The Museum of Latin American Art is excited to invite you once again to celebrate the rich culture, music, and art of the Afro-Latinx community! Join us for our FREE family festival, located onsite at MOLAA on Sunday, February 16, 2025!
MOLAA’s Afro-Latinx Festival and educational series 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 #EducationwithMOLAA #LearnwithMOLAA #Garifuna #MuseumEd
Main Stage Show
(MOLAA’s Gumbiner Sculpture Garden)
11:00am – 5:00pm – DJ iLL MECA [ALL DAY]
Group 1: EnamorArte Arts & Dance
Set Time(s): 12:00 to 12:15, 12:30pm to 1:00pm, 3:30pm to 3:45pm
Group 2: Darielle Williams, Drum Aerialist
Set Time(s): 1:00pm to 1:30pm, 4:00pm to 4:10pm
Group 3: Los Cambalache
Set Time(s): 2:00pm – 3:00pm
Group 4: Bloco Obini Queens
Set Time: 4:30pm – 5:00pm
5:00pm Close of Festival
F.A.Q.s
We are excited to welcome you to our 2025 Afro-Latinx Festival on Sunday, February 16th!
Important to note the following:
The event is FREE to attend. Reservations are not required. Walk-ins are welcome.
MOLAA parking will cost $15.00 per car on the 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
MOLAA's 2025 Afro-Latinx Festival!
〰️
MOLAA's 2025 Afro-Latinx Festival! 〰️
Featured Artist: Darielle Williams
Set Times: 1:00pm - 1:30pm, 4:00pm - 4:10pm
Darielle “Diva Dari” Williams, a native of Trinidad and Tobago, is an aerialist, actor, and stuntwoman based in Los Angeles, CA. She holds a BA in Dance from Florida International University and has an extensive background in circus arts, dance, swimming and gymnastics. Williams is recognized for her solo aerialist work in Beyonce's Formation Tour 2016, as a soloist in Taylor Mac’s LA staging of A 24-Decade History of Popular Music, and as a Freedom Festival headlining performer at the Stadium of Fire. She has performed at various award shows, most notably for SZA, Missy Elliot, Jennifer Lopez, and Pitbull. Williams also had a 2-year performance run with Las Vegas' Le Rêve (The Dream) and you can easily spot her on The Little Mermaid Live on Disney Plus. Her stunt work has been featured in many popular TV shows like Mr. and Mrs. Smith, The Cleaning Lady, and NCIS Hawaii, and has appeared in several commercial brands such as Amazon Alexa, Bare Chips, and Good American. An innovative creator, Darielle Williams invented the Aerial Drum©, an afrofuturistic reimagining of the African Djembe drum, as a movement space to explore the beats of the diasporic music derived from this same magical ancestral instrument. She has performed with her aerial drum in several shows including in an all POC cast of The Rainbow is Enuf, a circus-centered performance based on Ntozake Shange’s play For Colored Girls Who Have Ever Considered Suicide/The Rainbow is Enuf. Currently, she operates the Lookout Space where she offers coaching lessons in Pole, Aerial, and Stilts. https://www.dariellewilliams.com
DJ iLLMeca (Angie Fuentez)
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Born and raised in South Los Angeles, DJ iLLMeca is an Afro-Latina who has been immersed in the cultural sounds of Hip Hop, Motown, Soul, Reggae, Soca, as well as Mariachi and various genres of Latin Music from day one. Music was a staple in her family and childhood, she grew up in the 90's when Hip Hop culture was Golden. iLLMeca's lifelong love for music inspired her to begin her DJ journey in 2018. Since then, iLLMeca has rocked dance floors and events throughout the Los Angeles, Long Beach, and San Diego areas. Her vibe, energy, and deep love for music are felt during all of her sets, as you'll often catch her rapping or singing all the lyrics of her favorite songs.
EnamorArte Arts & Dance
Set Time(s): 12:00 - 12:15, 12:30pm - 1:00pm, 3:30pm - 3:45pm
The Spanish word, “enamorarte” means “to fall in love.” At EnamorArte Arts & Dance (EAAD), our mission is exactly that - to fall in love with art by igniting a passion for art and movement in everyone. Founded by Frida Moses, a professional dancer and instructor specializing in Latin dance and fusion styles, EAAD was born from a desire to share the joy and power of artistic expression and creative potential through dance and community building aimed at supporting artists of all levels. At EAAD we spark discovery and cultivate joy while celebrating the diverse cultures that influence us. EAAD’s dance company, The Femme Project, seeks to honor and emphasize the queer aesthetics of femme styling and ladies' styling found in partnered Latin dances to generate a new feminine fusion that is all-encompassing.
Los Cambalache
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Cambalache, meaning exchange, is a Chicano-Jarocho group based in East Los Angeles. Founded in 2007 and led by César Castro (sonero, maestro, and luthier from Veracruz, Mexico), Cambalache plays and promotes traditional son jarocho through performance, music workshops, and educational demonstrations. In the spirit of the fandango, a traditional celebration of music and dance, Cambalache engages its audience through participatory performances. In 2010, Cambalache organized an important fundraiser for victims of Hurricane Karl in Veracruz, thus strengthening decades of social and cultural exchange of the Chicano-Jarocho network. Cambalache’s educational mission involves demonstrations from elementary schools to universities, museums, and music festivals. The music of Cambalache was featured on August 7, 2011 on NPR’s All Things Considered stating, “Son Jarocho has been popular in Los Angeles, going back to the 1950s with Ritchie Valens, then Los Lobos. Today, it’s a part of the regular soundtrack of Latino music in East L.A.”
Bloco Obini
4:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Bloco Obini embodies resilience and empowerment, using the drum not just as an instrument but as a unifying force that heals, educates, uplifts, and serves communities both locally and abroad. Their drumming carries the essence of the Yoruba spirit, "Ayan Agalu," symbolizing the drum’s deep power to bring strength, unity, and healing to individuals and communities alike. This all-women ensemble brings together educators, nurses, activists, dance instructors, mothers, students, and healers, each dedicated to defending and promoting cultural heritage. Bloco Obini celebrates African and Afro-Brazilian traditions with a mission to address societal challenges and raise awareness through art and rhythm. Their performances, rooted in Afro-Brazilian bloco-style drumming, affirm that "we are all royalty" and share a vision of family and solidarity in a fractured world. Their work serves as a compass for the collective conscience, inspiring people of all ages and especially nurturing children’s sense of hope, choice, and empowerment, strengthening the foundation for future generations.
Free Workshops and Artist Demonstrations
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM Lucas Museum of Narrative Art Workshop (Artist Alley)
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM MOLAA + LBUSD Workshop (Artist Alley)
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM Eastside ArtHouse Community Mural (Artist Alley)
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM Pavel Acevedo Screen Printing Workshop (Artist Alley)
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM Long Beach Grand Prix Pace Car (Artist Alley)
Artist Demonstration from Eastside Arthouse!
Andrea Lopez is a multimedia artist who specializes in murals, oil painting and illustration. She believes in embracing her Mexican roots and embodying the changes she wishes to see in the world by creating purposeful art for communities that are affected by a myriad of social issues. You can find her on Instagram @art.by.andrealopez
Michelle Espino is a first-generation Latinx-Chicanx art historian & artist, who’s passion for creativity and uplifting culture derives from her own life’s experiences within the field of art. She currently holds the position of a Curatorial Assistant at the Fullerton Museum Center & works as a preparator, writer, and curator for the Eastside Arthouse. Instagram: @latinxarts.blog
PÁVEL ACEVEDO (Oaxaca.1984) Screen-Printing Workshop
I’m a printmaker, muralist and art educator based Between Los Angeles and Inland Empire. I started as a self taught artist on the Oaxacan coast and my formal education began in Oaxaca City. As a student of Rufino Tamayo studio, I began taking lithography and painting workshops and concluded my studies at the Fine Arts School of Oaxaca City. I emigrated from Oaxaca to Riverside, California where I opened my print studio, Mixtepec. My artwork began to be showcased through the United States, in public and private spaces, through the states of California, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and New York as well as internationally in Mexico, Colombia and Peru.
As an independent art educator, I’ve been a part of community roots education programs with non-profit organizations such as Self-Help Graphics, Plaza de la Raza, and I Learn America. My past art residencies include Self-Help Graphics, KALA Art Institute, Fullerton Community College, Art Share LA, College of the Canyons and Horned Toad Print Shop. As a muralist, I’ve been commissioned to create public art in Los Angeles, Rancho Cucamonga and Riverside.
My artwork is included in the collections at The Cheech Center for Chicano Art and Culture, Riverside Art Museum, Center for the Study of Political Graphics, the Wignall Contemporary Museum, Mexic-Arte, Museum of El Paso, the Huntington Library, and the Thomas J. Watson Library at the MET.
LBUSD Pathways Program and Workshop
In partnership with the Long Beach Unifies School District Pathways Program, MOLAA is proud to host onsite, work-based learning opportunities. This program helps students attain the tools and resources needed for a career in the arts. Assisting with the planning and implementation of the festival this year are High School students, Matimbi Laurent from Lakewood High School & Tomas Leon from Juan Rodriquez Cabrillo High School. #ProudtobeLBUSD
Community Partners
Garifuna Museum of Los Angeles
Long Beach Grand Prix Pace Car
Long Beach Symphony
Liberation Leadership
Long Beach Unified School District
MOLAA Tienda
African American Cultural Center of Long Beach
Arts Council of Long Beach
Lucas Museum of Narrative Art
Eastside ArtHouse
Rancho Los Alamitos
Long Beach Health & Human Services
Sensory Access For Everyone (S.A.F.E) Truck
MOLAA and the City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (Health Department) will host the Sensory Area For Everyone (S.A.F.E.) vehicle, a mobile sensory service that prioritizes the needs of the Disability, Access, and Functional Needs (DAFN) community. This new resource, which is the first of its kind in Long Beach, will serve as a sensory relief room for community members who may seek immediate comfort in high-stress or noisy environments, such as community events or emergency situations. The S.A.F.E. vehicle will offer a range of features designed to provide children, families, and adults with sensory needs a safe, comfortable, and soothing environment to reduce anxiety and recenter.
Gastronomy
MOLAA Bar and Refreshments
LaQuitta “Lala” Robinson is a licensed bartender and skilled mixologist with a passion for crafting exceptional cocktails. Lala is the owner of On Her Tip mixology where she prides herself in having all the ingredients you need to shake up a great event! With 12 years of experience behind the bar, she has mastered the art of mixology, blending classic techniques with innovative flavors to deliver unforgettable drinks. Known for her fun, energetic, friendly personality, and keen attention to detail, Lala thrives in fast-paced environments, ensuring every guest enjoys a top-tier experience. This Compton native is dedicated to serving her community by hosting juice bars at the local parks and sponsoring many local events. Whether they’re ordering mocktails, a simple whiskey neat or a complex craft cocktail she takes pride in building relationships with regulars and newcomers alike, offering personalized recommendations and a warm, engaging presence. Lala is proud to be a MOLAA Bar Bartender where she serves up culturally relevant drinks at special events and festivals.
FESTIVAL SPONSORS
