UPDATE (July 11): Pamela Badila has announced a celebration of Elombe's life and work will be held Sat., July 14 in Hudson. People are urged to gather in Seventh Street Park beginning at 7 6:30 p.m. The group will later proceed down Warren St. to Promenade Park, to celebrate the sunset and honor Elombe's life with words and music. Everyone is invited to bring a drum and join the circle.

Elombe Badila, patriarch of the Badila family of Hudson, passed away the morning of Tue., July 10, after struggling with a severe case of pneumonia which led to complications of the heart and liver. Elombe, or Andre as he was also known, is second to left in the video above of the Diata Diata International Folkloric Theatre, the music and art organization the Badila family founded. The video was published on YouTube May 1. He is survived by his wife Pamela Badila, who is on the WGXC Radio Council on one of the seat's elected by WGXC membership. Click here to listen to an entire (23:48) Diata Diata recording made by WGXC in 2009 at the Cannonball Factory.
PLAY EXCERPT 1:21