A native Brazilian from the North East city of Recife, Juliana has been drumming and moving since she was a toddler – not uncommon where she comes from – and working in the community since the age of 13: first feeding the needy in the favelas of Pernambuco, and later as she started her Music Bachelor Degree, teaching free music lessons in those communities.

Juliana also studied Law, Journalism and Dance and in her early twenties migrated to Washington D.C. where she lived for 10 years. There she dove deep in the Social Justice Movement in the post 9/11 era, including the organising of several national protests, as well as reporting as a radio show host and spokesperson to local independent media outlets highlighting human rights infringement on the disenfranchised Latin American Community.

The turning point-and that eventually led to the creation of Katumba, came in 2011, after being in the UK for 2 years, Juliana was victim of a life-threatening motorbike accident that left her wheelchair bound.

Her rehabilitation was uncertain, and so Juliana explored alternative methods of recovery-both physical and mental as she battled PTSD. It was in her recover she started developing what would eventually become Katumba’s unique approach in using movement practices and music to positively impact individuals’ wellbeing.

Talented in both percussion, movement and mindfulness practices, she is Liverpool’s only resident Brazilian in the field, giving Katumba a unique authenticity in its activities.

Now fully recovered and back on her feet Juliana continues to defy expectations and challenge stereotypes as a mixed race, queer, migrant woman at the helm of an International organisation, and has been promoting racial equality and championing artists and practitioners from the global majority in all projects she develops.