Gina Arias
AuthorGina Arias has a passion for travel and storytelling that began early in life, while spending all of her childhood summers in the home of her maternal grandparents in the Dominican Republic. Her writing has been published in the Miami Herald Tribune and other regional publications through her work as senior editor at DETOUR, a Black travel publication. Additionally her writing was included in a chapbook titled La Doña: Essays on the Dominican Matriarch, published through the Dominican Writers Association.
She served in the Peace Corps in Niger (1994-1996), and has lived abroad and traveled extensively for both work and pleasure. She hosts Excursions with Gina Arias, a travel podcast focused on the themes of community, music, and resistance.
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Join us in Palenque, Colombia. Founded in the early 1600s by escaped enslaved Africans, it was declared a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. Hear a native son and cultural ambassador, Afroneto, share what makes this town so special amongst the Black diaspora. -
Come with us to the Dominican Republic as we travel back in time to explore history through the firsthand accounts of two people who lived under the brutal dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo. Our storytellers relive the tumultuous times that follow his assassination and share their immigration journeys to and in the United States where they eventually settled and formed their families. The joys and pains of leaving one's home to make a better life elsewhere are all told in this 2-part episode.
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Come with us to the Dominican Republic as we travel back in time to explore history through the firsthand accounts of two people who lived under the brutal dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo. Our storytellers relive the tumultuous times that follow his assassination and share their immigration journeys to and in the United States where they eventually settled and formed their families. The joys and pains of leaving one's home to make a better life elsewhere are all told in this 2-part episode.
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Journey with us to Cuba to connect with hip hop artists and how their lives and music are affected by the political and social conditions. We hear from various players in the Cuban hip hop scene including El Individuo, who is centering Black pride in his music and two women MCs, La Reyna and La Real, making their own lane in this male-dominated culture and the struggles they face to be recognized. The Director of the Cuban Rap Agency, Ruben Marin, discusses what challenges come with running a state institution dedicated solely to rap music. We also hear from an old-school icon of the genre, Yimi con Claze, whose roots are in the MC, graffiti, and b-boy scenes of the Cuban capital, Havana. Our journey closes out with some real talk from DJ Reymel, who breaks down the challenges inherent in creating this art form in Cuba.
