The Third Annual Afro-Diasporic Ocean Festival

The Afro-Diasporic Ocean Festival is a multidisciplinary, day-long, free cultural event that uplifts the sacred relationship between people of the African diaspora, Indigenous communities, and the ocean. Through live performance, ritual, movement, and storytelling, the festival centers cultural preservation, ocean reverence, and community gathering.

We gathered at the Rockaway Beach Amphitheater for a day celebrating afro-diasporic culture, food, and vendors — with live music, capoeira, and a chance to connect with community by the sea.

This edition celebrated Garifuna culture through headliner Bodoma Garifuna, a workshop by GarifunaRobics, and a DJ set by Garifuna artist DJ Wavy Fox, alongside a panel discussion and a roda de capoeira.

Headliner: Bodoma's Garifuna Cultura Band

A group from Honduras celebrating traditional Garifuna culture, combining powerful vocals with a dense percussive base. Garifuna music is unlike any other in Central America — singing and drumming entail a fiercely percussive communal call and response rooted in the sacred context of ancestral invocation.

GarifunaRobics Workshop

Arnol Guity Martinez is a Garifuna-American fitness instructor, dancer, and cultural entrepreneur, founder of GarifunaRobics — a workout program blending aerobics with traditional Garifuna dance and music. Born in the Bronx to Honduran Garifuna parents, he launched GarifunaRobics in 2018 to promote both physical fitness and cultural awareness.

Host and Poet: Kim Macharia

A multidisciplinary artist and ocean steward whose work focuses on environmental advocacy and community engagement. A professional sailor, singer, and theater-maker, Kim recently produced A Siren's Prayer and founded Brave Leap, a directory of free and low-cost resources helping people connect with nature across New York City.

Panel Discussion hosted by afrolatin@ forum

The afrolatin@ forum centers Blackness within Latinidad and focuses on Latin@s of African descent. The panel explored the ways AfroLatinas continue to be indispensable leaders and wisdom keepers in the environmental justice movement.

Thank You

From the bottom of our hearts — thank you for being part of the 2026 Afro-Diasporic Ocean Festival at Rockaway Beach! Whether you joined us in person, helped behind the scenes, or lent your support from afar, this event was a vibrant success because of you.

Together, we spotlighted Garifuna culture through music, dance, a workout class with GarifunaRobics, a panel discussion titled “Eunagüi: The Ocean as Bridge and Canvas in Garifuna Art,” a DJ set by DJ Wavy Fox, vendors, an art tent, and a vibrant community who showed up through it all.

Our Volunteers and Production Crew

We extend our deepest gratitude to the incredible volunteers and production crew whose dedication, care, and behind-the-scenes efforts brought this festival to life:

Festival Producer: Tanya Alfonso — your leadership and dedication made all of this possible.

Special thanks to our volunteers and production crew: Shellie Martinez, Massandje Savane, Ebony Sagna, and Jon-Anthony Pristero-Rivera

LiberArte's Team: Yura Sapi, Martin Mungai, Dorcas Kangethe, Tobi Miracle Ayeni, Yara Aly, and the LiberArte Board of Directors and Donors

Our Creative Team

Photographers: Taj Mayne (LUMO Studio), Ricardo Botero, James Petrozzello, and Vincent Fletcher

Videographer: Lowel Alomar

Reel Works MediaMKRS Intern: Massandje Savane

Sound System: Eric Delage

Our Community Partners

We are deeply grateful to the individuals and organizations who brought vision, collaboration, and heart to this festival, whether that was behind the scenes or on the ground at the event. Special thanks to:

Afro-Latin@ Forum — Josue Perea, Isabela Arboleda-Ocoro, and Yosef Medina. Raíces Nuevas — Julio Bermudez. Laru Beya Collective — Aydon Gabourel. Reel Works Media MKRS. NYC Parks. BronxNet. La Casa de la Cultura — Milagros Ugueto.

Each of you helped ground this experience in joy, cultural memory, and collective purpose. Thank you for being part of our growing ecosystem of justice, art, and connection.

Festival Highlights

Eunagüi: The Ocean as Bridge and Canvas in Garifuna Art — Curated by Afro-Latin@ Forum, this powerful panel explored the profound intersection of art, water, and identity within the Garifuna tradition. Blending West African and Arawak-Carib roots, Garifuna artistic expressions serve as living archives that honor heritage and navigate the modern world and incredible guest panelists — Jessica Baltazar and Tania Molina — for guiding us in a critical, healing dialogue around Garifuna art and ancestral memory.

Performances by visionary artists: Quilombo do Acupe, the Afro-Brazilian capoeira group whose education around the history of capoeira, roda, and audience participation encouragement always makes the festival special annually; Kim Macharia and Siren Songs band, our event host ocean steward whose beautifully connected us to the power of nature through her words and siren songs with her band; Julissa Emile, poet and healer, opened hearts with her stunning spoken-word poetry; Adriana Devers, poet whose words on Afro-Latine culture, race, and belonging, and dance brought the audience to their feet; Nahshon Dion, creative nonfiction writer who reflected on their upbringing in the Bronx, Altadena fire, and the connection to Garifuna culture; our headlining band, Bodoma Garifuna, whose music and dance lit up the Amphitheater; and Arnol Martinez of GarifunaRobics, whose unmatched energy and workout class brought the audience and beachgoers to work out and dance on the beach.

DJ Wavy Fox closed the night with a high-energy set that transformed the boardwalk into a dance floor powered by punta and Garifuna beats and community rhythm. It was the perfect way to celebrate and close a day of joy, liberation, and reflection on preserving ancestral land.

Art tent by Dara Hartley, who gathered everyone around a table for Rockaway 2097, imagining the future of the Rockaways in the year 2097, drawing, writing, and having their artwork hung at the tent.

Thank you to our vendors: Ayo & Aye, Shellie Martinez, Boogiedownbeader, Righteous Healing Solutions, Creations of Amalia, Koku Butter, Essence Equilibrium, who shared their beautiful creations, jewelry, decor, perfumes, body butters, and yoga and reiki at the beach.

Thank you for showing up and bringing your brilliance, spirit, and solidarity.

Our Funders

ART New York NYSCA-A.R.T./New York Creative Opportunity Fund (A Statewide Theatre Regrant Program). Cultural Development Fund Grant from NYC Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA). FRANC. Materials for the Arts. New Music USA's Organization Fund in 2025-26. Poets & Writers.

Photos below by Taj Mayne (LUMO Studio) and Ricardo Botero.