Come celebrate Peruvian Independence Days with a lecture and performance on Afro Peruvian culture and the spiritual tradition of the Atajo de Negritos. Milena Carranza will share her photographic work and  Gabriela Shiroma will speak about Atajo de Negritos and the experience of the Atajo de San Francisco, followed by a music, dance and tap presentation by the Atajo de San Francisco.

‍Milena Carranza, photographer and cultural documentarian, holds multiple degrees in Audiovisual Communications and Art Therapy. Her work has been showcased in various establishments and cultural centers in her home country, Peru, as well as internationally.

‍Gabriela Shiroma (Caporala Primera del Atajo de Negritos de San Francisco) is the Director of De Rompe y Raja Cultural Association, choreographer, producer, dancer, teacher and cultural activist who has been teaching and producing Afro-Peruvian dance and musical events in the Bay Area for over 20 years.

‍De Rompe y Raja Cultural Association was founded in 1995 as a cultural organization dedicated to preserving and promoting Afro-Peruvian traditions and culture from the coastal region of Peru, where the music and motifs of indigenous, European, and African peoples intersect.