The Museum of Latin American Art is excited to once again invite you to celebrate the Afro-Latinx Festival onsite at MOLAA on Sunday, February 26, 2023!

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MOLAA’s Afro-Latinx Festival celebrates the cultural diversity of the Americas and the African influence in Latin America! MOLAA’s Afro-Latinx Festival highlights the importance of African legacy in Latin America through food, art workshops, live performances, Afro-Latinx owned businesses, and a live DJ performance. Stay tuned for more details by subscribing to our newsletter.

#AfroLatinxMOLAA

Program Snapshot

11:00 AM Opening Remarks & DJ Irving Keys

11:15 AM Contra Mestre Corpo Fechado with CDFC Capoeira

12:00PM Nadia Calmet Afro Peruvian Experience Dance Co.

1:00 PM Mayor Rex Richardson, City of Long Beach

1:05 PM Councilwoman Mary Zendejas, District 1, City of Long Beach

1:30PM N/FLUX Living Canvas Performance with Artist Jose Angel Castro and Principal Dancer Sean Simon

2:30 PM GAHFU: Garifuna American Heritage Foundation United

3:30 PM Journey through Cuba with Kati Hernandez 

5:00 PM Festival Closing Remarks

F.A.Q.s

We are excited to welcome you to our 2023 Afro Latinx Festival on Sunday, February 26th!

Important to note the following:

The event is FREE to attend. Reservations are not required. Walk-ins are welcome.

Parking at MOLAA will be $15.00 per car on this day (Cash or Credit Card payment accepted).

Backpacks and large bags are NOT allowed in the museum; please leave oversized items at home or in your vehicle (Limited small lockers available).

Bike rack space available (limited); Skateboards, scooters, and roller skates are NOT allowed in the Museum and storage is NOT available.

If you have any questions, please call us at 562-437-1689 or email info@molaa.org

On the main stage

Contra Mestre Corpo Fechado

Nadia Calmet Afro Peruvian Experience Dance Co.

Garifuna American Heritage Foundation United

Kati Hernandez - Cuban Dance

11:15 AM - Contra Mestre Corpo Fechado with CDFC Capoeira

Capoeria is an important and historically rich Afro-Brazilian martial art and performance that combines martial arts, dance, music and acrobatics. Led by Mestre Corpo Fechado, the CDFC Capoeria Group will demonstrate the components of a “Roda,” or circle. Through watching a game in the roda, anyone can bear witness to how rich capoeira is in both the traditional and the social aspects.

12:00 PM - Nadia Calmet Afro Peruvian Experience Dance Co.

Nadia Calmet is a professional Peruvian Folk dancer, Artivist, actress, choreographer, and cultural educator with more than 20 years of experience. She has multiple degrees and certifications in areas including Art Therapy, Intercultural Education, Child Development and Community Artist.

Nadia is the Director of The Afro- Peruvian Experience Dance Company, where her visions is to share and promote the cultural diversity of Peru and make visible the valuable contribution of Afro-descendants to cultures around the world, emphasizing traditional Peruvian instruments such as The Cajita, The Donkey Jaw and The Cajon.

2:30 PM - GAHFU: Garifuna American Heritage Foundation United

Composed of Garifuna men and women born in Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and the United States. The traditional drummers are made up of Primera, Segunda, and Tercera drums, maracas, turtle shells, and Conch. They were formed out of the ranks of the Garifuna American Heritage Foundation United’s (GAHFU) Garifuna Language & Culture Academy of Los Angeles. This group of Garifuna artists have evolved under the leadership of Cheryl L. Noralez, President and Founder of GAHFU. They perform a variety of genres among the most popular: Punta, Paranda, Wanaragua, Hüngühüngü, and Gunchei.

3:30 PM - Journey through Cuba with Kati Hernandez

A native of Cuba, Kati Hernández, grew up surrounded by the sounds of the drum and Afro-Cuban dance traditions that shape her as an electrifying choreographer, educator, and dancer. Her knowledge of dance and choreography reveals her intricate and versatile style, making her a highly sought-after performer, nationally and internationally. In Los Angeles, she is a central figure in a large dance community where she co-founded Kimbambula Production and created her own Kimbambula Cuban dance and Music Ensemble. Hernández is founder of a pioneering online dance, and music program that preserves and promotes Cuban culture worldwide to create vibrant cross-cultural communities.

Founded in 2017 by Cuban choreographer and educator Kati Hernandez, Kimbambula Cuban Dance & Music Ensemble is a Los Angeles-based dance and music company that preserves and promotes Cuban culture blending authentic traditions and forms with modern-day themes and representations. They aim to showcase the richness of Cuban culture through the intertwined relationship of dance and music, and uphold the deep traditions of Afro-Cuban heritage. Educating and uplifting communities through arts. The ensemble’s repertoire combines the magic and flavor of Cuban rumba, Oricha dances, Afro-Cuban Jazz and the graceful dance and sound of traditional Cuban Son, along with the funky groove of Cuban Salsa.

Special Guest artist and Speakers

Jose Angel Castro is an interdisciplinary artist exploring the intersection of a wide array of skills acquired over a lifetime of creativity. His kinetic painting project, N/FLUX, unifies painting, dance, martial arts, fashion, live art performance, photography , and video into a singular, compelling experience. Jose Angel has dedicated his life to artistic expression and studying the depth and breadth of its applications across genres.Born to Garifuna parents who emigrated from Honduras to the New Orleans, LA in the late 1960’s, Jose Angel uses his deep connections to his ancestral roots to motivate every project he creates. N/FLUX is no exception. This body of work is made with Castro’s ancestors peering over his shoulder and guiding every concept, movement, and piece. N/FLUX is an artistic layer cake that manifests itself as a testament to his ancestral legacy.In early 2015, he foundedThe NowHouse Education Group—an organization dedicated to creating impactful, compelling educational experiences aimed at making life a little better. In 2021, he co-created Go Make Something for the Arts Council For Long Beach and became a Professional Arts fellow for with the same organization as well as lead artist for its follow-up program called Go Make Something Kids!

11:30 AM - 12:00 PM Jose Angel Solo Kinetic Painting Live Demo Performance (Parking Lot E)

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Kinetic Painting Workshop (Parking Lot E)

1:30 PM - 2:30 PM N/FLUX Living Canvas performance with Jose Angel and principal dancer Sean Simon (Main Stage)

Interpret THAT is an interpreter run, American Sign Language Interpreting Service agency, providing professional services throughout Southern California and the West Coast. Communication access and language preferences are at the forefront of our practice as a service agency.

Juried art presentation

MOLAA’s Education team is pleased to host an open call for artworks to be featured in the VIVA Event Center during our 2023 Afro-Latinx Festival! In collaboration with the Arts Council for Long Beach and the African American Cultural Center of Long Beach, MOLAA will select works of art to represent the talent, traditions, and vibrancy of the Afro-Latinx community. Artworks will be on display February 25 through March 3. To submit your work for consideration, please use the following link above.