The Story Of AfricaNashville

Co-founder Windship Boyd, native to Nashville, TN (USA), moved back home in 2016 after 25 years working abroad in France and West Africa as a dancer, choreographer, mom, and teacher. Her objectives upon returning were to create and nourish artistic relations between the three countries with African music and dance at the center. She has invited and hosted Sory Diabate, Agathe Moubembe, Manon Kouby and other artists from West Africa and France to Nashville several times to share their culture through master classes, lecture demonstrations, recordings, lessons, and performances both for and with local artists to great acclaim.

Enter Jeff Coffin, a celebrated and globally recognized American saxophone player and educator (Dave Matthews Band/Bela Fleck & the Flecktones/Vanderbilt University) and winner of 3 Grammy Awards who realized the talents of Sory Diabate and Agathe Moubembe on their last visit and immediately invited them to perform with him and other legendary Nashville musicians at the Nashville Jazz Workshop, 3rd and Lindsey, and several house concerts.

AfricaNashville was born from a common desire of both Windship and Jeff to make these visits more frequent, substantial, and sustainable. Convinced that West African music and dance have a place in Music City, Windship & Jeff aim to broaden its audience and create a deeper awareness of its cultural value and absolute importance in the history of North American music and dance. To do this they have chosen the cream of the crop in authentic, traditional Guinean musicians and dancers from both West Africa and France. In addition to Windship’s first hand knowledge and deep friendships with these globally recognized artists, Sory Diabate, Agathe Moubembe, and Mohamed ‘Dho’ Cisse are playing the role of AfricaNashville Cultural Consultants, as they are experts in their domains, to recommend future artists and clarify cultural details in music, dance, and the deep and complex history of African culture.

We are convinced that Nashville will welcome these completely new, yet foundational, art forms with open arms, ears, and hearts and AfricaNashville will open many to recognizing the truly wide cultural diversity of Music City.

AfricaNashville continues work Windship began in 2016 but has adapted the overall structure to allow for a wider range of workshops, residencies, local performances, and community outreach in Nashville and the greater South. To get connected with AfricaNashville please visit the CONTACT page.
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AfricaNashville, LLC has the assistance of professional musicians, dancers, and patrons of the arts supporting the organization through their outreach, website expertise, budgeting, billing, fundraising, etc…and we thank them all from the deepest part of our hearts!