BETESEB BRUNCH: Griot Sounds of Senegal with the ABA DIOP TRIO

BECAUSE OF RAIN, WE ARE MOVING THIS EVENT INDOORS WITH A $20 SUGGESTED DONATION.

We are happy to present a monthly Family-oriented musical series in out backyard! Every event we feature music and cultural activities from a different nation, and combine it with Bunna Cafe's delicious Ethiopian Brunch and drink specials for kids and grown ups!

This June, we cross the Atlantic and land on the rich cultural and musical shores of Senegal, Gambia, and the beginnings of the Sahel. Hailing from Dakar, Aba Diop and his Yermande Family have planted roots over here, bringing with them many generations of Griot music. Diop specializes in the Sabar drums, and he will be showcasing them, along with Youba Cissokho on Kora, and Jason Hosier on Guitar as the ABA DIOP TRIO.

Now joined by a powerhouse ensemble of fellow griot artists and global collaborators, Aba Diop & the Yermande Family’s full-length release Family doesn’t just introduce their sound, it affirms sabar as a rhythmic language that has shaped music across continents and centuries, and continues to shape what comes next. The group takes its name from the Wolof word “Yermande,” which means compassion, care for others, and deep respect for community. It pervades the music and performances in a tangible way; this music is medicine for our times.

Aba Diop is based in the U.S. today, but his soul lives in the ancestral rhythms of West Africa. He comes from generations of griots: poet-musicians entrusted with preserving culture, ethics, and spirit through rhythm and story. “My mother was griot. My father was griot. All of my grandparents were griots,” he says. “They gave us a good education, a good attitude, and they showed us how to carry ourselves with kindness and respect. I put all of that into the rhythms.”

Aba Diop & the Yermande Family is more than a band, it’s a collective bound by music, respect, and shared purpose. “We are all human,” Aba says. “It doesn’t matter if you’re in Japan, America, or Senegal, the music unites us. And when we’re united, we become like a family, playing together, feeling together. That spirit, of caring for your elders, of supporting one another with kindness, that’s what we call Yermande.”

Backyard opens at 1. Performance is from 2:30 to 4.

Join us for kid's activities and delicious Bunna Cafe brunch. Drink specials for adults and kids alike! Try a Habhab Habibi!

$20 per adult, kids are free. Book online!

Music at Bunna Cafe

/// Under The Grass Roof \\\