SambaFunk!’s mission is to preserve, center, and uplift African Diaspora cultural and healing arts through music, dance, and drumming. We seek to reach underserved communities of color and low-income backgrounds (specifically in East and West Oakland) to address the mental, physical health issues that are disproportionately higher in these communities. We provide a welcoming, diverse space for people to develop and showcase their authentic creative selves in our classes and performances.

SambaFunk! fuses African culture, Brazilian samba and American (Oakland) funk in our artistic expression. Through these arts, we honor the legacy of descendants of the TransAtlantic Slave Trade who sought to express cultural identity, community love, and resistance to oppression. We have grown from a small group of dedicated artists to a thriving 1,000+ community of racial, economic, generational, and geographic diversity with a dizzying array of dance and musical talent.