The final way in which I was able to integrate into my new Cordobés community was by participating in Odara Sound Sisters, an all-female drumming group. This group identified as playing batucada, which is an African-influenced Brazilian type of percussion music. We would gather on Tuesday evenings from 8-10pm to drum together. This was a totally new type of music for me (I grew up playing violin and singing in choir). The group also had a focus on feminism and the majority of the women who participated in the group worked as social workers or supported their communities in some way through their work. The people that I met through this group exposed me to the strong feminist, anti-machismo movement in Córdoba; by connecting through music, allowed me insight into the minds and spirits of a strong-minded group of local women.
When I look back at the process of becoming part of a new community here in Cordoba, I can see that art and culture played a huge role in making me feel at home.
