Angela Cruz
Angela is a descendant of Visayan and Gaddang lineages of the Philippines. She is a seer, traditional healer, reiki master, holistic coach, reproductive birth justice advocate, drummer, and mother of four, born into a lineage of spirit mediums. Her practice of 20+ years has been greatly informed by trainings, experiences, and traditional cultural initiations. She is an initiated Spirit Medium in the tradition of the Shona people of Zimbabwe and an initiated Priest in the Afro-Cuban traditions of Palo Monte and Lucumi.
She is a guide for individuals and groups seeking to connect with their ancestors in a safe and sacred manner. She shares methods that empower, facilitate personal and intergenerational healing, supports and strengthens individuals in their chosen careers, and are in alignment with their destinies. Her work is anchored in the ancient principle that each person is their own greatest healer and carries unique wisdom, magic, and medicine to share with humanity.
Angela is passionate about the empowerment of women through the nurturing, development, and embodiment of their spiritual gifts. She is an advocate for traditional birth practices as a powerful and necessary vehicle for decolonization, claiming sovereignty, and liberation. Additionally, she believes strongly in the intersection of ancestral and midwifery practices, and seeks to create and be in spaces which address this through conscious dialogue, culturally sensitive education, and diverse community building. The sacred space of birthing is one she holds with deep reverence, and is honored to support birthing persons on their journeys.
Angela has been trained and certified as a doula under the late Medrakanoeonapua, a beloved traditional midwife of Hawaii, as a Full Spectrum Indigenous Doula through Zaagi’idiwin, and was a co-founder of Shine Sisterhood Initiative. She is a co-founder of Ndoro Healing Arts.
~My eternal gratitude for my elders and ancestors of both blood and spiritual lineages. It is with their love, wisdom, knowledge, support, strength and guidance, that I am able to walk my path.~
Benjamin Sands
Benjamin’s journey into drumming began in high school, inspired by an inexplicable moment of spontaneous knowing. His connection deepened during his time at Williams College, where he studied African and African Diaspora music and dance under the mentorship of Sandra Burton and Kweyao Agyapon. It was there he began to grasp the profound power of the drum as it awakened a deep yearning, the truth of his original intuition.
In answering this calling, Benjamin was led to study further with renowned master artists such as Obo Addy, Titos Sompa, Joaquin Pozo, and Chris Berry. He soon discovered how deeply intertwined the musical and spiritual threads of African Diaspora cultures truly are, a realization that fueled his passion and marked the beginning of an over 25-year journey exploring the traditional music and spirituality of West, Central, Southern Africa and the African Diaspora.
Several years into this journey, Benjamin received a dream which presented a choice and a spiritual crossroads. That choice, alongside subsequent dreams and divination with elder practitioners, has led him down a path of ceremony and ever-deepening ancestral and spiritual traditions. Benjamin is an initiated Spirit Medium in the tradition of the Shona people of Zimbabwe and an initiated priest in the Afro-Cuban traditions of Lucumi and Palo Monte.
He is passionate about sharing music and ceremonies as powerful tools for healing, spiritual growth, and fulfillment. His work and offerings are founded on the belief that the ancient practices of honoring and connecting with our ancestors hold keys to discovering and aligning with one’s life purpose. In addition to co-founding Ndoro Healing Arts, he is a father, author, diviner, multi-instrumentalist, and recording artist.
~I give thanks to my parents, ancestors, spiritual guides, Mpungo and Orisha, for their blessings, and to all the teachers who have generously shared their wisdom and the medicine of their lineages with me. Tinotenda. Matondo. Modupe.~
