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Luz A. Pereira L. (Pachamama Director and Instructor) leads instruction in coastal dances. Pereira began her career in 1962 after graduating from Peru ’s College of Folk Music and Dance-- completing her final exams under Rosa Elvira Figueroa, José María Arguedas, Lucha Egoaguirre and others.  In 1965, Pereira ’s delegation won the First Latin America Festival of Folklore held in Salta , Argentina .  Since late 1970s she has participated in many festivals, workshops and presentations and at such venues as the American Museum of Natural History, Lincoln Center , Carnegie Hall and others across the United States and Canada , with the group Tahuantinsuyo and later with Inkay.  As the Pachamama Director, Pereira handles nearly all aspects of Pachamama.

Carlos David Bernales Vilca (Artistic Director & On-Site Coordinator) is a composer, pianist and organist, Bernales also directs the St. Therese of Lisieux Choir, in Brooklyn.  He holds a Master Degree in Arts with a Major in Composition and Piano.  He is devoted to the study of Latin music, especially the music of the Andes and emigrated from Peru in 1993.  As the Artistic Director, he envisions and manages artistic programs for Pachamama Peruvian Arts in collaboration with Committee, Teachers, Coordinator and Director. Bernales is also the PPA Coordinator, handling the weekly operations at PS 212.

Sonya Lopes Bayona (Funding Coordinator) is a Peruvian American, and an advocate of preserving the traditions of indigenous peoples. She formerly performed with the Andean Cultural Group Inka Kusi Sonqo. Currently, she is the Planning Coordinator of development at a non-profit in New York City .  She learned of Pachamama Peruvian Arts in the summer of 2006 and joined the Pachamama Committee shortly thereafter as the volunteer grant writer.

Peter Apaza (Pachamama Committee Member & MC & Pachamama Instructor) learned the indigenous sounds of Peru from his father. His family’s group, Viento Andino (Andean Winds) played traditional Altiplano music.
After immigrating to New York in 1988, Apaza launched his own group, Peru Andino, which consists of twenty-five members who perform huayno dances of Puno, the marinera (the national dance of Peru ) and other traditional dances. Apaza is also a representative of the Conco de Consulta, a group of ten volunteers at the Peruvian Consulate who help New York ’s Peruvian community obtain travel permits and send remittances to Peru .  Apaza is Pachamama’s Maestro of Ceremonies at our public events.

Rosa María Lazón Egúsquiza, is a Peruvian flautist and a graduated of the National Conservatory of Music of Lima, Perú. She began her musical studies with the piano and the flauto dolce. Thereafter, she entered the
 National Conservatory to the “Early Artistic Training Program” where she started the traverse flute with maestros Juana La Rosa, Harmut Steman and César vivanco.  She has performed as a flutist with the Young Camerata Orchestra of Lima, the National Conservatory Symphonic Orchestra of Lima, the Conservatory’s Wind Quintet, and in the International Flutist Festivals held in Lima between the years 1985 to 1997, and also Santiago de Chile and Rio de Janeiro.  She received a teacher’s degree in flauto dolce and traverse flute, as well as the Suzuki method, to teach children.  She also won a scholarship to Professor Celso Wotzenlogel’s summer course at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.
Rosa Maria is member of Maderas del Peru, bringing the traditional music of Peru to New York. Ms. Lazon is a music instructor and is presently teaching music to children and youths.

Rosa Carhuallanqui (Publicity Coordinator & Pachamama Instructor) leads instruction in Andean and Amazonian dances. She is the founder of Peru Inca Folk Company which presents the dances of Peru ’s coast, mountains and jungle and has performed at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center , Festi-Andes and the Hispanic Parade, among others.  Carhuallanqui is a graduate from the National School of Folklore in Lima , Peru . As a Publicity Coordinator for PPA, she assists with writing and distributing Pachamama’s publicity materials. 

Gabrielle M. Hamilton, (Committee Member) is a folklorist and researcher with extensive expertise in Native American traditions. She is the founding director of Pachamama Peruvian Arts at CTMD and has served as a Director and Senior Researcher at Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI); conducted extensive research on the Native collections at Utah State University (where she received her Master’s Degree) and served as a consultant for the Kainai (Blood) Tribe, where she is an honorary member. She has taught at all levels in the United States and abroad and has conducted folklore residencies. Hamilton has been published in academic and popular journals and has been presented at numerous speaking engagements.

Héctor Morales (Pachamama Instructor & Committee Member) leads our class in cajón-- a box drum used in both Afro-Peruvian and Creole music.  Originally from Lima , Morales studied at the National Conservatory of Music in Peru as well as studying with Julio “Chocolate” Algendones of Perú Negro.  Morales earned his Bachelor of Music degree from William Paterson University and performs with Alcatraz : Afro-Peruvian Jazz.

Andrés Jiménez (Pachamama Committee Member) is the Director and co-founder of the Andean Cultural Group Inka Kusi Sonqo which is dedicated to the music and dances of the southern Peruvian departments of Apurímac, Ayacucho, Huancavelica, Puno, Cuzco and Junín.  In addition to his group presentations, Jiménez has performed and recorded with other Andean groups located in New York , including: Tahuantinsuyo, Khana, Inkhay, Wayramarka and Takillacta. Although he was born in New York , Jiménez has studied and performed with several groups from southern Peru . Jiménez has also taught the quena (Andean wooden flute) for Pachamama.

Marcos Napa (Pachamama Instructor) leads instruction in the Afro-Peruvian dance and percussion. Napa has over twenty years of artistic experience in Afro-Peruvian music and dance.  His career began as a percussionist with the Grammy-nominated, Perú Negro, deemed a National Treasure of Peru, under the direction of his uncle, Ronaldo Campos.  He has accompanied Grammy-nominated Eva Ayllon as well as Maria Carmen Dongo, Mariela Valencia and Lucila Campos. Napa served as Pachamama’s first Artistic Director.  Presently Napa teaches and performs throughout the NY tri-state area.