Rocio and Mercedes Podcast

We chat with Maya Louisa to chat about the Divine Feminine.  How do we tap into it more? How can we connect to ourselves more? Maya has also spent extensive time in Cuba and shares how it has influenced her life.  She also chats about the deep meaning of waist beads. Guest IG: https://www.instagram.com/maya_louisa/Become a Patreon Supporter Here!  www.patreon.com/rocioandmercedesWe'd love to hear from you! email us at rocioandmercedes@gmail.comFollow Rocio and Mercedes on IG: Rocio and MercedesPlease rate, subscribe, and review the show!It really makes a difference!This episode was produced by: Quinton Cameron, Mercedes Ilarraza, and Rocio MendezSupport the show

We chat with Yasser Tejeda,  an award-winning Dominican composer, guitarist, vocalist, and producer.  We talk about Dominican roots music and how music can connect us to our Afro Dominican heritage.  Yasser Tejeda is an award-winning Dominican composer, guitarist, vocalist, and producer. According to Billboard, Yasser is giving traditional folkloric music a new spin with jazz, rock, and Caribbean rhythms in "a frenzied celebration of the ancestral union" while Juan Luis Guerra, the most influential Dominican artist in the world, praised his mission calling it the "marvelous example of what's happening with Dominican music. When it comes to his music, the main focus has been to uplift and promote his Afro Dominican roots. Guest IG: https://www.instagram.com/yassertejeda/ Website: https://www.yassertejeda.net/Check out one of his songs: https://open.spotify.com/album/7KfHrbLLADgDs2lLAC4sbjBecome a Patreon Supporter Here!  www.patreon.com/rocioandmercedesWe'd love to hear from you! email us at rocioandmercedes@gmail.comFollow Rocio and Mercedes on IG: Rocio and MercedesPlease rate, subscribe, and review the show!It really makes a difference!This episode was produced by: Quinton Cameron, Mercedes Ilarraza, and Rocio MendezSupport the show

We sit down with Catalina Pena from Catalyst Creations and discuss career changes, getting let go, and how to pivot during difficult times.  Catalina shares how getting fired opened up opportunities. She talks about mentorship, how job descriptions are created, and how to write your own job description. We also talk about her identifying as a Colombian Afro-Latina.  We dive deep and chat about how her family embraced her identifying as an Afrolatina GUEST IG: curiouscata Catalyst Creations:https://www.catalystcreation.co/aboutusBecome a Patreon Supporter Here!www.patreon.com/rocioandmercedesWe'd love to hear from you! Follow Rocio and Mercedes on IG: Rocio and Mercedesemail us at rocioandmercedes@gmail.comPlease rate, subscribe, and review the show!It really makes a difference!This episode was produced by: Quinton Cameron, Mercedes Ilarraza, and Rocio MendezSupport the show

In this episode, we chat with Professor Remysell Salas and discuss  Haiti's influence on Dominican History.   He also shares his recent visit to Africa and the similarities between Africa and the Dominican Republic.  We talk of ways to bridge the gap and change the narrative.  Tune in to a great episode! Guest IG: remysalasbxhttps://remysell.medium.com/Dominican Book Club: https://www.dominicanwriters.com/dominican-studieshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vxv8T-9rcakWe'd love to hear from you!Follow Rocio and Mercedes on IG: Rocio and Mercedesemail us at rocioandmercedes@gmail.comPlease rate, subscribe, and review the show!It really makes a difference!This episode was produced by: Quinton Cameron, Mercedes Ilarraza, and Rocio MendezBecome a Patreon Supporter Here!www.patreon.com/rocioandmercedesSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/RocioandMercedes)

We sit down with reality TV star Anny Francisco from 90 Day Fiance. She shares how life has changed for her since being on the show,  what she misses most about the Dominican Republic as well as her journey to being an entrepreneur.  Guest IG: anny_dr02 We'd love to hear from you!Follow Rocio and Mercedes on IG: Rocio and Mercedesemail us at rocioandmercedes@gmail.comPlease rate, subscribe, and review the show!It really makes a difference!This episode was produced by: Quinton Cameron, Mercedes Ilarraza, and Rocio MendezBecome a Patreon Supporter Here!www.patreon.com/rocioandmercedesSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/RocioandMercedes)

We have a very candid and honest chat with  Rosalyn Damiana Lake Montero, an educator in the DC area who was raised to celebrate her Blackness and love the skin she's in. She talks about the differences between being raised in the Dominican Republic and the states. She shares her struggles within her own community with how she identifies.  She talks about her work with the youth and her passion for being an educator.  She shares her long battle with Covid as a Black woman and how vulnerable she had to be. A long battle with Covid led her to a  spiritual awakening.  She also gives wonderful tips on self-care. We'd love to hear from you!email us at rocioandmercedes@gmail.comFollow Rocio and Mercedes on IG: Rocio and MercedesPlease rate, subscribe, and review the show!It really makes a difference!Rosalyn IG:  damiana_rosalyn and senorita_lakeMaxine Williams, Facebook's Global Head of Diversity  They talk about the wins, and the challenges, in our movement to diversify tech.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjRLGRhgR8IBlack Girls Code https://bgc.urcun.works/More from our guest:How a local author embraced her Afro-Latina Identity and thrivedhttps://holacultura.com/how-a-local-author-embraced-her-afro-latina-identity-and-thrived/Hijas de la diásporahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3joqqDMHrIThis episode was produced by: Quinton Cameron, Mercedes Ilarraza, and Rocio MendezBecome a Patreon Supporter Here!www.patreon.com/rocioandmercedesSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/RocioandMercedes)

In this episode, we speak with Anthropologist and assistant professor Dr. Ryan Mann- Hamilton and discuss the complex history of the Dominican Republic. He discusses his research in Samana and our close connection to African American history.  He also shares some tools we can use to research our own family history and the dangers of just using a DNA test.Guest Info:IG: @antilleanroutesDr. Mann Hamilton's website: https://www.echoprojectlg.org/https://isercaribe.org/We'd love to hear from you!Follow Rocio and Mercedes on IG: Rocio and Mercedesemail us at rocioandmercedes@gmail.comPlease rate, subscribe, and review the show!It really makes a difference!This episode was produced by: Quinton Cameron, Mercedes Ilarraza, and Rocio MendezBecome a Patreon Supporter Here!www.patreon.com/rocioandmercedes Dr. Ryan Mann- Hamilton's Recommended Books Anne EllerWe Dream Together: Dominican Independence, Haiti, and the Fight for Caribbean FreedomJ. Lorand MatoryBlack Atlantic Religion: Tradition, Transnationalism, and Matriarchy in the Afro-Brazilian CandombléEdward PaulinoDividing Hispaniola: The Dominican Republic's Border Campaign against Haiti, 1930-1961 (Pitt Latin American Series)More info:Preserving Black American History Through Song in the Dominican Republichttps://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/30/travel/preserving-black-american-history-through-song-in-the-dominican-republic.htmlSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/RocioandMercedes)

Season 2 Trailer!  This Season we explore Blackness in other Latinx countries celebrating the Afro in Afrocarribean! Join us! Enjoy! follow us! IG@rocioandmercedesTwitter: randmpodcastwww.rocioandmercedes.comBecome a Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/RocioandMercedes

We chat with actor, writer Nabil Vinas about being 1st generation.  He talks about his upbringing, connecting to his roots and the language, and how to make a mean mangu!Please rate, subscribe, and review the show.It really makes a difference!About Nabil Nabil Viñas (AEA) is an actor, screenwriter, and producer born and raised in Washington Heights, New York City to parents from Moca in the Dominican Republic. He was the co-lead in “Program” which premiered at the 55th New York Film Festival at Lincoln Center, and played HBO’s New York Latino Film Festival among others worldwide. He produced and acted in the feature film “Tomorrow Ever After” which screened theatrically in 5 cities, earning critical acclaim in major press. Nabil is a 2019 NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellow in Screenwriting from The New York Foundation for the Arts. As a screenwriter, his short film "Come Back Hailey" played several New York festivals. He is developing his first feature script tentatively titled "Los Malos (The Bad Ones)". Nabil facilitates training in SEL and Restorative Justice through the Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility.Link to the piece Nabil wrote in 2014: Did You Know That Nabil Was Black?" (Dominicans and Their African Heritage)The place Nabil works at: MorningsideCenter.orgWe love to hear from you!email us at rocioandmercedes@gmail.comBE A PATREON SUPPORTERwww.patreon.com/rocioandmercedesGuest Info:IG: Nabil VinasWebsite: nabilvinas.comRocio and Mercedes on NYWIFT panel:   NYWIFT - Fierce Women in PodcastingFollow Rocio and Mercedes on IG: Rocio and MercedesPlease rate, subscribe, and review the show.It really makes a difference!This episode was produced by: Quinton Cameron, Mercedes Ilarraza, and Rocio MendezLogo by: Dylan Rogers

Franceli Chapman-Varela is an Afro-Latina(Dominican) actor, host, writer, and producer. She is a member of 3 guilds; Writers Guild of America, SAG-AFTRA and Actor's Equity.  We talk about her journey and how Art is a form of Artivism.Please rate, subscribe, and review the show.It really makes a difference!We love to hear from you!email us at rocioandmercedes@gmail.comBE A PATREON SUPPORTERwww.patreon.com/rocioandmercedesGUEST INFO:Instagram: @francelichapmanWEBSITE:http://www.francelichapman.com/Follow Rocio and Mercedes on IG: @rocioandmercedesPlease rate, subscribe, and review the show.It really makes a difference!We love to hear from you!email us at rocioandmercedes@gmail.comThis episode was produced by: Quinton Cameron, Mercedes Ilarraza, and Rocio MendezLogo by: Dylan RogersEpisode is LivePublished: Feb. 04, 2021 @10AM EditUnpublishAdd a TranscriptGet episode better indexed by search engines.Add Chapter MarkersListeners can tap through & see what’s coming up.Visual Soundbite AvailableSquare Soundbite - 0:59Great for Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.Download SoundbiteDelete this Soundbite and create a new one.Share Episode OnFacebookTwitterLinkedInMore OptionsEmail Link to EpisodeCopyDirect Link to MP3Copy Download MP3Embed this ONE EpisodeView Episode Stats

Clarivel Ruiz is the founder of Dominicans love Haitians. We talk about how the organization started, why it's so important, and the Black Doll Movement. GUEST INFO:Instagram: dominicanslovehaitianswebsite: https://www.dominicanslovehaitians.com/BE A PATREON SUPPORTERwww.patreon.com/rocioandmercedesPlease rate, subscribe, and review the show!Spread the love!Dominican Studies book club:https://www.dominicanwriters.com/dominican-studiesWe love to hear from you!email us at rocioandmercedes@gmail.comFollow Rocio and Mercedes on IG: @rocioandmercedesThis episode was produced by: Quinton Cameron, Mercedes Ilarraza, and Rocio MendezLogo by: Dylan Rogers

We chat with Kelvin Grullon, a Dominican American actor from Washington Heights, New York City. We chat about the importance of seeing ourselves on screen. Kelvin shares how it felt to play Dominican characters. GUEST INFO:Instagram: kelvingrullonwebsite: https://www.kelvingrullon.com/check out his DJ skills here: https://soundcloud.com/wildchico1Kelvin on Univision:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6bBUd2KMvsBE A PATREON SUPPORTERwww.patreon.com/rocioandmercedesPlease rate, subscribe, and review the show.Spread the love!We love to hear from you!email us at rocioandmercedes@gmail.comFollow Rocio and Mercedes on IG: @rocioandmercedesThis episode was produced by: Quinton Cameron, Mercedes Ilarraza, and Rocio MendezEdited by: Kristijan Markusic-NovoselLogo by: Dylan RogersEpisode is LivePublished: Feb. 04, 2021 @10AM EditUnpublishAdd a TranscriptGet episode better indexed by search engines.Add Chapter MarkersListeners can tap through & see what’s coming up.Visual Soundbite AvailableSquare Soundbite - 0:59Great for Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.Download SoundbiteDelete this Soundbite and create a new one.Share Episode OnFacebookTwitterLinkedInMore OptionsEmail Link to Episode CopyDirect Link to MP3 Copy Download MP3Embed this ONE EpisodeView Episode S

We talk with Eileen Z. Fuentes about all things Self-Care. She gives us 5 practical tips, shares the importance of rest, and shares her own journey of Self-care. Eileen is a Health educator, community health activist and full-time Clinical Coordinator for breast and gynecologic oncology. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008 and since then has become a fierce advocate for all patients with a focus on the most vulnerable. Please rate, subscribe, and review the show.It really makes a difference!We love to hear from you!email us at rocioandmercedes@gmail.comBE A PATREON SUPPORTERwww.patreon.com/rocioandmercedesGUEST INFO:Instagram: @eileenzfuentesWEBSITE: http://www.eileenzfuentes.com/Follow Rocio and Mercedes on IG: @rocioandmercedesPlease rate, subscribe, and review the show.It really makes a difference!We love to hear from you!email us at rocioandmercedes@gmail.comThis episode was produced by: Quinton Cameron, Mercedes Ilarraza, and Rocio MendezEdited by: Quinton CameronLogo by: Dylan Rogers

Violet Santana and Indhira Santana, two sisters who opened up My Wellness Solutions, a holistic health center in NYC. They chat about sugar addictions, colonics, weight loss, IIN, PCOS, and having a healthy menstrual flow. They share how they got started and their work in the community. GUEST INFOIG: MWSHEALTHWEBSITE: www.mywellnesssoutions.comFollow Rocio and Mercedes on IG: @rocioandmercedeswebsite: www.rocioandmercedes.comPlease rate, subscribe, and review the show.It really makes a difference!We love to hear from you!email us at rocioandmercedes@gmail.comThis episode was produced by: Quinton Cameron, Mercedes Ilarraza, and Rocio MendezEdited by: Quinton CameronLogo by: Dylan RogersEpisode is LivePublished: Jan. 05, 2021 @10AM EditUnpublishAdd a TranscriptGet episode better indexed by search engines.Add Chapter MarkersListeners can tap through & see what’s coming up.Visual Soundbite AvailableSquare Soundbite - 0:40Great for Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.Download SoundbiteDelete this Soundbite and create a new one.Share Episode OnFacebookTwitterLinkedInMore OptionsEmail Link to Episode CopyDirect Link to MP3 Copy Download MP3Embed this ONE EpisodeView Episode Stats&

In this episode we talk about financial freedom. We discuss financial planning, steps we can take In our 20s, 30s, 40s and how to start from this moment forward. Ramona talks about her own journey to financial freedom and owning her own business. Ramona Cedeno is a CPA and Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) with over 20 years of experience as an accounting and finance professional. She has a track record of successfully devising and deploying innovative strategies that enhance operational and financial performance. She is the founder and CEO of FiBrick, an accounting and fractional CFO services firm based in NYC. Through the many services and workshops her firm provides, Ramona enjoys and takes pride in her innate ability to bring people together to build community and empowering business owners to build scalable businesses. She is a proud mentor of the Women Entrepreneurs of NYC (WENYC) initiative where she leads mentor sessions and workshops aimed at helping women start and grow their businesses. Ramona earned a Bachelor’s in Accounting from Baruch College, a Master’s in Finance from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and a Certificate in Financial Planning from Boston University. _________________________________________________________________________Website: www.fibrick.comFacebook: FiBrickFinanceInstagram: fibrickfinanceTwitter: FiBrickFinanceFollow Rocio and Mercedes on IG: @rocioandmercedesPlease rate, subscribe, and review the show. It really makes a difference!We love to hear from you!email us at rocioandmercedes@gmail.comThis episode was produced by: Quinton Cameron, Mercedes Ilarraza, and Rocio MendezEdited by: Quinton CameronLogo by: Dylan Rogers

This week Rocio and Mercedes speak with Sherazade Garcia, a Dominican Visual Artist about her family history, influences on her artwork, and how we are all connected as human beings.Scherezade Garcia is an interdisciplinary visual artist born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and based in New York. In her work, she addresses contemporary allegories of history and processes of colonization and politics, which frequently evoke memories of faraway home and the hopes and dreams that accompany planting roots in a new land. By engaging collective and ancestral memory in her public intervention and studio-based practice, she examines quasi-mythical portraits of migration and cultural colonization. Her fascination with the social human experience since the “discovery” of America and its multifarious results is an endless source of inspiration and an essential part of my discourse. This fascination has led her to such themes as the causes and consequences of migration, the mestizo and barroquism as consequences of colonization, the inversion of traditional beliefs of salvation, and the questioning of religious and social uses of the notion of paradise. She creates my allegorical narratives by appropriating and transforming symbols and objects that have included life jackets, inner tubes, suitcases, mattresses, tents, umbrellas, religious icons, and newspaper clippings.In this episode, we mention one of her paintings “La Muleta Blond” which can be found on her website https://www.scherezade.net/GUEST INFO:IG: scherezadegarciaTwitter: scherezade_artFollow Rocio and Mercedes on IG: @rocioandmercedesPlease rate and review the show!It really makes a difference.We love to hear from you!email us at rocioandmercedes@gmail.comThis episode was produced by: Quinton Cameron, Mercedes Ilarraza, and Rocio MendezEdited by: Quinton CameronLogo by: Dylan Rogers

Diana López has over 18 years of experience working in the field of social services providing support to Adults, children and their families wearing many hats. Diana has experience in Trauma informed practice. She has experience providing group therapy and individual counseling . She has served as an advocate and resource for homeless youth and families involved with NYC foster care system. Her most recent work was with children and families as a NYC DOE Bilingual School Social Worker as a Clinician . She also works as an interventionist providing Special Instruction and ABA therapy (Applied Behavior Analysis) for children receiving Early Intervention Services. She is a daughter of two proud Dominican parents who arrived to NYC in the 1980’s and have raised three independent women who have made it their mission to help bring awareness and change to the many disparities our communities face not just in the United States but as well as in the Dominican Republic. As a wife and soon to be mom of three it has been extremely important for her and her husband to teach their children about who they are as individuals in order for them to manage all of the current state of events we have been living through.

Yessenia has approached 11 out of her 20 years in the hair industry, as a way to help women discover, and maintain their naturally curly, coily, and kinky hair. By providing a safe space, listening to each client’s story, sharing hair education, hair service offerings, and helping them dismantle false beliefs, she is able to create an experience for clients that leaves them feeling empowered, beautiful, confident and most importantly with the tools to continue their natural healthy hair journey! OUR GUEST IG: YesseniareyesPlease rate and review the show! It really makes a difference!Follow Rocio and Mercedes on IG: @rocioandmercedesemail us at: rocioandmercedes@gmail.comThis episode was produced by: Quinton Cameron, Mercedes Ilarraza, and Rocio MendezEdited by: Quinton CameronLogo by: Dylan Rogers

We chat all things Spirituality with Sili Recio. She shares her journey of becoming a Priestess. She answers questions on connecting to our loved ones that have passed, setting up an altar, and the beauty of death. We talk about her amazing children's book: "If Dominican were a Color" and her journey to writing It. Sili has been calling herself a writer since she won a trophy in a poetry contest in the sixth grade. She is an Afro-Dominican storyteller, disruptor, and Mami. Sili earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Rollins College. She entered the world of social media via her blog in 2010, and has never looked back. Sili lives in Florida with her daughter, the Frog Princess, and tries not to pass on her love of café con leche to her child. She is failing. You can visit her at SiliRecio.com.IG: silirecioTwitter: silirecio

Karlos De La Cruz was raised in the Highbridge community of the Bronx, New York, Karlos De La Cruz is a first generation Dominican American. Born in 1983, Karlos is technically an early millennial who bridged the gap between the days of pagers, pay phones, and dial up internet to the early adaptations the first iphone, bluetooth, and communication networks that shaped the digital age as we know it today. As an active hispanic youth in the Bronx, Karlos had an early appreciation for the arts as he learned American Freestyle Karate and Break Dancing. And with Domincan roots you already know Baseball was the favorite summer pastime. After attending High School at Cardinal Spellman High School in the Bronx, Karlos attended Saint John's University for a year before deciding to ship off to Boot Camp at Parris Island, South Carolina in order to become a United States Marine. Karlos has since held multiple jobs as a Marine working Supply Administration, Combat Camera, and Drill Instructor, with various overseas stations and deployments to Okinawa, South Korea and Iraq. Karlos is currently a Gunnery Sergeant in the Marine Corps stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Actress, writer, and director Laura Gómez, started her journey in her native country, Dominican Republic and has been making a name for herself in the entertainment industry over the past decade in New York City. She is best known for transforming herself into “Blanca Flores,” on the award-winning NETFLIX hit series Orange is the New Black. Other credits include the film Exposed, Law & Order SVU, the HBO Mini-Series Show Me A Herocreated by David Simon and the Dominican film Sambá, which premiered in Tribeca in 2017.She started a project on her Instagram page: #ImmigrantStoriesByLauraGomez with stories of people who migrated to the United States sharing their journey, struggles, and positive impact in American society.IG: mslauragomezTwitter: mslauragomez

We talk with Genesis Aquino. We discuss the importance of voting, local elections, housing issues, the struggles of running a campaign. Genesis Aquino is an activist committed to gender, economic, and social equality. Genesis Aquino migrated from the Dominican Republic at age 11, and her work in NYC has been focused on healing from and addressing the systems of oppression that impact all her intersections as a Black Latina migrant woman. Genesis believes in the importance of power-building through voter mobilization, popular education, and community organizing. On her day job, she works to advance housing justice and fighting displacement by empowering unrepresented tenants facing eviction in the NYC Housing Courts. She also served as the sits on the board of the Laundry Workers' Center, a grassroots organization fighting low-waged workers labor rights via organizing and public policy in NY & NJ.More info:IG: @rocioandmercedesIG: @genesisaquinonyTwitter: @GenesisAquinoNYThis episode was produced by: Quinton Cameron, Mercedes Ilarraza, and Rocio MendezEdited by: Quinton CameronLogo by: Dylan Rogers

Rocio and Mercedes deep dive into Dominican History with Dr. Anthony Stevens-Acevedo. In this episode, talk about the original native people to Hispaniola to today, colonization, Dominican Republic/Haiti's tense relationship, the great migration to the US, and Juan Rodriguez.This episode was produced by: Quinton Cameron, Mercedes Ilarraza, and Rocio MendezEdited by: Quinton CameronLogo by: Dylan Rogers

Title: Colorism Summary: Rocio and Mercedes talk with writer Claudio Cabrera. In this episode, we talk about Claudio’s writing journey, the effects of Colorism, the importance of self-love, and therapy. More info:IG: @claudio.e.cabreraTwitter: @CECabrera_This episode was produced by: Quinton Cameron, Mercedes Ilarraza, and Rocio MendezEdited by: Quinton CameronLogo by: Dylan Rogers

Rocio and Mercedes talk to Zenaida Mendez, Director of MNN El Barrio Firehouse Community Center. In this episode we talk about Zenaida's early career as a community activist, what we as a community can do now to stay informed and active, and the upcoming presidential and NYC mayoral election. More info:IG: zenalaunica4Twitter: @LaUnicaZeMendezWebsite: www.mnn.orgThis episode was produced by: Quinton Cameron, Mercedes Ilarraza, and Rocio MendezEdited by: Quinton CameronLogo by: Dylan Rogers

Rocio and Mercedes chat with Angela Abreu, the founder, and Executive Director for Dominican Writers. This is an organization solely dedicated to highlighting content that not only promotes the works of Dominican Writers but also provides them with the tools and resources necessary for their development. In this episode, we discuss Angela’s journey toward creating the platform, touch on the importance of telling our stories, and her journey identifying as an Afro-Dominican.More Info:IG: @angysgotitIG: @dominicanwritersEmail: info@dominicanwriters.comThis episode was produced by: Quinton Cameron, Mercedes Ilarraza, and Rocio MendezEdited by: Quinton CameronLogo by: Dylan Rogers

Rocio and Mercedes: Amplifying the AFRO in Afro - Dominican! Here is our trailer for our first season!