Talise Campbell, passionate about sharing her West African culture, founded the Djapo Cultural Arts Institute in 2009 in Cleveland.
The institute’s mission, reflected in the word "Djapo" (meaning "together"), is to unite people through arts, music, dance, and history.
In this week’s Sketchbook, Campbell and her team showcase a new piece, Sandia: Of the Blood, which focuses on family, culture, and the traditions of Mali.
With guidance from musical director Weedie Braimah, the performance explores the importance of griots—oral historians—and the preservation of African culture through dance and music.
