The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme (FCCOL) announced today that, in celebration of Juneteenth, it would feature performances by the Román Díaz Rumba Ensemble, Lázaro Galarraga and Sandy Perez during its Sunday, Jun. 18, 10:00 a.m. worship service. The entire surrounding Old Lyme community is invited to attend and enjoy “Where the River Meets the Sound: A Celebration of Sacred Afro-Cuban Music in Old Lyme.”
Román Díaz is a master percussionist, particularly of the sacred Bata drums, and a living repository of Afro-Cuban culture. He is a noted scholar of Cuban religious and folkloric music, as well as a composer and performer of contemporary Afro-Cuban and Jazz music. Díaz has said, “I walk the path of the poet, musician, teacher and student. Our ancestors are with us today and I stand on their shoulders.” He has performed around the world and, in the United States, has appeared at Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center and the Smithsonian Museum, among other institutions.