PEOPLE

TATIANA LUZARDO

Tatiana is originally from the coast of Colombia and later grew up in Medellin where she went to school for fashion design. In 2001 she found her true passion; the art of nourishing people with her food while expressing her unique taste and style. In 2006 she opened a catering business in NYC serving natural fusions of Colombian, Mexican, Indian and Asian food. As the cofounder of Sonidoselva as well as Minca's first vegetarian restaurant, Duni Cafe, Tati spends her time developing Duni, designing spaces and is a curator for Sonidoselva's arts and artist programs. She also works with the different communities of the Indigenous people of La Sierra to help them to spread their message of conservation of nature and respect for our mother earth.

JWIKAMEY TORRES

Jwikamey Torres is member of the Indigenous Arhuaco people of La Sierra. He shares our dream of interdependent communities exchanging their knowledge and learning with one another. He trusts that together we can make positive change in the Indigenous territories in La Sierra by creating harmonious examples what such a community could look like. Jwikamey is a part of a group of young Indigenous people here who are interested in building alliances based on mutual respect, peace and a deep love for our mother Earth. Though he is a representative of a new generation, Jwikamey is very focused on the transmission of a very old idea his culture has preserved for millennia; that we must take care of nature first and foremost if we are to create the peaceful and happy co-existence that people all over the world are now seeking. We couldn't be happier have him working with us here at Sonidoselva where he functions as a representative of his community and is helping us develop cultural exchange programs with some of the more difficult to access Arhuaco communities in the highest reaches of La Sierra.

GUNAREYMAKU

Maku is an embassador of the Indigenous Wiwa people from la Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.

He is an active content creator who teaches how to take care of nature according to the ways he does in his culture. Maku loves to show and teach how his family lives their every day life, about their traditions, thoughts and the difference with the civilianz.

He is an active guardian of La Sierra, entrepeneur and an active representative of his community.

FEDERICO ASCARAY

Co-founder of the Sol de Minca Nature Reserve. Environmentalist and nature conservationist. He specializes in permaculture design and Bio-construction, Fedi brings 8 years of experience experimenting and developing his expertise in natural construction here in Minca and the spectacular results he has gotten with his project Sol de Minca speak for themselves. In charge of the overall management and planning of the sustainable development of Sonidoselva, we're looking forward to working with Federico creating an exciting new sustainable future here in Minca.

NATY VARGAS

Naty Vargas is a Digital Marketing expert who heard the calling to come and live in la Sierra after learning the Art of living from great masters around Southeast Asia.

Once in this territory, she has been working on ways to connect people who have a more "traditional life" with themselves, nature and a more holistic and spiritual life.

Naty is part of the team that is giving life and structure to Sonidoselva, eager to work aligned with every person who is wants to transmit their knowledge and wisdom to the community

ANGELICA SIERRA

Angelica is an eclectic soul that curates creative space and is a bridge connecting people everywhere. She is deeply committed to the recognition and conservation of Colombian culture and territory.

Angelica Sierra was born in Cali, Colombia. Leaving her heart behind in Colombia at age 11 in 1997. She spent the next 20 years soaking in California’s Santa Cruz culture and community. The call to return to her soul’s connection, Jelly returned in 2018 with the passion for building and connecting cultural bridges through local artist, music, food, and nature.

Angelica is infused with a mix between the modern, the handcrafted and artisanal ways of La Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. It’s no coincidence that Angelica shares her name with the sacred Colombian mountains in which she choses to live and call home.

A dot connector, la tejedora de mundos. The glue that binds the fundamental project pieces in order to co-create cohesively profound experiences. She is a lively artist of life, always open and receptive to stepping into the unknown. Someone who takes care of the community, Angelica loves to keep life organic and sustainable. Her magnetic and contagious vibration inspires the flow of creativity in all the humans she encounters. She is excited to support and share the mission and vision of Sonidoselva with everyone that wants to collaborate, co-create and move forward this magical project.

BETTINA CASTAGNO

Bettina Castagno grew up in and around New York within a family steeped in the culinary arts. She worked in the tristate area for more than 20 years as a career chef, caterer, and restaurant manager. Specializing in gourmet catering, Bettina became known for her extensive knowledge of ethnic foods, spices, wild herbs, and medicinals. She creates dishes that combine exotic flavors into a presentation enhanced by unique ambiences. Bettina who lives in the borderlands region of northern New Mexico adjacent to the Navajo nation where she owns and operates Naked Soul Indigenous Arts and is dedicated to the highest quality authentic, handmade Navajo jewelry and other Indigenous Arts, she has been buying, selling, trading and collecting for more than 20 years. Bettina is also quite active in her community, she is the founder of Two Rivers Camp Indigenous Mutual Aid Collective, an outgrowth of her years of activism and dedication to Indigenous rights and causes. Her efforts began with running a traveling kitchen providing nutritious meals for those on the front lines at Indigenous resistance camps for environmental justice such as the Standing Rock Sioux Nation’s stand against the Dakota Access Pipeline, among others. Bettina expanded her efforts to serve Indigenous people in need throughout North America through Two Rivers Camp, which she runs out of her New Mexico homestead. During the Covid19 pandemic, she and her volunteers, donors, supporters and allies provided much needed support for Indigenous people and their elders as well as foster children, and those with challenging health issues in marginalized communities on and off reservations. Bettina believes in the wisdom gained through much time spent with Indigenous elders that the preservation and support of the lifeways of Indigenous people is vital to the repair of Earth, creation and her people.

PAULA RODRIGUEZ

Paula Rodríguez has been living and working in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and the Colombian Caribbean for the last six years. She attended the University of the Andes where she studied anthropology, history and while traveling in India, gardening. She´s passionate about working with the indigenous people and farmers who live in La Sierra's unique tropical ecosystems. Paul is also a chef and is studying microscopical expressions of life through the use of natural fermentation processes in her cuisine. Her projects at Sonidoselva reflect her belief that sustainable community represents the best strategy for preserving and sustaining life on this planet..