pelican
- General Electric Latin America
- Avista Technologies
- Seven Eleven