About AKINLANA
Akinlana is a Pittsburgh native who grew up immersed in the arts. At the age of eight, Akin started practicing Capoeira Angola in a Pittsburgh Capoeira school called the Nego Gato Foundation under Mestre (master) Nego Gato and his local instructor Justin Laing. By the age of fourteen, he became a teen instructor for the Nego Gato Foundation. Throughout the years, Akin has taught Capoeira in Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, and Ohio. In 2018, Akinlana started the Capoeira Association of Pittsburgh and established the LLC in 2020. He has taught classes at Legacy Arts Project, Pittsburgh Public Schools, HDAT, Boys and Girls Club, University of Pittsburgh, CMU and neighborhood community centers. Akin is also a diverse visual artist with a B.F.A. in Animation from Savannah College of Art and Design. Since graduating from SCAD, Akin has continued to create art, do freelance work and has illustrated a published children's book. He is also a teaching artist in the Pittsburgh area since 2018, working with various organizations such as Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Project Art, Legacy Arts Project and more. Akin also teaches visual arts through his business Capoeira Association of Pittsburgh and offers arts classes throughout the year and Summer Intensives throughout the summer to grow young artists.
Amongst his many talents is music. Akin is also a master drummer who grew up with music and dance as a part of his everyday life. He learned how to play the Conga, Shekere, Djembe, other percussion instruments and different cultural forms of singing by watching and learning from many of the drummers and singers at the different dance classes, community events and ceremonies he attended. He joined Dromatala in 2001, ACDT (African Caribbean Dance Theatre) in 2002, and ADARC (African Diaspora Arts and Research Collective) also in 2002. In 2004, he joined Ballet Abaraka and the Royal Ethiopian Community in Savannah, GA. In 2011 Akinlana started TutuOla Cultural Performance Collective, which lasted until 2013. The group performed mainly around Florida, taught workshops and recorded an album. From 2013-2015 Akinlana joined the group Latin Soul as a conga player/percussionist. Some of the styles of music that Akinlana plays include: Rumba, Afro-Cuban Orisha music, West African Djembe orchestra music, Capoeira music, Brazilian Samba, Salsa, Merengue, Bachata and fusion. Akin relocated to Pittsburgh in 2017 where he started the Capoeira Association of Pittsburgh in 2018. Akinlana continues to teach and perform in the community, in schools and more to this day.
Amongst his many talents is music. Akin is also a master drummer who grew up with music and dance as a part of his everyday life. He learned how to play the Conga, Shekere, Djembe, other percussion instruments and different cultural forms of singing by watching and learning from many of the drummers and singers at the different dance classes, community events and ceremonies he attended. He joined Dromatala in 2001, ACDT (African Caribbean Dance Theatre) in 2002, and ADARC (African Diaspora Arts and Research Collective) also in 2002. In 2004, he joined Ballet Abaraka and the Royal Ethiopian Community in Savannah, GA. In 2011 Akinlana started TutuOla Cultural Performance Collective, which lasted until 2013. The group performed mainly around Florida, taught workshops and recorded an album. From 2013-2015 Akinlana joined the group Latin Soul as a conga player/percussionist. Some of the styles of music that Akinlana plays include: Rumba, Afro-Cuban Orisha music, West African Djembe orchestra music, Capoeira music, Brazilian Samba, Salsa, Merengue, Bachata and fusion. Akin relocated to Pittsburgh in 2017 where he started the Capoeira Association of Pittsburgh in 2018. Akinlana continues to teach and perform in the community, in schools and more to this day.
Photo Gallery of Akinlana in Action
Capoeira Association of Pittsburgh
For workshop, graphic designs or performance requests, please contact Sakinah Shaahid-Lowman at
412-608-2323 or [email protected]