LAUSR

ABSTRACT As public spaces become arenas to display cultural memories, Afrodescendants in South Asia become more visible. Emerging local histories further complement the trajectories of Africans and facilitate recognition of Afrodescendants. This paper explores the connections of Africa and Asia through a genre of music and dance called kaffrinha which enriched the colonial Sri Lankan musicscape and continues in the postcolonial period. Song texts, music scores, dance movements and paintings enhance the dynamics of kaffrinha and signify the African contribution to the Sri Lankan cultural and social life and plays out the political and economic significance of Africans in the country. Narratives on kaffrinha enrich our understanding of cultural heritage.