Garifuna Sistas Talk Spirituality: Recent Episodes
Garifuna Sistas
Co-hosts (and sisters) Feroza and Kyleigh Simone break down Garifuna spirituality with featured guests—elders, leaders and Garifuna spirituality practitioners. This is for folk who grew up outside of a Garifuna community, for folk living in Garifuna communities but still have questions about their spirituality, for folk searching for answers and trying to understand themselves as a modern day Garifuna, and for folk who simply want to hear about the spiritual experiences of other Garinagu. Join them on their journey to deeper knowledge.
The Sistas revisit their conversation with Canon Jerris Valentine, a retired Anglican priest based in Dangriga, Belize. He teaches the Sistas about the Garifuna understanding of God, our relationship with the ancestors, and the impact of the Catholic Church on our community.
Recorded January 2021
Original publication: April 25, 2021
Connect with the Garifuna Sistas:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/garifunasistaspodcast
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/garifunasistaspodcast
- Email: garifunasistas@gmail.com
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/garifunasistaspodcast/message
This week, the Sistas chat with their Uncle Naday about his unique spiritual journey. Vincent ‘Naday’ Sampson is from Dangriga, Belize and is currently based in California. In this conversation, he talks about the ancestors finding you where you are, the importance of prayer, and he shares about his unique journey into Garifuna spirituality through wanaragua dancing.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/garifunasistaspodcast/message
Co-hosts Kyleigh Simone and Feroza are back after their hiatus. In this episode, they share what they've been up to during the break and the topics they hope to learn for season 2.
Connect with the Garifuna Sistas:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/garifunasistaspodcast
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/garifunasistaspodcast
- Email: garifunasistas@gmail.com
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/garifunasistaspodcast/message
After a year of deep learning and paradigm shifts, the Sistas are taking some time to recharge and reflect, and dream and scheme for Season 2. In this episode, Feroza and Kyleigh Cayetano reflect on the lessons learned in the first year of interviewing guests and running the podcast, and they share their hopes for Season 2 (coming early next year).
In the meantime, check out this fabulous discussion about Vodou spirituality (and afro-descendant spirituality in general) the Sistas had with Dr Yanique Hume and Heritage Education Network Belize:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOdd7JliBrQ
Also check out their video documentary, Podcasting as a Means of Cultural Preservation:
- https://youtu.be/-409J93A14w
Connect with the Garifuna Sistas:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/garifunasistaspodcast
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/garifunasistaspodcast
- Email: garifunasistas@gmail.com
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/garifunasistaspodcast/message
Ashley, a San Francisco native with roots in Trujillo, Honduras, joins the Sistas this week as the final guest of the Modern Day Garifuna series. In this episode, Ashley discusses growing up in “the echoes of Garifuna culture”, using social media to connect with Garinagu across the diaspora, and the idea of being “Garifuna enough”. Ashley serves her community with a dedication to helping people see the greatness within themselves. As an Education Architect, she has a multifaceted approach to strategic whole child and youth invigoration. She is a Master Certified Life Coach, an Education Advocate, an Online Course Creator, an Author, and an Organizational Leadership Trainer. She helps communities access their joy for mental clarity and spiritual wellness through organizational training.
Connect with Ashley:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/ashleymblanco_?utm_medium=copy_link
- Website: www.risewhereyouare.com
- Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UC9t2hLrgzoFtNl88gsSyP9A?sub_confirmation=1
Connect with the Garifuna Sistas:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/garifunasistaspodcast
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/garifunasistaspodcast
- Email: garifunasistas@gmail.com
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/garifunasistaspodcast/message
Master Tatiana joins the Sistas this week to talk about doing our part in ancestral healing, and the beauty in being submissive to our intuition. Master Tatiana is a Honduran born, Bronx-based Garifuna energy healer as well as an intuitive health and wellness practitioner. The modern title she uses is a Brain Education instructor, where she helps people activate their body's natural healing power using ancestral and traditional energy modalities. She is a student of modern Tao and received her studies from ancient Korean principles. Master Tatiana helps people using practical tools to safely manage their intuition and raise their vibration through their body.
Connect with Master Tatiana
Instagram:
- Professional @mastertatiana_
- Community @goldengarifunahealing
- Virtual outreach @garifuna_consciousness
Email: Bronx@BodynBrain.com
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Connect with the Garifuna Sistas:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/garifunasistaspodcast
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/garifunasistaspodcast
- Email: garifunasistas@gmail.com
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/garifunasistaspodcast/message
It’s the question that the Sistas ask each guest: “What does it mean to you to be Garifuna?” In this special episode made in honor of Garifuna Settlement Day, which is celebrated as a public and bank holiday in Belize on November 19, different guests, as well as some of you listeners, talk about being Garifuna and the significance of that. This episode is a warm bath of Garifuna empowerment, love and inspiration.
Connect with the Garifuna Sistas:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/garifunasistaspodcast
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/garifunasistaspodcast
- Email: garifunasistas@gmail.com
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/garifunasistaspodcast/message
Princess Eulogia, a gifted medium and channeler, stopped by to chat with the Garifuna Sistas this week. She talks about her early introduction to spirituality, how the ancestors aided her in a dire situation and the challenges of her unique spiritual gifts on her family.
Connect with Princess Eulogia:
- Instagram:https://instagram.com/eulogia_thelifecoach?utm_medium=copy_link
- Website: www.EulogiaTheLifeCoach.com
Connect with the Garifuna Sistas:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/garifunasistaspodcast
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/garifunasistaspodcast
- Email: garifunasistas@gmail.com
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/garifunasistaspodcast/message
This week the Sistas sat down with their soul sister, Erica, to talk about living “in the fusion”. Erica is an internationally certified holistic health and wellness practitioner with a successful practice in New York City. She dedicates her life and purpose to teaching the sacred principles of spirituality and mystical wellness. In this conversation, Erica shares about her Honduran roots, her upbringing in the Bronx, and how she fuses traditional Garifuna healing practices with modern concepts of wellness and self-care. She is also the co-host of the top-charting Priestesses Prescribe podcast.
Connect with Erica:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/ericamartinez_c?utm_medium=copy_link
- Website: https://www.bossbruja.com
- Podcast: https://anchor.fm/priestesses-prescribe
Connect with the Garifuna Sistas:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/garifunasistaspodcast
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/garifunasistaspodcast
- Email: garifunasistas@gmail.com
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/garifunasistaspodcast/message
This week the Sistas kick off their ‘Modern Day Garifuna’ series, which will have weekly episodes featuring Garifuna millennials across the diaspora who are transcending culture by mixing tradition with other modalities. The tables are turned this week as Kyleigh interviews her co-host, Feroza, to hear more about her early experiences with Garifuna spirituality while she living alone in a foreign country, and how she came to understanding and acceptance of her gifts as a singer and maker of medicine songs.
Books Mentioned:
- Daughter Drink This Water, Jay John
- The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho
Connect With Feroza's Music:
- Purchase: https://ferozacayetano.bandcamp.com
- Listen: https://www.youtube.com/ferozacayetano
- Follow: https://www.facebook.com/feroza.cayetano
Connect with the Garifuna Sistas:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/garifunasistaspodcast
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/garifunasistaspodcast
- Email: garifunasistas@gmail.com
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/garifunasistaspodcast/message
Sharon Tillet Ellington and Andrea Lopez Westby are soul sisters who were thrown together by their ancestors. Sharon vulnerably shares her journey to embracing her Garifuna identity and how that aided her in understanding her spirituality. Andrea shares the story of how they came together as a duo and how they’ve supported each other in their spiritual experiences. Together, they teach us the power of sisterhood and support in our spiritual walk. Video Documentary:
https://youtu.be/-409J93A14w
Connect with the Garifuna Sistas:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/garifunasistaspodcast Instagram: http://instagram.com/garifunasistaspodcast Email: garifunasistas@gmail.com
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/garifunasistaspodcast/message
Beatrice Mariano, a proud Barranguna from Barranco Village, Belize, stopped by to share about her experiences being gayusa (singer) in the Dabuyaba (Garifuna temple). She teaches us about the behind-the-scenes of a dügü (sacred ancestral ceremony), how she was called to be a gayusa, and a bit about her gayusa group. Overall, she shares what she has learned so far on her spiritual journey.
Connect with the Garifuna Sistas:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/garifunasistaspodcast
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/garifunasistaspodcast
- Email: garifunasistas@gmail.com
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/garifunasistaspodcast/message
This week the Sistas sat down with Dr. Gwen Nuñez Gonzalez, a Garifuna language educator based in Dangriga, Belize. She shares her views on Garifuna spirituality, the powerful experience she had on the pilgrimage to St Vincent and the Grenadines (Yurumein) in 2017 and the importance of learning the Garifuna language.
Book mentioned in the podcast:
From Villain to National Hero: Chatoyer and the Early Struggle for the Independence of St. Vincent (Yurumein)-[Fraser, Adrian]
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Villain-National-Hero-Chatoyer-Independence/dp/1084115107
Contact Gwen to learn more and purchase her language books:
Whatsapp: +5016214097
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gwen.n.gonzalez
Connect with the Garifuna Sistas:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/garifunasistaspodcast
Instagram: http://instagram.com/garifunasistaspodcast
Email: garifunasistas@gmail.com
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/garifunasistaspodcast/message
Martha is a proud Garifuna-American from the Bronx, NY with strong roots to Livingston, Guatemala. She shares how she came to understand her spiritual walk, and the lessons learned balancing spirituality with life, relationships, family and our ever-evolving culture.
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Watch our video documentary, 'Podcasting as a Means of Cultural Preservation':
- https://youtu.be/-409J93A14w
Check out the Belize KULCHA Symposium:
- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGyytbwWPLONVA7JuZalqKg
Connect with Martha on Instagram:
- https://www.instagram.com/garichild/?hl=en
Connect with the Garifuna Sistsas:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/garifunasistaspodcast
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/garifunasistaspodcast
- Email: garifunasistas@gmail.com
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/garifunasistaspodcast/message
This week the Sistas sit down with Surusia Peitra Arana, a Garifuna medical doctor based in Belize. Surusia P shares the extensive background of the pilgrimage to St Vincent and the Grenadines in 2017. She also teaches us a method of distinguishing between western medicine and spiritual medicine, as well as sharing mental health concerns in the context of our spirituality. Finally, Surusia P offers great advice for those of us at the beginning and in the midst our spiritual walk.
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Connect with the Garifuna Sistas:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/garifunasistaspodcast
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/garifunasistaspodcast
- Email: garifunasistas@gmail.com
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/garifunasistaspodcast/message
Garifuna Duchess stopped by to chat with the Sistas about her groundbreaking memoir, “My Spiritual Journey: A Symbiotic Relationship With My Ancestors”. In it, she vulnerably shares her experience of the beginning stages of her spiritual walk. She shares the confusion and the pain, but also the peace, joy and power of creating a healthy relationship with her ancestors.
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Connect with Garifuna Duchess—All links to purchase her book and/or follow her on social media are available on her website:
https://garifunaduchess.com
Her book is available in digital and paperback on Amazon, directly on her website or Gumroad.
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Connect with the Garifuna Sistas:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/garifunasistaspodcast
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/garifunasistaspodcast
- Email: garifunasistas@gmail.com
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/garifunasistaspodcast/message
Raheem Mariano is known as one of the best drummers coming out of Barranco Village, Belize. He was 14 years old when he was first called to drum for a dügü (an ancestral family reunion), and this week he joins the Sistas to share his experience of having the drums run through his veins. Raheem talks about what it was like growing up in the village, and he details what it's like to drum for a dügü (a sacred ancestral reunion). He also shares the self care routine drummers must abide by when drumming for a ceremony.
Podcasts Mentioned in the Episode:
- Priestesses Prescribe: https://anchor.fm/priestesses-prescribe
- How Do YOU See Your Glass with Alison Martinez: https://anchor.fm/alison-martinez1
Contact the Garifuna Sistas:
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/garifunasistaspodcast
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/garifunasistaspodcast
Support the Garifuna Sistas:
- www.buymeacoffee.com/garifunasistas
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/garifunasistaspodcast/message
This week, whip out your notebooks and your Bibles, folks! Nilson Gamboa is a Garifuna minister and educator from Livingston, Guatemala and is currently based in New York. He teaches the Sistas about the Biblical perspective on Garifuna Spirituality. He teaches about how the stories in the Old Testament are parallel to our own lives, and how they provide valuable lessons (especially when it comes to being ‘called’). He also provides a different perspective on what actually happens when the ancestors ‘punish’ their descendants for their disobedience.
Nilson is also a community organiser with a mission to improve the lives of Garifuna communities in Honduras and Guatemala. Find out more about his organisation and consider donating to the Genesis Inter-Community Group, Inc. (GICG):
- https://www.genesisicg.org/home
- https://www.facebook.com/genesisicggicg/
Contact the Garifuna Sistas:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/garifunasistaspodcast
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/garifunasistaspodcast
- Email: garifunasistas@gmail.com
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/garifunasistaspodcast/message
This is a rich conversation with Joshua Arana, a talented Garifuna drummer from Dangriga, Belize. He talks about the spirit of “aü bun amuru nu” (“I for you and you for me”) from his perspective as a Garifuna drummer. Josh tells the story of how he struggled with his Garifuna identity as a youth growing up, understanding his purpose and calling as a drummer, and the value of the feminine aspect of drumming. He also shares about his experience in Yurumein (St Vincent and the Grenadines) in 2017 and what he learned.
Watch his TEDx Talk:
https://youtu.be/K1sm1WCcY6o
Contact the Garifuna Sistas:
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/garifunasistaspodcast
Instagram:
http://instagram.com/garifunasistaspodcast
Email: garifunasistaspodcast@gmail.com
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/garifunasistaspodcast/message
This week the Sistas are joined by their very own momma, Sylvia Sampson Cayetano. She shares about her upbringing as a Garifuna in Belize City, and the challenges of raising her daughters to be grounded in their identity in the midst of unique circumstances. Garifuna spirituality was never part of her childhood until she was awoken in the middle of the night by a message delivered from the ancestors. This ultimately led to organizing a healing pilgrimage to St Vincent and the Grenadines in 2017–the Garifuna Diaspora United in Healing. And, of course, the journey continues.
Contact the Sistas:
- Email: garifunasistas@gmail.com
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/garifunasistaspodcast/message
Garifuna elder, Da Juliana Arana, teaches the Sistas, step by step, two Garifuna rituals: how to set food for our ancestors (adagaragüda) and how to bathe them (amuyadahani). If you’ve ever done it and wondered if you were doing it right, this is the conversation for you.
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Contact Us:
- Email: garifunasistas@gmail.com
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/garifunasistaspodcast/message
Canon Jerris Valentine, a retired Anglican priest and author of the book “Garifuna Understanding of Death”, joins the Sistas this week. He talks about his journey into the priesthood and he details the impact of the Church on the Garifuna communities in Belize. He also teaches about the Garifuna understanding of God. This one is a doozy, folks.
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Books mentioned in this episode:
- The Garifuna Understanding of Death by Jerris Valentine
- The Rise and Fall of the Black Caribs, by C. I. Martin and I. A. Earle Kirby
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Support St Vincent and the Grenadines in the face of the eruption of the La Soufriere volcano:
- GoFundMe organized by UK-SVG Friendship Trust HERE
- GoFundMe organized by Invest Caribbean HERE
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Music by Feroza Cayetano is available on all major streaming platforms
- find out more about her music HERE
- and support her HERE
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Contact the Garifuna Sistas and stay in touch via:
- Email: garifunasistas@gmail.com
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/garifunasistaspodcast/message
This week the Sistas are joined by Lucia Regina Ellis. She is a herbalist, author, counsellor and owner/manager of NUMASA Wellness Center in Belize. The conversation ranges from the historical root of certain behaviors among Garinagu, how some of her books were birthed, and the journey of her calling to plant medicine. She also discusses the importance of spiritual hygiene and shares her recipe for a restorative spiritual bath.
Contact Lucia Ellis:
- Telephone: (501) 673-1330
- WhatsApp: +501-608-7236
- Email: numada2003@yahoo.co.uk
Find her books in Belize:
- Belize City- Brodies Bookstore and Image Factory
- Belmopan- Bakers Bookstore
- Dangriga: Integrated Bookstore and Chatuye Bookstore
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Donate to support St Vincent and the Grenadines in the face of the La Soufriere volcano eruption
- GoFundMe organised by Invest Caribbean HERE
- GoFundMe organised by UK-SVG FRIENDSHIP TRUST HERE
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Stay Up To Date With the Garifuna Sistas via:
- Email: garifunasistas@gmail.com
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/garifunasistaspodcast/message
This one is for the dreamers! Denise Valentine Sabal is from Hopkins Village, currently based in Belize City. She joins the Sistas to share her journey to becoming an ‘ounagule’ (spiritual messenger). She vulnerably shares the challenges of being a messenger, how she learned to interpret dreams, and the effect that disobeying the ancestors can have on one’s family. Hers is truly a story of resilience and triumph.
- Donate to support St Vincent and the Grenadines in the face of the La Soufriere volcano eruption HERE
- UWI Seismic Research Centre
- NEMO St. Vincent and the Grenadines
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- Contact Us VIA:
- Email: garifunasistas@gmail.com
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/garifunasistaspodcast/message
In this episode, the Sistas are joined by Harold Zuniga. He is a practitioner of Garifuna spirituality and a licensed physical therapist based in Belize City. Harold shares his journey to being called as an ‘ounagule’ (spiritual messenger), he breaks down some of the different kinds of spirits in Garifuna cosmology, and he provides beautiful advice for folk who are seeking to understand Garifuna-ness.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/garifunasistaspodcast/message
The Sistas sat down with the esteemed Garifuna multi-hyphenate, E. Roy Cayetano, affectionately known as Baba Roy. He is a linguist, anthropologist, farmer, poet and Garifuna activist (who also happens to be their dear uncle). Baba Roy shares how his unique upbringing led him to study Garifuna culture, and he explains how ancestral knowledge has aided him in his research. He also explains the differences between the indigenous worldview and the western worldview and offers ways in which we all can harmonize the two. Spotlight: Lisemé Infusions https://lisemeinfusions.com
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/garifunasistaspodcast/message
Tongues totally in cheek, the Sistas break down the history of the Garifuna people: how were the Garifuna formed? What else was going on in the world while they were fighting against colonization in the 17th and 18th centuries? How did they end up in Central America? And WHAT does this have to do with spirituality? The Sistas tackle all these questions and more.
Books and Articles to Get You Started on Your Own Research:
**Garifuna Nation Across Borders, Joseph Palacio
Sojourners of the Caribbean, Nancie Gonzalez
The Race Lept at Sauteurs: Genocide, Narrative and Indigenous Exile from the Caribbean Archipelago, Melanie J. Newton
Rise and Fall of the Black Caribs, I. A. Earl Kirby and C. I. Martin
The Black Carib Wars, Christopher Taylor
The Black Jacobins, C. L. R. James
Among the Garifuna: Family Tales and Ethnography from the Caribbean Coast, Marylin McKillop Wells
1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus, Charles C. Mann**
Contact us:
-email: garifunasistas@gmail.com
-Instagram: https://instagram.com/garifunasistaspodcast?igshid=n918dprl2q8m-Facebook-Twitter
More about Feroza Cayetano:
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https://www.instagram.com/feroza.cayetano/
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https://ferozacayetano.bandcamp.com
More about Kyleigh Simone:
- https://instagram.com/kycaye?igshid=1jf1ikcrf9z73
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/garifunasistaspodcast/message
Kyleigh Simone and Feroza introduce themselves. They discuss their individual journeys with Garifuna spirituality and how they came to acceptance, and they talk about the intention of the podcast.
Contact us:
-email: garifunasistas@gmail.com
-Instagram: https://instagram.com/garifunasistaspodcast?igshid=n918dprl2q8m
More about Feroza Cayetano:
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https://www.instagram.com/feroza.cayetano/
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https://ferozacayetano.bandcamp.com
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https://feroza.band
More about Kyleigh Simone:
- https://instagram.com/kycaye?igshid=1jf1ikcrf9z73
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/garifunasistaspodcast/message
A preview of what to expect from Garifuna Sistas Talk Spirituality, co-hosted by Feroza Cayetano and her "older-younger" sister, Kyleigh Simone. This show is a bi-monthly conversation where we chat with featured guests about different aspects of Garifuna spirituality and their journey to accepting their "Garifuna-ness". In this sneak peak, Feroza and Kyleigh discuss the intention of the podcast, and some of the challenges they encountered learning about Garifuna spirituality while living abroad.
Join us on Feb 28 on Spotify, Anchor, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Got questions or suggestions of topics to discuss? Send us an email, send us a message on Instagram or Twitter, or send us a voice message through the Anchor app! So many options to reach out to us.
Contact us:
-email: garifunasistas@gmail.com
-Instagram: https://instagram.com/garifunasistaspodcast?igshid=n918dprl2q8m
-Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/garifunasistaspodcast/
-Twitter: https://twitter.com/GarifunaSistas
More about Feroza Cayetano:
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https://www.instagram.com/feroza.cayetano/
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https://ferozacayetano.bandcamp.com
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https://feroza.band
More about Kyleigh Simone:
- https://instagram.com/kycaye?igshid=1jf1ikcrf9z73
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/garifunasistaspodcast/message