CHICAGO, IL – The Elastic Arts Foundation is set to host the highly anticipated “AfroFuturist Weekend 10,” a comprehensive 5-day celebration dedicated to exploring and envisioning positive futures for Black people through art, music, and performance. Culminating its vibrant program, Day 3, scheduled for Friday, October 3, 2025, will spotlight “AfroBoricua/Afro-Caribbean Celebration,” a rich cultural immersion featuring the acclaimed poet and performer Mayda Del Valle in collaboration with the esteemed Bomba ensemble, La Escuelita Bombera de Corazón. This special event, which is free and open to the public, promises to be a powerful testament to the enduring legacy and contemporary expressions of Afro-Puerto Rican and broader Afro-Caribbean culture.
A Vision of the Future: The Afrofuturist Weekend
Afrofuturist Weekend 10, running from October 1st to October 5th, 2025, is designed as a free, five-day festival that looks toward the future by drawing inspiration from the past. The event’s core mission is to present forward-looking music, art, and performance that envisions radically positive futures, placing Black people at the center of these narratives. By deploying new technologies and referencing history, Afrofuturism aims to subvert exploitative hierarchies and foster a sense of possibility and empowerment. The festival encompasses a wide array of artistic mediums, including live performances, visual art installations, video presentations, panel discussions, and immersive experiences, all geared towards sparking action and realizing these visions. Elastic Arts Foundation, a Chicago-based organization committed to fostering artistic exploration and community, is the driving force behind this significant cultural gathering.
Celebrating Afro-Boricua and Afro-Caribbean Roots
The third day of Afrofuturist Weekend 10 is dedicated to the vibrant heritage of Afro-Boricua and Afro-Caribbean peoples. Afro-Puerto Ricans, often referred to as Afroboricuas, are descendants of enslaved Africans and freedmen who have profoundly shaped the island’s identity. Their influence is deeply woven into the fabric of Puerto Rican culture, most notably through music, dance, cuisine, language, and spirituality. Similarly, Afro-Caribbean culture is a dynamic fusion of African traditions with Indigenous, European, and local Caribbean influences, celebrated through music genres like reggae and calypso, spiritual practices, and vibrant festivals such as Carnival.
This specific day of the festival aims to honor these rich cultural legacies, highlighting their resilience, creativity, and continuing evolution. It offers a platform for artists and communities to share their stories, traditions, and artistic expressions, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of this vital cultural heritage.
Featured Artist: Mayda Del Valle
Headlining the AfroBoricua/Afro-Caribbean Celebration is Mayda Del Valle, a celebrated slam poet, writer, performer, mentor, and educator with Puerto Rican roots. Raised on Chicago’s South Side, Del Valle has established herself as a formidable voice in spoken word. She made history by becoming the youngest person and the first Latina to win both the Nuyorican Grand Slam Championship and the National Poetry Slam individual title in 2001. Her impressive career includes appearances on HBO’s “Def Poetry Jam,” a role in the Tony Award-winning “Russell Simmons Def Poetry Jam on Broadway,” and performances at the White House. Del Valle is also a dedicated student of Afro-Puerto Rican Bomba, participating as a dancer, vocalist, and composer with the ensemble Las Bompleneras. Her artistic inspiration stems from her culture, family narratives, the diaspora, and the intersectionality of her experiences.
Collaboration with La Escuelita Bombera de Corazón
Mayda Del Valle will present a culminating performance from her residency in collaboration with La Escuelita Bombera de Corazón. Founded in 2009 by Ivelisse “Bombera de Corazón” Díaz in Chicago’s Humboldt Park, La Escuelita is a prominent Afro-Puerto Rican diasporic performing arts school. It is dedicated to preserving and advancing Bomba, Puerto Rico’s oldest surviving music and dance tradition, created by the island’s African descendants. The school offers comprehensive curricula in Bomba percussion, dance, vocals, and history, serving as a vital educational and cultural hub. Through their collective efforts, Bomberxs D’Cora, the performing arm of La Escuelita, embodies the spirit of Bomba as a living expression of resistance, resilience, and joy, carrying forward ancestral memory and the power of culture.
This collaborative performance promises a powerful and authentic showcase of Afro-Boricua artistry, blending Del Valle’s evocative poetry with the percussive rhythms and dynamic movements of Bomba. The news of this event signifies an important moment for cultural celebration and artistic innovation within the broader Afrofuturist movement.
A Celebration of Culture and Resilience
The AfroFuturist Weekend 10 Day 3 event is more than just a performance; it is an invitation to connect with history, celebrate identity, and envision a future where diverse cultural narratives are at the forefront. By highlighting the contributions of Afro-Boricua and Afro-Caribbean artists, Elastic Arts Foundation and its collaborators underscore the importance of these cultures in the global artistic landscape. This confluence of talent and tradition offers a unique opportunity for the community to engage with art that is both deeply rooted in heritage and boldly forward-looking. The event is a crucial piece of news for those interested in cultural arts and the ongoing dialogue of Afrofuturism.