It was a classic Afropop weekend in New York. On Friday night at SOB's, a young Ethiopian diva--Gigi--gave her first performance since the release of her ground-breaking debut on Palm Pictures. Sean Barlow and I arrived straight from a spirited set of Congo music at the Lion's Den in the West Village, where local Congolese guitarist Dominic Kanza was leading a benefit concert to raise money for ailing guitar great Papa Noel.

On Saturday, King Stephen Osita Osadebe and his highlife band from Nigeria played in the Bronx, probably for a hall packed with Nigerians, although we missed that one. On Sunday night, Susana Baca of Peru settled into a brilliant set of new songs at the Mercury Lounge, over in the East Village. Just arrived in town, Baca had come with a small band to rehearse with guitarist Mark Ribot and keyboard man John Medeski, and to record a live album before small audiences over the course of this week. Based on what we heard, it promised to be her best recording ever. On Monday night, Tarika--the musicians who showed Afropoppers the time of their lives in Madagascar last spring--put on a fantastic show at B.B. King's nightclub in mid-town, and we enjoyed a sweet reunion with listeners, supporters and musical friends. Sean and I made our way back to Brooklyn that night with a familiar sense of richness: the richness of African diaspora music we live and breathe, of New York's inviting, open spirit, and of the work we are so privileged to do with Afropop Worldwide.

Then on Tuesday morning, the world changed. We stood on Sean's roof and watched the iconic twin towers of lower Manhattan be erased from the skyline amid a hue of vengeful, poisonous smoke. We knew we were witnessing the creation of an awful monument to negativity, hatred and irrationality, a monument we will now live with for a very long time.

This Thursday, Afropop was scheduled to present Egyptian shaabi star Hakim and Palestinian oud and violin virtuoso Simon Shaheen at the public radio conference in Baltimore. Reeling to comprehend the enormity of events, we began with the immediate. Would people in the public radio community be able to open their hearts to these fabulous musicians, free of the ugly political baggage so unfairly piled on by Tuesday's outrages? That question would not be answered, as the conference was cancelled. But a larger question remains: will America continue its fragile process of opening its heart to once-neglected music cultures? Or will September 11 signal a time of retrenchment and withdrawal?

We at Afropop Worldwide have a deep belief in the power of music--especially the direct experience of music--to bring about healing, catharsis, and profound affinity and understanding between cultures that seem at first glance to share little. Our programs, website, events, writings, and travels all support this vision. Though each project is but a small step on a long road, we have always believed that even small steps are worth taking. This is worthwhile work in good times. In bad times, it is still more important.

As New York and America pick up the pieces, and as we all try to refocus our minds on the work at hand, Afropop Worldwide understands that the job just got harder, and that the stakes are now higher than ever. We cannot be defeated by nihilism, violence and anger. We hope that everyone in our community will join us in a redoubled effort to continue the struggle to expose and support the musical arts of the African diaspora, to keep our projects alive, to bring back magical New York weekends like the one that just passed, and to bring weekends like them to cities and towns all over America, even if it is a changed America.

Banning Eyre