Advertise on podcast: The Tumbao Podcast

English:"Cassandra Mayela Allen is a Venezuelan multidisciplinary artist whose work turns migration, memory, and healing into tactile form. Born in Caracas and raised between the island of Margarita and the Venezuelan mountains, her practice grew out of improvisation—making do, adapting, creating beauty with what’s available.When the political and economic collapse forced her to leave Venezuela, Cassandra arrived in New York, rebuilding her life from scratch. What began as survival slowly became a language of care and connection. Through fabric, thread, and ritual, she found ways to process what displacement feels like—both for herself and for others.Her participatory projects, like Mapas de Desplazamiento and the Braiding Ceremonies, invite migrants to weave, stitch, and revisit their own stories. They’re acts of collective reflection, where art becomes a bridge between grief and belonging.In this episode, we talk about creating when home no longer feels like a place, about finding freedom in process over perfection, and about how Cassandra transforms improvisation into a philosophy of life. We also explore migration as inheritance, the politics of visibility, and what it means to build community through making.You can find Cassandra’s work here:@cassandramayelallen"Español:"Cassandra Mayela Allen es una artista multidisciplinaria venezolana que convierte la migración, la memoria y la sanación en forma táctil. Nacida en Caracas y criada entre la isla de Margarita y las montañas venezolanas, su práctica nace de la improvisación: resolver, adaptarse y crear belleza con lo que hay.Cuando el colapso político y económico la obligó a dejar Venezuela, Cassandra llegó a Nueva York a reconstruir su vida desde cero. Lo que comenzó como supervivencia se transformó lentamente en un lenguaje de cuidado y conexión. A través de la tela, el hilo y el ritual, encontró maneras de procesar lo que significa el desplazamiento —para ella y para quienes lo viven.Sus proyectos participativos, como Mapas de Desplazamiento y las Ceremonias de Trenzado, invitan a personas migrantes a tejer, unir y revisitar sus propias historias. Son actos de reflexión colectiva, donde el arte se convierte en un puente entre el duelo y el sentido de pertenencia.En este episodio hablamos de crear cuando el hogar deja de ser un lugar, de encontrar libertad en el proceso más que en la perfección, y de cómo Cassandra transforma la improvisación en una filosofía de vida. También exploramos la migración como herencia, la política de la visibilidad y lo que significa construir comunidad a través del acto de hacer.Puedes encontrar el trabajo de Cassandra aquí:@cassandramayelallen" This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tumbao.substack.com

INGLÉS: Claudia Rivera is a Franco-Peruvian creator based in Paris whose work lives at the intersection of art, fashion, and community. Through projects like Ñañaykuna and her production agency Amaru, Claudia weaves storytelling, performance, and collaboration to explore what modern Latinidad can look and feel like far from home. Her world is one of beauty and resistance — from styling and photography to viral TikToks and documentaries, everything she creates carries the pulse of migration, sisterhood, and joy. She celebrates the aesthetics of her roots while building a space for diasporic voices to be seen with power and tenderness. In this episode, we talk about movement — both physical and emotional. About what it means to belong in different places at once, and how to honor our heritage as something that keeps evolving with us. We also talk about the internet as a space of visibility, the politics of self-representation, and how Claudia turns nostalgia into creation. You can find Claudia’s work here: @crocoqueen @lonuestro.paris @amaruagency ESPAÑOL: Claudia Rivera es una creadora franco-peruana radicada en París cuyo trabajo habita entre el arte, la moda y la comunidad. A través de proyectos como Ñañaykuna y su agencia de producción Amaru, Claudia entrelaza narrativa, performance y colaboración para explorar cómo puede sentirse y verse la latinidad contemporánea lejos de casa. Su universo es de belleza y resistencia: desde el styling y la fotografía hasta los documentales y los reels que se han vuelto virales, todo lo que crea refleja experiencias de migración, de vínculos y de celebración. Honra sus raíces mientras construye espacios donde las voces diaspóricas puedan verse con fuerza y ternura. En este episodio hablamos sobre el movimiento —tanto físico como emocional—, sobre lo que significa pertenecer a varios lugares a la vez y sobre cómo honrar nuestra herencia como algo que sigue evolucionando con nosotras. También conversamos sobre el internet como espacio de visibilidad, la política de la autorrepresentación y la forma en que Claudia convierte la nostalgia en creación. Pueden encontrar su trabajo aquí: @crocoqueen @lonuestro.paris @amaruagency This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tumbao.substack.com

DESCRIPTION Carlos Nuñez is a Venezuelan artist and educator based in New York City. His work explores how power moves—how it hides in plain sight, how it shapes our lives, and how it’s woven into the objects and histories around us. Through photography, installation, and his curatorial projects, Carlos builds speculative narratives that reveal both the weight of the past and the possibilities of the future. His journey began in Caracas, was interrupted by political turmoil, and eventually carried him to Atlanta and then New York. Along the way, he learned in archives and museums before creating his own space: Mimo, a gallery in the basement of his Bushwick home. Mimo has quickly become a gathering place for emerging artists, a site where rigor meets experimentation, and where art is as much about care and community as it is about objects on the wall. In this episode, we talk about what it means to create outside of institutions, about the responsibility of holding space for others, and about how art can expand empathy. We also talk about growing up in Venezuela, the challenges of diaspora, and the simple but radical act of making art without needing to explain it. You can find Carlos’s work and follow Mimo here: https://www.instagram.com/mimo.mimo.mimo.mimo.mimo/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tumbao.substack.com

Roberto Johnson is a Honduran stylist and editor whose work redefines beauty, identity, and representation in fashion. Born in La Ceiba and raised between Honduras and the Bronx, his journey has been shaped by migration, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to showing Afro-Latinx people as they are: powerful, elegant, and real. Roberto has styled for editorial shoots, built visual archives in Honduras, and worked at publications like Interview and The Cut. But beyond the titles, what makes his work special is how much heart—and precision—he brings to it. He styles with soul, and builds characters that reflect the world he knows exists. In this episode, we talk about styling as a form of care, about growing up with a beauty that wasn’t always celebrated, and about creating images that restore dignity. We also talk about fashion politics, representation in Latin America, and what real inclusion could look like. You can find Roberto’s work here: https://www.instagram.com/itsrobertojohnson?igsh=MWg3bTFyaTF3OHgxZQ== This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tumbao.substack.com

Carolina Isabel Salazar is a Guatemalan photographer born in Bellflower, California. She works primarily in medium format and lives within the world of fashion photography, but also creates deeply personal photographic series. She is an artist who creates through femininity, heritage, and Latinidad. Beyond that, she carries a powerful presence—as an active community member, as a person, and as a woman. In the interview, Valentina asks her about her beginnings, her manifesto, and much more. What unfolded was a conversation full of love and meaningful reflections. Host and Creative Director: Valentina Pozo Producer and Editor: Sara Long and Nicolás Pozo Sound: Nicolás Pozo Director of Photography: Emilio Martinez Montage: Francisco Burneo Graphics: Sydney Rawls Theme Song: Nicolás Pozo This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tumbao.substack.com

Valentina sits down with Tatiana Cueva and Natalia Herrera Cedillos for the first edition of Rumor Talks. Rumor Talks is a space to connect, share experiences, and talk about the struggles and gains within the creative industry. For this inaugural edition, Valentina was the guest. They dive into the beginning of Tumbao and Valentina's professional trajectory, tools for young entrepreneurs, specifics within the fashion industry, and upcoming Tumbao projects. This video panel is a bonus episode within our podcast. We will continue releasing episodes like these in the future. Subscribe to our Substack for access to more panels, full episodes of our podcast, newsletters, and much more. Thank you, Tati and Natalia, and thank you, Rumor. Host and Creative Director of Rumor Talks: Tatiana Cueva Guest and Creative Director of Tumbao: Valentina Pozo Editor: Sara Long & Nicolás Pozo Graphics: Sydney Rawls This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tumbao.substack.com

Tiempo de Zafra is a fashion project founded by Stephanie Bezarra and Edgar Garrido. Their practice begins in the street markets of Santo Domingo, working with pacas —massive bales of secondhand clothes shipped from the U.S.— and it transforms what’s been discarded into something entirely new. They stitch their own textiles from scraps, then design bold silhouettes layered with color, graphic prints, and intention. Beyond fashion, their work spans video, photography, and sculpture, often pointing to larger conversations around waste, value, and survival. In this episode, we talk about process, politics, and building something meaningful from what already exists. Thank you Tiempo de Zafra. Host and Creative Director: Valentina Pozo Producer and Editor: Sara Long Producer and Sound: Nicolas Pozo Director of Photography: Emilio Martinez Montage: Diego Herrera Leon Graphics: Sydney Rawls Theme Song: Nicolas Pozo This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tumbao.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tumbao.substack.com

Launching June 13. New episodes monthly. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tumbao.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tumbao.substack.com