The story of marimba is closely intertwined with rebel slaves, known as maroons, who made the region their home from the early 16th century onward, and in 2015, UNESCO declared the marimba music of South Pacific Colombia and Esmeraldas Province, Ecuador to be Intangible Cultural Heritage.

At this free A Page in History talk, Winona State University professor Juandrea Bates will provide a historical context for the development of Afro-Latino music, including the different experiences of Afro-Latinos in slavery, plantation work, gold mining, and maroon communities. Dr. Bates will also trace how people of African descent used music and musical traditions to resist the dehumanizing experiences of slavery and, in the process, created a number of fascinating musical traditions like those audiences will hear when they see Rio Mira.