Entrepreneur, Activist, Tour guide
Hello I’m Kelly TavaresI speak: English, Português, Spanish
About me
Hi, I am Kelly a certified tour guide and travel agent who has been promoting the African Legacy experiences in Rio de Janeiro since 2013. I graduated in Arts Education from the Federal University of Espírito Santo and has a Master’s degree in Community Arts Management, at the University of Oregon, USA. My whole life has been dedicated to acknowledging my roots through educational actions and projects. I was born in the Port Area where my ancestors set residence. The need to break free from colonial ties led me to researching the diaspora: “As a guide for the African Heritage tours in Rio de Janeiro, I am constantly researching sites of memory related to the slave traffic. As a consequence more layers unveil parts of our history that are directly connected to my own identity. Sharing my own history with visitors have been impacting our lives to identify colonial ties and break behavioral chains” An essential part of my work is to meet people from other parts of Brazil and the world in order to share experiences, positive actions, and best practices, connecting with researchers, tour guides, community cultural leaders and amazing people and places.