AfriCaribe is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation, research, promotion and development of the Puerto Rican and Caribbean cultures through music, dance, theatre and other artistic mediums.          AfriCaribe was created in 2000 by Evaristo “Tito” Rodriguez in an effort create an organization in Chicago that would have the unique intent of celebrating the African influence in Puerto Rico and other countries of the Caribbean. His vision came to fruition in the form of an umbrella organization that provides educational and cultural programming through four main programs. These are the academy through which professional dancers and musicians teach traditional drumming and dance of several Puerto Rican Bomba rythyms; the performance ensemble that prepares and presents various styles of folk music from Puerto Rico and the Caribbean through song, dance, drums and other percussive instruments; the production company which will be responsible for annual events including folklore conferences; and the education department that will provide workshops and lectures by members of the organization and other invited professionals.           Culture is the soul of a group of people. Characteristics such as traditions, language, literature, theatre, music, dance and art help define a cultural group. These are developed over time throughthe experience of adaptation, creation and survival. Thus, culture becomes both that which is past and that which is practiced. In this process, culture evolves using the past as a foundation. AfriCaribe is a group of people whose main goal is to acknowledge the offerings of the past by fusing them with original ideas thereby contributing to an evolving culture. By exploring the past, this group will use history to develop a space in which people in struggle for cultural survival can preserve, create and develop traditions. This philosophy will be carried out with respect to the contributions of our ancestors, will adhere to the integrity of tradition and will be committed to creativity and self-expression. AfriCaribe seeks to accomplish its mission by developing a performance ensemble that will utilize dance, music, theatre and other artistic mediums to celebrate cultural traditions. Although it will reflect the influence of other ethnic and cultural groups, AfriCaribe’s primary focus will be on the presence of African cultures in the Caribbean.Components of AfriCaribe allow us to complete our mission as "a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the preservation, research, promotion and development of the Puerto Rican and Caribbean cultures through music, dance, theatre, and other artistic medium."