ARACELI POMA (Perú)
2x Latin Grammy Nominee. Singer and Ambassador of Afro and Andean Music of Peru. Promoter of Quechua. Music Documentary Producer.
Araceli Poma is one of the most representative artists of the new generation of Peruvian music. Her work is defined by her interest in making visible the fundamental contribution of women in music; in the dissemination of Quechua, the native language of her grandparents; in the rescue of the popular genres of Peruvian music; and -being of Afro-Andean heritage- in her commitment to the union and integration of cultures.
Her first nomination in 2020 was for the album and documentary “The Warrior Women of Afro-Peruvian Music” produced by the American label, JUST PLAY, led by Matt Geraghty, New York music producer and bassist. This production challenges racism, sexism and marginalization through the power of the music and culture of the African diaspora.
It is precisely this album and documentary, which begins a creative partnership between Poma and Geraghty, since after the work done in Peru, they began to create music together and produce their next musical documentary “Guerreras Puertorriqueñas”, also with a focus on women artists of the island, was filmed in Puerto Rico in 2021.
In 2021 Araceli settled in New York City in order to continue spreading the music of her roots and to make Peruvian culture visible to the world. This is how Afro-Andean Funk, the Peruvian/American duo led by Araceli and Matt, was born.
Breaking cultural barriers through music, Afro-Andean Funk records their first album entitled “The Sacred Leaf”, which is known for vindicating Peruvian indigenous culture, women’s rights, and spreading the ancestral Quechua language. In 2022 Afro-Andean Funk was nominated for a Latin Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album, sharing the same category with some of the most important names in Latin music, such as Rosalía and Bomba Estéreo.
In May 2023, Afro-Andean Funk released its second album titled “Flower on Fire”, which fuses Afro-Andean roots music with electronica, funk and world music, standing in solidarity with Latin American communities and giving visibility to endangered voices and cultures.
Araceli Poma through the work she is doing inside and outside her country is making her roots music visible and creating through her new songs, the new music of Peru.