Family Bullerengue Workshop

📅 Bank Holiday Monday 4 May
📍Barbican Centre, Stalls foyer level -1
🎟️ Free – open to all ages RSVP Required

Join us this Bank Holiday for a joyful, participatory workshop introducing bullerengue, an Afro-Colombian musical and dance tradition rooted in rhythm, voice and community.

Led by London collective Bullerengue Circle and supported by renowned traditional cantadora Darlina Sáenz Garcés, this welcoming session invites families, children and adults alike to explore movement, singing and percussion together. No experience is needed — just curiosity and a willingness to join in.

Bullerengue is traditionally shared in a rueda (circle), where drums, voices and bodies respond to one another. Rather than learning choreography, you will be guided to listen, move and express yourself freely. Through call-and-response singing, rhythm and simple steps, participants build a collective energy where everyone contributes to the experience.

You will also discover the cultural history behind the tradition and how bullerengue has long been a space of resilience, celebration and connection in Afro-Colombian communities. The session ends with an open rueda, where everyone is invited to take part in a relaxed and supportive environment. 

Come to sing, move, play and connect — a vibrant musical experience for the whole family.

About Bullerengue Circle

Bullerengue Circle is a London-based collective dedicated to sharing the Afro-Colombian tradition of bullerengue as a living community practice. Through drums, chant and dance, they create spaces for creative expression, joy and connection. Historically practised in communities shaped by displacement and resistance, bullerengue continues to act as a celebration of identity, resilience and togetherness.

About Darlina Sáenz Garcés

Darlina Sáenz Garcés is a traditional bullerengue singer (cantadora), lead vocalist and director of Cantares de Eloa. The daughter of the celebrated singer and composer Eloisa Garcés, Darlina inherited her mother’s musical legacy following her passing in the municipality of Necoclí. She went on to lead the group Palmeras de Urabá, carrying forward this powerful oral tradition. Throughout her career, she has received recognition for Best Original Song, Best Group, Best Cantadora, and Best Voice and Tonality at multiple bullerengue festivals both within and outside Colombia.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher La Linea Festival