The roots of rock 'n' roll can be found in the gyrations of the Godfather of Soul, but even James Brown had to look over his shoulder for inspiration from the vast landscape that is Africa.

		'Afrika Shout!' Where: Afrika Yetu's Wacongo Dance Company and Pittsburgh High School for the Creative and Performing Arts at the CAPA auditorium, Downtown. When: 7:30 tonight and Saturday night. Tickets: $5-$15; 412-394-3353 or visit www.proartstickets.org.

Add Eminem, Puff Daddy, Al Green and Dizzy Gillespie -- from gospel to jazz, rock to hip-hop, reggae to rap. Virtually nothing in pop music and dance has been left untouched by Africa's influence.

It's a connection that spans generations, one that Elie Kihonia hopes to capture with "Afrika Shout!," a collaborative performance this weekend between members of Wacongo Dance Company, the performing wing of umbrella organization Afrika Yetu, and 40 students from Pittsburgh High School for the Creative and Performing Arts.

Designed for a family audience, Kihonia wanted to use "Afrika Shout!" to create a dialogue between parents and their children as part of Black History Month. Beginning last October with a series of workshops, he immediately set a tone that Africa contains "a culture for everyone, both black and white students."

They began by studying the continent of Africa, before moving on to the beat, understandably its rhythmic core. The rhythm turned into movement, from the agile, airborne steps of Djembe in the west, to the crouched acrobatics of Libanda in central Africa, the boot-stomping Gumboot dances in the southern mines, belly-dancing in the north and the jumping and intricate footwork of the Masai in the east.

The students learned the costumes worn by African people can be compared to American styles, as contemporary as Calvin Klein clothes and MAC makeup. Africans, in the name of beauty, adorn their faces with powder from the earth and extend their earlobes through piercing.

Everything the students learned will be condensed into a journey during "Afrika Shout!," where the students will learn and perform the music and dance on stage.

Then they'll spark the connection. The Libanda will become breakdancing. Gumshoe will become tap. And parents and their children will have the fuel to "create conversation and a sense of understanding," says Kihonia. "Whether the modern, old or ancient school -- it's all the same."