Teaching Artist: Araceli Poma

Araceli Poma is a teaching artist who brings the living traditions of Peru into classrooms, libraries, and community spaces across New York. Through interactive workshops and performances, she teaches Spanish and Quechua through music, using traditional Andean instruments—charango, quena, cajón—alongside Afro-Peruvian rhythms and contemporary sounds. Her sessions are designed for all ages, from children to adults, and combine participatory music-making with storytelling rooted in Indigenous and Afro-Peruvian heritage.

Araceli has led programs in universities, public schools, and libraries throughout New York City, collaborating with local organizations to create experiences that foster intercultural understanding and deep respect for Indigenous languages. Her workshops go beyond music: participants explore the history and meaning behind the rhythms, the stories carried by the Quechua language, and the connections between Andean traditions and their own cultural roots.

As a two-time Latin Grammy nominee and Quechua advocate, Araceli brings authenticity, warmth, and a powerful sense of purpose to every educational setting. Her teaching is an extension of her artistic mission: to preserve endangered cultural traditions while making them accessible, joyful, and relevant to new audiences.

Booking

Available for workshops, school residencies, festival performances, and Hispanic Heritage Month programming. To book Araceli for your school, library, university, or cultural event:

booking.araceli@gmail.com