Socabon Is Building Afro Peruvian Unity and Spreading Its culture

When we think of Afro culture in Latin America, countries like Cuba, Brazil, and Colombia often come to mind. But Peru is also home to a vibrant, deeply rooted Afro-descendant community with a rich cultural legacy.

The renaissance of Afro-Peruvian culture began in the 1950s, led by the groundbreaking work of renowned choreographer and dance ethnologist Victoria Santa Cruz and her brother, poet and folklorist Nicomedes Santa Cruz. Their visionary efforts brought Afro-Peruvian traditions into the national spotlight, weaving them into the broader tapestry of Peruvian identity.

Today, social media has helped amplify Afro-Peruvian voices and traditions—but there is still much work to be done in preserving these cultural expressions and connecting them with other Afro communities across the diaspora and African continent.

That’s where Socabón comes in. Based in New Jersey, this organization is on a mission to unite Afro-Peruvian communities within and beyond Peru—celebrating their heritage, sharing their stories, and building bridges with Afro cultures around the world 

We connected with Marggie Ponce Valencia to learn more about her platform Socabón and how it is amplifying Afro Peruvian voices.

AFROCONEX:  Marggie, thanks for connecting with AfroConex, please introduce yourself and tell us about Socabón. What does it mean and what is the mission of the platform ? 

MARGGIE: Thanks for featuring us on your platform, Ken! I am the organization leader of Socabón Peru Cultural Association. Our mission is to bring more awareness to Afro-Peruvian culture and celebrating our community. Socabón aims to provide a space where people can learn about our culture as well as about its people. Our goal is to create a platform where Afro-Peruvians living in the United States can feel seen and heard.

AFROCONEX:  Why did you feel it was important to start Socabón ? 

MARGGIE: An online platform such as Socabón is needed in the Afro-Peruvian community. Afro-Peruvian culture in Peru is often treated as entertainment and not as a community. The only space a black Peruvian can fully be themselves is in a space with others like them, and I’ve witnessed this first hand. When I go online I see little to no representation of Afro-Peruvians both in Peru and in conversations about the Afro Diaspora. A platform was needed where the Afro-Peruvian community can be free to express themselves without diluting their blackness and letting the rest of the Diaspora know that we exist. I also hope to unite Afro-Peruvians living outside of Peru who often feel excluded by Afro-Peruvians living in Peru. 

AFROCONEX: You grew up surrounded by and living Afro Peruvian culture; what was that like ? Can you share any traditions your family keeps alive ? Of these traditions do you personally have a favorite ?

MARGGIE: The older I get the more I realize how lucky I was to have a childhood that was enriched in Afro-Peruvian culture. My mother, my aunts and uncles have always taught my sister and I that black is beautiful; it is elegance and we carry the essence within us. Every family reunion was full of storytelling, anecdotes, music, dancing and a lot of humor. There was always laughter in the room and you can hear it from a mile away. 

I grew up in a house of 12+ people where parties happened every weekend and for any excuse you can think of. We called it “La Veintiuno” which means “21” because we lived on 21st and Bergenline Ave in Union City, NJ. There were a lot of legendary Afro Peruvian and Afro Latino figures who stepped foot into that house and I grew up around it. The sounds of live percussions, guitar playing and singing filled the block. My mom would force me to go to sleep but I would protest. These parties lasted all weekend.

My favorite tradition I would say is that in every family reunion past 12am the instruments would come out. Everyone would form a circle around whoever was singing Festejos or Valses, and everyone would join in and sing along. Then people would come out to dance in the middle. I was around 9 years old when I started staying up late just to witness this and then I could get some rest.

AFROCONEX:  Your parents: Luisa Valencia and Luis Julio Ponce were very active in shaping Afro Peruvian culture in Peru, and they continued that work after their relocation to the USA.  Can you share with us some of their contributions ? 

MARGGIE: I come from parents who have been actively involved in the Afro Peruvian community. My mother is the artist while my dad is the cultural advocate. My mom grew up performing since age 6 in Victoria Santa Cruz’s group called Teatro y Danzas Negras del Perú. Both of my grandparents, Manuela Lavalle & Emilio Valencia, were part of this group and they had my mom come in to perform with them. At age 15 she went on to dance in Peru’s first black dance company called Perú Negro. Through this dance company she had the chance to showcase Afro Peruvian folklore dance all through her early 30s. 

My father grew up enriched in Criollo culture (Criollo describes a culture mixed between Afro descendants and the Spanish). His grandfather, Hernan La Rosa, introduced him to Criollismo where he took an interest in learning more from elders who’ve been composing before his time. In Peru, it’s common for black families to know each other and grow up in the same community. In the 1990s my father took the initiative to form an association for Afro Peruvian and Afro Cuban artists and musicians where they got to work on projects that connected both communities since Union city was heavily populated by Cubans at the time. All through the the 1990s-2000s he hosted events in New Jersey demonstrating Afro-Peruvian music and dance.

AFROCONEX:  The collaboration video was released on June 4th, which is an important date in Afro Peruvian culture; tell us the significance of this date ?

MARGGIE: June 4th marks Afro Peruvian Culture Day — El Mes de la Cultura Afroperuana. The Peruvian government decided to honor Afro Peruvians and their contribution to Peruvian culture by dedicating a day to commemorate the community. June 4th was chosen in memory of Nicomedes Santa Cruz. He was a cultural advocate, activist, poet, singer and composer. Nicomedes was a key figure in reviving Afro Peruvian culture in the 1950s along side his sister, Victoria Santa Cruz. They dedicated their lives to rescuing traditions, cultural researches, and initiating black activism through their artistic work. Afro-Peruvian Culture month is centered around June 4th.

AFROCONEX:  let’s talk about the collaboration video. It features the popular Afro Peruvian dance Festejo.  Tell us about this dance, why it was selected and the concept behind the video. 

MARGGIE: Festejo is the most popular Afro-Peruvian music style and dance in Perú. It dates back to the 19th century - the viceroyalty era of Peru. Festejo in Spanish means to celebrate, and what better way to celebrate Afro-Peruvian Culture Day than with Festejo! 

This video features two legendary dancers, Lucho Casanova and Luisa Valencia. Within the Afro Peruvian artistic community they are known as the best dancers in Afro-Peruvian dance. Both Lucho and Luisa danced together in Peru Negro and continued dancing when they moved to the United States during the early 2000s performing in spaces like the Lincoln Center in New York. 

I thought it was a shame that there aren’t enough footage of this golden era of Afro-Peruvian dance. I took the initiative to get these two dancers together and produce a video that demonstrates Festejo dancing in a style of cadence and elegance that has been lost in time. I hope this video lives on through the internet for the new generation of Afro-Peruvian dancers to learn more about the people who opened the doors and paved the way for their dance careers. This is the recognition they deserve — sadly there have been too many contributors get lost in the shadows of time with no recognition for their efforts.

AFROCONEX: we spent a great deal of time talking about Santa Cruz’s concept of Ancestral memory; which personally resonated deeply with me.   What is your definition of ancestral memory, and how has it impacted your approach to dance ? 

MARGGIE: We are an extension of our ancestors. We are the part of our ancestors that continues to live on through our nuances, personalities and characteristic traits. They say water carries memory, and the human body is 75% water. 

My definition of Ancestral Memory, or Memoria Ancestral, is the connection formed between us and the people who came before us that transcends the physical. It is a spiritual connection through feeling and vibration. When you hear a rhythm, or melody, and feel something within you that needs no knowledge to understand — that is ancestral memory. This is evident in the Diaspora - how centuries have passed since people were stripped away from their cultures and yet we still manage to find connections in rhythms and movements to different ethnic groups in Africa. 

I’ve experienced this at first hand while exploring different dance styles in Afro Dance - especially in Angolan Afro House and Congolese Ndombolo. I just understand the feeling and the less I think about the movement the more natural it comes. As Victoria Santa Cruz once said, they can never take away our rhythm — and that is where our true freedom always lied. This is the reason black culture thrived during dark ages in any country in the western world. We found freedom through the rhythm we carried within — our ancestral memory.

AFROCONEX:  Socabon has had rapid success, with many of the videos going viral. The videos give us a window into Afro Peruvian culture through humor; what has been the feedback so far to Socabon and what’s next for the platform ? 

It’s great to see the positive reactions we’ve had through our content. Part of our culture is the humor and it’s a part of us that we don’t shy away from showing. We had a lot of positive feedback both here in the US and in Peru. The idea was to inspires more Afro Peruvian influencers to create and fill spaces where representation is needed. 

We started off creating funny relatable content, but there is more to Socabón than humor. The next step has been educating our audience about our culture. This is the idea behind Socabon’s Afro Peruvian Culture Month Campaign 2025 — to center it more around our community and culture. Socabon is not a dance group — it is an organization that nourishes Afro-Peruvian creatives with the purpose of uplifting our community through different mediums such as performances, workshops, events, video productions and more. 

AFROCONEX:  What do you want people to know about Afro Peruvian culture and why do you think it is important to build bridges with the greater Afro diaspora and Africa ? 

MARGGIE: I want people to know how rich our history is and how progressive Afro-Peruvians have been in advocating for black culture and black empowerment. The term Afro-Latino has become more popular in this day and age, but the term Afro-Peruvian has been used for decades. It is nothing new to us — as some Latinos wish to contradict. 

It is one of my goals to build that bridge between the Afro diaspora and Africa. We have been led to believe we are culturally different thanks to societal constructs of the western world. I feel that black culture is so rich on a global scale and yet there aren’t enough black communities trying to learn about other Afro-based cultures. Europeans know more about the diaspora than Africans and the Afro descendants themselves — because they take the time to learn about music and dances foreign to them. Through my journey in exploring different African cultures I always find a connection back to my culture, and I’d say it’s made me feel closer to my Afro Peruvian Heritage because there are nuances that I understand better now — in our dancing, in our music, and in our customs. I see a reflection of my family when I’m in these spaces. It’s amazing how our way of expressing and navigating through life just carries on through our lineage no matter how many centuries pass by. From rhythm to humor to facial expressions — these are all examples of ancestral memory and the more you explore about your roots the closer to home you will feel.

AFROCONEX:  We couldn’t conclude the interview without references to music and dance.  Can you recommend 3 Afro Peruvian songs the audience should checkout ? And are there any videos you recommend that would give the audience a visual into Afro Peruvian dance culture ? 

MARGGIE: My top 3 songs to get started with are:

Voy Cantando - Pepe Vasquez

Sanguito - Afro Peru 

Cañete - Peru Negro 

These are Festejo songs, but if you want to check out an album I recommend

Pepe Vasquez - Ritmos de Negros

There is a video I posted on our page where Nicomedes Santa Cruz talks about a music/dance style called Lando. It’s parts of a special that show from 1977 where they feature 45 min of different subcultures in Peru. Within this program, they feature the first generation of Peru Negro dancing  Lando and Festejo from 1977. This is a great video to watch since this was the peak of Afro-Peruvian folklore dancers.

AFROCONEX:  there is simply no way to cover the breath of Afro Peruvian culture in one interview; therefore can you recommend some resources where additional research and information can be found on Afro Peruvian culture ? 

MARGGIE: Absolutely. Here are a few references and some additional information on Afro Peruvian culture.

Who are Afro-Peruvians?

Afro-Peruvians are descendants of enslaved Africans brought to Peru during the Spanish colonial era, mainly between the 16th and 19th centuries. According to historical records, it is believed that the origin of the Africans brought to Peru were from Congo, Angola, Guinea, Cameroon and Senegal.

Music and Dance

Afro-Peruvian music is one of the most celebrated aspects of the culture. To name a few, it includes:

• Festejo: A vibrant, percussive dance that embodies celebration

• Landó: A slower rhythm rooted in African traditions characterized for its rhythmic complexity

• Zamacueca: Known as the grandmother of the national Peruvian dance, La Marinera. This is a partner dance that uses handkerchiefs as props

• Zapateo Afro-Peruano: Afro-Peruvian tap dancing

Some notable Afro-Peruvian instruments include.

• The Cajon (box drum), Quijada de Burro (donkey jawbone), and Cajita (small wooden box)

Cultural Renaissance

Artists like Victoria Santa Cruz, Nicomedes Santa Cruz, and groups like Perú Negro have helped revive and preserve Afro-Peruvian heritage since the mid-20th century. Afro-Peruvian culture and tradition has been conversed by notable family lineages such as the Vasquez in Lima, Peru and the Ballumbrosios in El Carmen, Chincha.

We’ve put together some links for further exploration of Afro-Peruvian culture. This link contains informational resources that include music, dance, poetry, mini-documentaries, interviews and more!

Learn more at: https://linktr.ee/LearnAfroPeru