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Strategic Milestone for Afro-Colombian Heritage

CALI, COLOMBIA – February 26, 2026 – We are proud to announce that the Pan-African Council, has been formally invited by the City of Cali in Colombia to join the Advisory Committee for the 30th Anniversary of the Petronio Álvarez Pacific Music Festival.

This invitation, extended by the City’s Secretariat of Culture, marks a significant step in strengthening the bridge between the Colombian Pacific and the global African diaspora.

Why This Matters

The year 2026 represents a historic milestone. For three decades, “El Petronio” has served as the beating heart of Afro-Colombian identity, honoring ancestral memory and cultural power.

Our participation in this committee aims to:

• Scale the Legacy: Project the 30th edition as a world-class celebration of Pan-African heritage.
• Strategic Vision: Collaboration with leaders to integrate international perspectives.
• Cultural Diplomacy: Solidify Cali’s position as a central hub for the global African diaspora community.

Stay tuned as we prepare for our first session on March 12, 2026, to begin mapping out this historic commemoration.

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New Jersey, USA / Cali, Colombia – [June 15, 2025]

The Pan-African Council is proud to welcome celebrity music executives Jamal “Mally” Brandon and Steven “Steve-O” Carless as strategic Board Members, bringing their unparalleled expertise and vision to launch a transformative community initiative in Colombia and beyond. This groundbreaking program aims to uplift the music and creative industries, nurture local talent, and bolster the entertainment business by establishing an artist development program, a state-of-the-art music studio in the heart of Cali’s most marginalized communities, and a distribution strategy to connect local artists with international markets and fans.

Jamal “Mally” Brandon, a seasoned Music Executive and Serial Entrepreneur, brings over a decade of experience in executive production, record production, deal negotiation, music video curation, artist management, and A&R. Known for his mantra of “connecting Creatives as a Creative,” Brandon’s career spans producing records like Fabolous’ “Lituation” to amassing over 1 billion YouTube views as a partner in Shot Selection Media, a venture specializing in targeted digital marketing and social media viewership. His journey from a former artist and record producer to a media mogul reflects his deep understanding of artistry and business. Through his work with MSLM DONS, Brandon promotes peace, discipline, and purpose among Black youth, using Islam as a guiding force to foster brotherhood and empowerment. His commitment to bridging the African American diaspora with Africa through tourism, citizenship, and investment aligns seamlessly with the Council’s mission to foster collaboration and advance Black communities globally in finance, education, and quality of life.

Joining Brandon is Steven “Steve-O” Carless, a renowned record executive, talent manager, tech advisor, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. Carless is celebrated for his work with global icons like Beyoncé, Polo G, and Nipsey Hussle, earning two Grammy Awards in 2020 for “Racks in the Middle” featuring Roddy Ricch and “Higher” with DJ Khaled. As a co-founder of The Defiant Foundation, Carless champions mentorship, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship to address wealth disparities in underserved communities. His leadership roles, including President of A&R at Warner Records and co-founder of the Republic Records Action Committee, underscore his dedication to systemic change in the music industry.

Through his company The Dream Company, Brandon is spearheading the Pan-African Council’s initiative in Cali, Colombia, creating a vibrant ecosystem for local artists. The artist development program will provide mentorship and training, the music studio will offer a professional space for creation, and the distribution strategy will amplify Colombian talent on the global stage. This initiative reflects the Council’s commitment to empowering marginalized communities and expanding our global footprint through cultural and economic collaboration.

We are thrilled to have Jamal “Mally” Brandon and Steve-O Carless on board, leveraging their expertise to drive impact and opportunity for Colombia’s creative communities. Join us in celebrating this milestone as we work to uplift local talent and connect the African diaspora through the universal language of music.

 

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BRAZZAVILLE, THE REPUBLIC OF CONGO  —

The Council provided support for Colombia’s cultural mission to Brazzaville to strengthen diplomatic and cultural ties with the Republic of Congo. Personnel from the Embassy of Colombia in Kenya traveled to Brazzaville with the aim of positioning Colombia’s foreign policy work in Africa.

Pan-African Council representatives Mr Godfre Bayalama and Mr Rudy Massamba, two Congolese natives resident in the USA, prepared a strategic proposal to facilitate the Colombian delegation’s visit to the Republic of Congo from April 27 to May 7, 2023.

The proposed itinerary aimed to help Colombian dignitaries from the Embassy of Colombia in Kenya build and foster relationships with essential Congolese cultural, political, and environmental actors. Historically, Congo has been one of Africa’s most prominent cultural and creative hubs. Its capital Brazzaville witnessed the birth of Congolese Rumba – a soulful African sound heavily influenced by Cuban Son that took over the continent and later influenced Colombian Champeta music.

The visit to Brazzaville was in the context of the Maloba Theater, Dance and Circus Festival; an international cultural exchange event where storytellers from all over the world, equipped with their words (theatre), their bodies (dance) and their imagination (circus) speak about the current world.

The festival aims to establish cultural links and propose dialogues between the artistic traditions of the Congolese and foreigners within dynamic structures of exchange and creativity. The Afro-Colombian artistic dance group Sankofa Danzafro, which has become a catalyst for relations between Colombia in Africa, participated in the festival as part of Colombia’s broad cultural agenda for engagement with the African continent. Colombia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs highlighted the meeting and agenda set forth by PAC Representative Rudy Oba Apounou Massamba.

Abbreviated Biographies

Rudy Oba Apounou Massamba is a democracy assistance expert with an extensive track record in empowering grassroots civil society organizations and movements. He worked for close to a decade at the National Endowment for Democracy, where he spearheaded grant-making strategy and managed grants programs for nine countries spread across West, Central, and Southern Africa. Rudy launched his international development career at the National Democratic Institute (NDI). He holds a B.A. in Political Science from Binghamton University, and a M.S. in International Affairs from
Florida State University. A proponent of South-South cooperation, Rudy is fluent in French and possesses advanced Portuguese language skills.

Godfre Bayalama is a New York-based public servant and political operative. He serves as Chief of Staff for New York State Senator Zellnor Y. Myrie, a democrat, and fierce advocate for strengthening democracy, improving New York’s criminal legal systems, and holding gun manufacturers accountable for the scourge of gun violence. As a senior advisor to the Senator, Godfre oversaw the passage of the landmark John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act, the strongest voting rights law in the United States. Godfre worked in senior roles as a political operative for several campaigns for local, state, and federal offices. Most notably, in 2021, as Campaign manager, he helped elect Crystal Hudson as one of the first out-gay Black women to the New York City Council. Godfre is a native of the Republic of Congo who has lived in Africa, Europe, and the Americas. He is fluent in Kikongo, French, English, Italian, and Lingala. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Philosophy from New York University. Godfre is passionate about soccer, Congolese Rumba, and video games outside of work.

Mystro & ChocQuibTown’s debut single 
‘Maria’ ushers in a new era of globally-united African music
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LAGOS, NIGERIA — In the wake of the global movement for Black lives, there has been a resounding call for unity amongst people of African origin around the world. Mystro & ChocQuibTown’s debut single ‘Maria’ reimagines this unity in the form of an unprecedented collaboration that brings together the creative imagination of Africans and the Diaspora.

The song’s production genius and co-lyriscist, Mystro, is a multi-talented instrumentalist, singer, performer, songwriter and producer managed by Sounding Cymbals, LLC. Born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria; his sojourn in the music industry began in 2004 when he began producing underground for a long list of artists. “I’m always ready to seek out new creative collaborations that bridge and advance the art form” says Mystro, who is responsible for producing numerous Nigerian hit songs alongside songs of his own. His production catalogue includes the industry’s top-charting Afrobeats musical talent: Tiwa Savage, Yemi Alade, Iyanya, Orezi, Ayo Jay, KCee, Harrysong, Waje’s ‘Ave Maria’ and ‘Silent Night’ covers, Iyanya’s ‘Heartbeat’ and ‘Type of woman’, among others. Most recently, Mystro showcased his exceptional talent writing and producing on Tiwa Savage’s new album ‘Celia’ and was mix engineer for her appearance on the The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.

The single stars ChocQuibTown, the Spanish-speaking Afro-Colombian trio and musical powerhouse that isn’t afraid to express their cultural heritage. The 2-time Latin Grammy-winning and Grammy-nominated group has become one of the leading voices for Colombia’s historically marginalized and overlooked Afro-Colombian community. As one of the country’s most innovative and versatile musical groups, fusing elements of traditional Colombian genres with Hip-Hop, Salsa, Latin Jazz, and Afro-Latin rhythms, the group has fearlessly ventured into the world of afrobeats.

“The moment I heard Mystro’s tracks, I felt afrobeats in my soul,” says Goyo, the group’s lead singer, “this is a musical style that has absolutely no language barriers, from Nigerian pidgin, to English, Spanish and Yoruba, it’s all about pure vibes and culture.”

Tostao, the band’s rapping sensation, voiced that “afrobeats are a natural fit for people throughout Latin America, our music is rooted in the rhythms and sounds that our enslaved ancestors brought with them to these shores, and it’s time for Africa to know that we, the children of Africa, exist in Colombia!”

The magical collaboration between Nigeria and Colombia was incubated by the Pan-African Council, a global strategic development organisation dedicated to uniting Africa and her Diaspora. The song’s music video, produced by E.G.A.C. Films and Replay Production, is a stunning celebration of Black beauty, unity and culture around the globe. With a colorful Afro-Latin and Nigerian casting in its entirety, the artists managed to blend a vibrant confluence of iconic dance steps with a romantically playful melody. The visual delivery is sure to captivate all of its fans.

The song will be released on an EP entitled “AfriKIN Beats” with 7 tracks that speak to the zeitgeist of this Pan-African moment and it is bound to top the charts. Maria is now available worldwide on all platforms with its not-to-be-missed music video launching November 30th, 2020.

A virtual forum on leveraging African cultural heritage as a strategy for integration and regional development

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QUIBDO, CHOCO, REPUBLIC OF COLOMBIA — On Thursday, September 17, 2020 the Pan-African Council alongside the Government of Choco, Colombia is co-organising a virtual forum entitled “Cultural Heritage as a Strategy for Integration and Regional Development”.

The Chocó Department is a region of Colombia known for its overwhelming Afro-Colombian population, nearing 90% of the total population. Located in the west of the country, it is the only Colombian department to have coastlines on both the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. The Fiestas de San Pacho (The St. Francis of Assisi Festival) is held annual in the department’s capital Quibdó, which consist of sixteen days of barrio-based parades and religious observations, with other activities that begin a month earlier. These celebrations have served as an affirmation of community and a claim to belonging and ownership of African heritage, as a form of cultural resistance.

This virtual forum will be carried out with the objective of commemorating Heritage Month in the Department of Choco, Colombia, where local, national and international speakers will be invited to address the issue of cultural heritage as a regional integration and development strategy. Special guests will discuss ways in which culture can be used a catalyst for development and the lessons that can be learned from a global perspective that involves the experiences of people of African descent in the United States and Brazil. This forum is geared towards artists, creators, cultural managers, members of the area, culture and heritage councils, municipal cultural coordinators and secretaries, and the general public.

The event, held in Spanish, is free and open to the public. For more information, click here.

PAC Ambassador Idahosa Ness shares his thoughts on transforming thinking and behavior in order to fully engage with life and reignite a sense of feeling alive.

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Been low in spirits for the past week and half.

Whenever I feel low in spirit, I never use the words “depression” or “depressed.” Depression is a term of pathology, which means we will subconsciously connect “depression” with “illness.” This is a dangerous connection, because we usually link “the presence of illness” with “the need for medication.” In other words, the same way the presence of a bacterial Infection implies the need for “anti-bacterial” medication, the presence of a “depression” somewhat implies the need for anti-depressant medication.

To be clear, I’m not saying there is NEVER a need for anti-depressants. From what I understand, anti-depressants can do miracles for a lot of people. What I’m saying is there ought to be a semantic distinction between conditions that are ONLY improved through medication, and conditions that can be improved with changes in thinking and behavior.

Instead of thinking “I’m depressed,” I like to think that “I’m switched off”.

Soon as I conceptualize it this way, two questions arise in my mind:

1. How exactly did I end up switched off?
2. What can I do to switch back on?

I’ve come to identify “4 senses of spirit” to check on when I’m feeling switched off.

• Vitality
• Integrity
• Purpose
• Engagement

With pen and paper, I’ll sit down and ask myself a series of questions for each sense:

VITALITY

If I neglect the needs of my body, I’ll seep energy and feel languid. So first questions I ask are:

1. What have I been eating?
2. How have I been sleeping?
3. How much have I been moving?
4. How much have I been indulging in vice?

To switch back on, I need to eat, sleep and move properly.

INTEGRITY

If I neglect to do what I know is the right thing to do, my Conscience will contaminate my mind with shame, and my ego will generate resentments and rationalizations to conceal that shame.

To check my sense of integrity, I ask these questions:

1. What actions am I avoiding?
2. What conversations am I avoiding?
3. Which of my recent actions/words am I ashamed of?

To switch back on, I need to consult my resentment, confront my ego, get back on top of my commitments, speak the truth, and take responsibility for my wrongdoings. (easy right? *smile*)

PURPOSE

For me, it’s not enough to just live healthy and honestly, I need to have a meaningful goal to move towards, otherwise I become disillusioned or disoriented, and this causes anxiety.

So to check my sense of purpose, I ask these questions:

1. Do I have clear goals for the long-term, mid-term and short-term?
2. How confident am I that I’ll be able to achieve these goals?
3. When was the last time I saw myself making meaningful progress towards these goals?

To switch back on, I need to make peace with my setbacks, chart out an updated path forward, and start going after small wins to slowly build momentum.

ENGAGEMENT

Ultimately, all of this boils down to moment-to-moment existence. If I spend all day distracting myself with mindless Youtube videos and web surfing, I’ll feel terrible for wasting my life.

So to check my sense of engagement, I ask these questions:

1. What have I been doing to distract and disengage myself?
2. When was the last time I entered my “Flow” state? (where I’m feeling fully immersed)?
3. When was the last time I had a deeply meaningful conversation with someone?

To switch back on, I actually need to “hit the switch” and do the things that most immerse me in the moment – this is what it means to enter “Flow” state. What puts you into Flow is largely determined by your personality. Personally, my easiest entry point into Flow is creativity.

That’s why I wrote this essay.

I asked myself the questions above and realized it’s been a long time since I engrossed myself in a creative activity. Writing this essay felt like the most accessible thing to do, so here I am. And now that I’m done, I think I feel a few sparks flying on the ol’ switchboard. Hope you feel something too!

Over the last week, I had the privilege of traveling to the South American nation of Colombia to represent Howard University’s Cathy Hughes School of Communication at the annual Caribbean Studies Association conference in Santa Marta, a resort town situated on the Caribbean coast of that country.

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PAC Ambassador Kellon Bubb recounts his experience in Colombia’s “Chocolate City”, city of Santiago de Cali.

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On my last two days in Colombia, I gladly accepted an invitation by my friend James of who is of Caribbean descent to ‘buss a lime” (hangout) in the city of Cali, Colombia which is one of that country’s Blackest cities. I was excited to take up the invitation as I wanted to satisfy my curiosity about the side of Colombia seldom seen by foreigners, who tend to traverse the touristy cocoons of its major cities and resort towns on the Caribbean and Pacific coasts. The two-hour journey to Cali by plane highlighted the vast geographical contrasts of Colombia. The tropical and very humid Caribbean coast of Santa Marta gave way to a very mountainous and temperate Andean Bogota, and a sub-tropical, Pacific region of Cali — replete with expansive valleys, and broad rivers which meandered through this densely populated city. After checking into my hotel and exchanging a few pleasantries with my friend, we ventured into the neighborhood of Agua Blanca on the Northeast edge of the city. Cali is 70 percent Black, but one would never know that to be the case because as a gringo visiting the town, you tend to stay in the Central district where the minority White population live in their luxurious high-rises with other trappings of wealth synonymous with any Western city. Dog walkers, joggers, five-star hotels, fancy nightclubs — the full complement.

As we headed North of the central district in my friend’s car, we whisked past several other “nice” neighborhoods: an endless parade of brown and black scaffolding encased new high-rise construction en route; political campaign billboards superimposed the backdrop of the oddly placed traffic lights at every major intersection. The city is currently experiencing a period of rapid economic growth and is on track to become one of the fastest growing cities in Colombia and perhaps in all of Latin America. We suddenly made a right turn and came upon Distrito Agua Blanca, the location that I really wanted to experience on my trip. In this chocolate side of town, elegant high-rises and heavy construction were conspicuously absent. Well- paved roads degenerated into a veritable sea of potholes with crater-like formations at every turn. The region has also been experiencing unusually heavy rains over the last month. The rainy season usually ends in April, and for many locals, this might be attributable to climate change. The red-bricked houses that lines the unpaved streets and dingy alleyways were covered with hastily constructed galvanized roofs, and others with sheets of ply board and the occasional blue- colored tarpaulin. As we dodged potholes, my friend explained that each section of Agua Blanca has its nicknames, Haiti and Africa. If you lived in either of these areas, you stayed put and would never interact with persons from the other sections. As an outsider, daring to venture beyond the main street onto the unpaved alleyways would be doing so at your own risk.

These neighborhoods in Agua Blanca has the dubious reputation having some of the highest murder rates in Cali. The-intrepid reporter and scholar in me was all too eager to take photos of the Cali “hood” but was quickly cautioned to keep my phone out of sight, as drive-by robberies by gunpoint on scooters were a common occurrence. Our almost 40-minute journey ended when we came upon a Black-owned hair salon run by one of the only natural hair stylists in this part of town. The owner is also a friend of James, and she specializes in doing Black hairstyles. The stylist, Mariela, greeted me euphuistically with a tight hug and immediately began to inquire about my dreads. As the conversation continued, I quickly learned that there is a growing interest by Black Colombians to fully embrace their Black identity by sporting natural hair and dreadlocks, and listening to Soca, Afrobeats and Dancehall music. This new stream of consciousness is happening against the backdrop of a Colombian media landscape where the only Black faces emblazoned on television are those of Black football players and the modern day minstrel character Soldado Micolta whose role was only removed after a recent protest by Afro-Colombian civil society. The figures on the popular telenovelas and news broadcasts are all lighter-skinned Colombians who reflect the country’s Eurocentric past more than its current racially diverse makeup.

Unlike the wealthier district where I was greeted with bemused looks for occupying spaces seldom frequented by local Blacks, the people at the salon and the nearby barber shop were all too happy to interact with a brother who proudly sported dreadlocks. The stylist was also curious about the types of oils, scalp treatments, and styling patterns that are in vogue in Black salons in the United States. I was all too happy to share my knowledge. The hair conversation for me represented a moment of pride and solidarity between two displaced Africans in the diaspora, whose ancestors were violently shepherded to different geographical regions to work as slaves for a racist, patriarchal enterprise whose legacy continues to haunt people of color across the African diaspora in 2019.

As with other Black communities the African diaspora, systematic neglect gave way to the presence of “ghettoes” and “shanty’s” in this part of Cali. Cali’s status as a majority Black city is also not reflected in its political and economic structure. In spite of these challenges, Mariela and others on her block have inculcated a spirit of entrepreneurship by starting small businesses. They have also gotten involved in the growing Afro-Colombian nonprofit group AfroEstilo which allows this marginalized population to tell their own stories, share experiences and celebrate their culture in a way that was not done in the past through traditional Colombian media. This new Black renaissance in Colombia mirrors similar movements in Bahia Brazil, Panama, and Honduras where African descendants are becoming more aware of their culture.

As we left Agua Blanca, I reflected on the shared history of Africans in the diaspora. Income inequality, structural racism, colorism, police and gang violence, and a plethora of other socioeconomic issues continue to define the collective trauma that may not go away in my lifetime. In spite of these realities, I still hold fast to Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream for post-colonial Western societies to truly reflect their democratic ideals. Black Colombia still has a long way to go, but they’re slowly but surely getting there. The new Black awakening currently taking place in Colombia presents opportunities for greater and more meaningful collaboration between all people of color in the Western hemisphere. It is important that we see ourselves as our brother and sisters keepers, as our struggles are all identical.

The Pan-African Council and its Colombian media chapter AfroEstilo assisted and facilitated interviews for @symeonbrown of @channel4news in the filming of this very important piece of African history in South America on #afrocolombians.

In his own words:

Filming this was emotional as a descendent of slavery. Today there are more black people of African heritage in Latin America than there is in 51/54 countries in Africa. This means if the black Latinx community repatriated to Africa they’d make the 4th most populated black African country.

Despite more enslaved Africans being taken to South America than anywhere else, the conversation on racial equality has been dominated by north American and to a lesser extent Western European voices.

This piece engages with black face, the complexities of African identity amongst Colombia’s 5M African descendants, the legacy of the slave trade and the new activists risking their lives in a country where indigenous and African activists have been readily murdered.

– Symeon Brown

The Pan-African Council summoned PAC Ambassador Chevy Eugene of St. Lucia as its invited delegate to the African Union Commission Diaspora Minerals Forum held at the Radisson Admiral Hotel in Toronto, Canada.

The Forum featured distinguished speakers and panelists from the African Union, the governments of Ethiopia, Uganda, and Central Africa who emphasized the need for greater Diaspora participation in the mining sector.

The Cross River State Carnival Commission formally invited the Pan-African Council to participate in the 2018 International Carnival Calabar and Festivals.

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It is with great enthusiasm and honour that the Pan-African Council accepts the gracious invitation from His Excellency, Senator. (Prof) Ben Ayade. to the 2018 International Carnival Calabar & Festivals.

As a leading professional leadership organization focused Diaspora empowerment, the Council is dedicated to fostering closer cooperation and solidarity among Africans and people of African descent throughout the world by advancing resilient political, economic, social and cultural development.

In support of this year’s theme of “Africanism”, PAC is pleased to bring our team consisting of our media producer and the award-winning Afro-Colombian dance ensemble “Pioneers of Rhythm”, who are both the current and past global champions in the category of salsa dancing.