Culture Keepers, Global Citizens: Passing the Torch of Tradition

AFRICA

Leaf International partners with local Culture Keepers across Africa to sustain centuries-old traditions of drumming, dance, song, and storytelling. From Kigali to Arusha to Abidjan, these community-owned programs preserve cultural heritage while empowering youth as the next generation of ambassadors.

East & Central

Kigali | Rwanda

  • Intore drum and dance, meaning "the chosen ones," is a cornerstone of Rwandan cultural identity. The JR Troupe preserves this tradition through drumming and dance that tell stories of resilience and pride. In a notable shift, girls in the troupe have begun drumming — a practice traditionally reserved for men — declaring, "girls can drum too."

  • Founded in 2006, serving over 200 youth at the JR Troupe Cultural Center in Kacyiru. More than 100 members practice multiple times weekly. The ONEmic Studio (launched 2017) hosts 25+ recording artists. In 2024, a visual arts workshop was added. Performances include the Tour Du Rwanda concert series (15,000 attendees). The center incorporated as a local nonprofit in 2021.

  • Culture Keeper Patrick Nshimiyana, a professional drummer who performs across East Africa with INGANZO NGARI. Coordinator Manzi Ramadhan leads the ONEmic Studio. In 2023, ten troupe members traveled to Tanzania for exchange with Maasai and Arusha youth. Quarterly community performances draw hundreds of attendees.

Arusha | Tanzania

  • East African dances, songs, and drum rhythms representing Tanzania's diverse tribes. Students learn the Zeze, a rare instrument of the Gogo tribe that very few people still know how to play, ensuring this endangered tradition survives.

  • Launched in 2009 with Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots, serving 150+ students at Ilboru Secondary and St. Joseph's Girls School. Students meet 2-3 times weekly. The ONEmic Studio (2014) has graduated 75+ students into music careers. New Zeze and Kalimba instruments added in 2022.

  • Culture Keeper Fredy Nganga and ONEmic engineer Edward Ndoleli lead the program. In 2023, Tanzania hosted the Rwanda JR Troupe and co-produced the single "Healing The Community." Students have performed at Leaf Festivals in the US, collaborating with youth from Haiti and beyond. As student Brian Linus shared, "We now have friends in Haiti, Malawi, America, and many other countries. This was my dream."

Maasai | Tanzania

  • East African dances, songs, and drum rhythms representing Tanzania's diverse tribes. Students learn the Zeze, a rare instrument of the Gogo tribe that very few people still know how to play, ensuring this endangered tradition survives.

  • Launched in 2009 with Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots, serving 150+ students at Ilboru Secondary and St. Joseph's Girls School. Students meet 2-3 times weekly. The ONEmic Studio (2014) has graduated 75+ students into music careers. New Zeze and Kalimba instruments added in 2022.

  • Culture Keeper Fredy Nganga and ONEmic engineer Edward Ndoleli lead the program. In 2023, Tanzania hosted the Rwanda JR Troupe and co-produced the single "Healing The Community." Students have performed at Leaf Festivals in the US, collaborating with youth from Haiti and beyond. As student Brian Linus shared, "We now have friends in Haiti, Malawi, America, and many other countries. This was my dream."

West Africa

Abidjan | Ivory Coast

  • A 700-year lineage of West African drum and dance from the Dembele family's Djembeso ("House of Djembe"), passed through 33 generations of musicians. Krimbo Delagrange, whose name means "genius of the drum-speaker," continues this legacy through percussion, dance, storytelling, and painting.

  • Founded in 2017, serving 100+ youth. Twice-daily rehearsals, monthly community performances, and meals for youth. After the government demolished the family cultural center in 2015, the program partnered with SOS d'Abobo Orphanage, reaching capacity within days. A program documentary was released in 2022.

  • Culture Keepers Adama Dembele, Krimbo Delagrange, and Dramane Dembele. Students travel from Burkina Faso, Mali, and across Ivory Coast to learn. Dramane shares, "I feel like a father figure to the orphans in the neighborhood. We want to have a place to continue teaching our traditions." Leaf’s co-director visited in 2024 to support the program.

AMERICAS

From the marimba halls of Guatemala to the Guna Yala islands of Panama, from the First Nations territories of Costa Rica to Congo Square in New Orleans — Leaf International's Americas programs partner with Indigenous and local communities to pass ancestral knowledge to the next generation.

Central & Mexico

El Tejar | Guatemala

  • Guatemalan musical culture centered on the marimba (the national instrument), complemented by violin, guitar, percussion, keyboard, flute, and mandolin — all taught through the lens of Guatemalan heritage.

  • Founded in 2007, serving 165+ youth through 8 classes twice weekly at the CEDIN School, in partnership with Senderos and FUNDIT. ONEmic Studio launched in 2022. The Music Camp (since 2014) lets older students teach younger ones. A Diploma in Music program provides a 3-year foundation course.

  • Sara Morales, teaching for 16+ years, believes "art is to share and it is very important to teach our traditions to our youth." Pepe became the first Leaf International student to become a Teaching Artist. Anthony joined at 9, walking 3 km from his village, and at 17 now plays seven instruments and teaches. In 2024, a new marimba arrived after 15 years, and Anthony filled the teaching vacancy left by a graduate.

Valladolid (Xocen) | Mexico

  • Mayan ancestral music using traditional instruments including Cabeza de Cochino, Xtoles, El Tunkul, and La Cigarra. The Mayan language is integrated into all activities, and students create cross-disciplinary productions weaving instrument, music, dance, and language together.

  • Founded in 2007, serving 135+ youth at Ramon Osorio middle school — a school designed for students who must work during the day. Weekly night classes teach Mayan instruments and ceremonies. Students participated in the VLeaf LatinX Heritage festival in 2021.

  • Culture Keeper Marco Lievano, 15+ years teaching Mayan tradition. Mario Niche, a student who dreams of being a percussionist, found belonging in the program as an alternative to gang life. "Music is universal, that speaks the same language, that unites us, that there is no border." In 2015, students presented "Mayan Sacred Moments" at the X'ocen Theater, reading poems in Mayan and enacting ceremonies.

Panama City (Guna Yala) | Panama

  • Guna Yala folk dance and instruments rooted in ancient mythology. Guna ancestors did not use musical notes — they imitated the sounds of animals. Designs now woven into clothing originated from animal trails seen in the sand.

  • Founded in 2007, originally at an orphanage in Boquete, the program relocated in 2020 to serve Guna Yala communities — an archipelago of 300+ islands. Now serving 70+ youth, the program preserves folk dance, flute-making, and ceremonial practices. In 2022, the group was honored as one of the top traditional dance groups in the country.

  • Jose Hayans, 73, Leaf’s eldest Culture Keeper with 30+ years teaching. Director of "Si GGui Gun Galun" (Paradise of Birds). Named Cultural Teacher of the Year in 2023. In 2024, youth performed at the US Embassy, the electoral court, and the Anita Villalas theater. "When they have contact with their traditions, something within them clicks."

Bribri, Ngäbe-Buglé & Cabecar First Nations | Costa Rica

  • Three First Nations preserving ancient songs, dances, drumming, plant medicine, and languages. UNESCO predicts all native languages in the Americas may vanish this century — 90% have already disappeared. The Bribri connect to their gods and elders through singing, dancing, and drumming.

  • Founded in 2013 with The Dan Lucas Foundation, serving 100+ youth across Ngäbe-Buglé (La Casona, 40+), Cabecar (Chirripo, 55+), and Bribri (Talamanca, 15). A mobile ONEmic Studio supports the Houses of Memory initiative: preserving women's traditional singing (Ajköki), instrument making (Sabák bulâuk), and music production training.

  • Alexis Rodriguez (Ngäbe-Buglé) authored 3 books used in schools, translating between Bugle, Ngäbere, and Spanish. Luis Salazar (Cabecar) is a medicine man, healer, and teacher in the Chirripó Mountains. In 2014, children performed at Costa Rica's presidential house. In 2015, Ngäbe members traveled to Panama to reunite with their ancestral homeland for the first time.

North America

Congo Square, New Orleans | United States

  • Black Masking Indian (Mardi Gras Indian) culture — one of America's most vibrant living traditions. Stilt dancing, African Diaspora drumming, and the intricate art of suit-making using turkey quills, beads, and feathers.

  • Founded in 2016, serving 20+ youth. The Golden Feather Gallery showcases the masking Indian aesthetic. An 8-year partnership with Burial Beer Company has raised significant funds through annual beer releases. Chief Shaka's "Toucan" suit was exhibited by Hancock Whitney for Black History Month — a nine-foot masterpiece.

  • Chief Shaka Zulu, a Leaf collaborator for 20+ years, helped launch programs in Haiti and Tanzania. Recipient of a $25,000 NEA Fellowship grant. "New Orleans is another country, and it is critical that this rich tradition be passed forward from the culture keepers to the youth."

CARIBBEAN

From the steel pan rhythms of the Grenadines to the powerful drum and dance traditions of Haiti, Leaf International's Caribbean programs preserve cultural expressions that have survived colonization, natural disaster, and economic hardship — rooted in joy, community, and an unshakable commitment to passing traditions forward.

Bequia & St. Vincent

St. Vincent & the Grenadines | Bequia

  • Steel pan drumming, a Caribbean art form that was nearly lost on Bequia. When Leaf’s Founder asked how many children learned it, the answer was "one, and it is the governor's daughter." Over 70 children have participated since, sparking a full cultural revival.

  • Founded in 2006 — Leaf International's first program ever. Serving 24+ youth at Bequia Community High School through "Kids on Pans." The group officially registered as Exotic Sound Steel Orchestra with national cultural bodies. The local government donated a dedicated music center in recognition of its cultural importance.

  • Culture Keeper Akeem Hannaway, a steel pan virtuoso who performs with Starlift Steel Orchestra across the Caribbean, US, and UK. Senior student D'yonte Telemaque became Assistant Tutor in 2022. One student began at age six, fell in love with the pan, and plays before she prays at night — her family pooled resources to buy her own instrument. As one father shared, "The tradition almost died here. Now many kids play. It is good for their minds."

Kingstown (Elite Steel Orchestra) | St. Vincent

  • Steel pan orchestra — every instrument in a traditional Caribbean steel band, mastered by one man who learned at age twelve.

  • The Elite Steel Orchestra has existed for 18 years; Leaf formalized the program in 2020. Serving 100+ youth. Headlined Vincy Mas Carnival in 2022 and competed at Panorama, the premier steel pan competition. Selected for Leaf May Retreat 2025 and celebrated the inaugural World Drum Day in 2024

  • Culture Keeper Kesslon Wilson, 30+ years as a teacher, 19 teaching steel pan. When La Soufriere Volcano erupted in 2021 and his school became an emergency shelter for 164 evacuees, he organized steel pan concerts to lift spirits. Hurricane Beryl devastated the island in 2024, but the program continues. "Steel Pan drumming teaches discipline, values, and freedom. The youth are so free when they drum for the culture."

Haiti

Port-au-Prince | Haiti

  • Afro-Haitian drum and dance rhythms that define Voodoo rituals: Yanvalou, Nago, Maskaron, Ibo, Rara, Banda, Congo, and Petro. "These are rhythms of joy, which bring happiness — you can see it in the kids' faces when they dance and play the drums."

  • Founded in 2013 in partnership with Boukman Eksperyans and Prosjekt Haiti. Serving 40+ youth (ages 15-25+). Twice-weekly free drum and dance lessons. The ONEmic Studio (2014) is led solely by students with one room, one mic, one laptop, drums, and a guitar.

  • Culture Keeper Bois Gris (BwaGris), principal percussionist of Boukman Eksperyans for 30+ years. Stanley Lubin, one of the first program youth in 2014, became a Culture Keeper himself in 2019. Students perform at least four times annually, carrying forward Rara Carnival traditions. "It's so important for us to continue to celebrate the beauty of what we have to offer to the world," says Bois Gris. "Even though times are harder than ever, we know there are people standing with Haiti all across the globe."

Where Culture Meets the Soul

Our Vision

Leaf International envisions a world where communities actively engage their youth in learning cultural traditions while empowering them with the life skills to be active agents of change. We believe in the power of music, art, and culture to transform lives—benefits both tangible and intangible.

Endogenous Development

Endogenous development means grounding programs in local peoples' own understanding of change and vision of holistic well-being, then matching that with a dynamic interface with external actors. The goal is to move beyond Western bias, making local world views and livelihood strategies the starting point for development while promoting the interface between tradition and modernity.

Guiding Framework

Leaf utilizes the Culture for Development Indicators (CDIS) as a framework for program development, evaluation, and monitoring. Aligning with the UN System Task Team for the post-2015 UN Development Agenda, we affirm that cultural expression fosters social inclusiveness, rootedness, resilience, innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship.

Program Dimensions

The CDIS identifies seven key dimensions and 22 indicators addressing the interrelations between culture and development. Leaf aligns with five guiding forces—Economy, Education, Social Participation, Communication, and Heritage—to design and evaluate programs. Within these, 9 indicators directly measure how our programs enrich lives, strengthen communities, and preserve cultural expression.

Active Partnerships

Leaf International believes participatory, endogenous development is essential. All programs are carried out in partnership with existing local organizations to set up traditional music and dance programs. Leaf acts as a catalyst, but programs remain community-owned and community-led, generating organic empowerment and a positive feedback loop of inspiration, participation, innovation, and accountability.

Living Traditions

Leaf recognizes that traditions are not stuck in a timeless pas keys to a community's thriving present and future. Tradition is a dynamic process, constantly revived and revised by local people with active agency as it passes between generations. This cycle shows how meaning and identity are constructed: informed by the past while envisioning new futures.

Real Impact

Leaf International partners with communities to empower Culture Keepers who pass their traditional arts to local youth, bridging cultural preservation with global citizenship.

630+ Weekly Youth Participants
7700+ Since 2006

Support More International Exchanges

Leaf International fuels people-centered programs—from providing music instruments to sponsoring children—that empower Culture Keepers to teach local youth their traditional arts. By bridging cultural preservation with global citizenship, we ensure 100% of your gift goes directly to Global Arts education and preservation. Donate today.

Africa

Rwanda
David Kwizera

Rwanda Teaching Artist
Claude Nyandwi

Ivory Coast
Dramane Dembele

SOS d’Abobo Orphanage

Arusha, Tanzania
Fredy Nganga

Jane Goodall Roots & Shoots

Arusha, Tanzania
Edward Ndoleli

ONEmic Studio Engineer

Culture Keepers

Americas

Costa Rica Cabecar
Luis Salazar

Costa Rica Ngabe Bugle, Jirondai
Alexis Rodriguez

Guatemala (PEG, Child Aid)
Sara Morales

Guatemala (PEG, Child Aid)
Stephanie Muñoz

Mexico Teaching Artists
Marco Licevano

Ramon Osorio y Osorio School

Panama Guna Yale
José Fayans
Yoba Barrentes (Coordinator)

NOLA (Burial Beer)
Chief Shaka Zulu

Caribbean

St. Vincent & The Grenadines
Kesslon Wilson

St. Vincent & The Grenadines Bequia
Akeem Hannaway

Kids on Pan

Haiti
Johanne Dejean
Boi Gris

Boukman Eksperyans & Prosjekt Haiti