Kiara Alegría Hudes

She started studying Lukumi, which her older sisters also participated in.

It was popularly known as santeria at the time.

I kind of shy away from that terminology because it was just used in such ugly ways in my youth, really almost as a slur or as an othering sort of word.

So I used lukumi, which does not have those same connotations.

It looked like mom...

doing ceremony in our living room.

There aren't churches.

This is a living room practice.

She would have scholars, and by scholars, I mean priests.

This is a very intellectual practice.

You have to study deep history to gain seniority and respect in the religion.

They would grate coconut and put it on my kneecaps, and I would sit there and meditate for an hour as that cleansing spirit entered me, and they prayed over my head.

They would make me a bath of flower petals and different herbal remedies, cascarilla, which is like powdered eggshell, to open my pathways to help me not be depressed.

I was depressed as a kid.

They would chant in Yoruba.

They would chant in Spanish in my living room with the batá drums.

It was a very culturally awe-inspiring experience.

My living room was often the site of sacred practice.

It was super cool.

I stayed a composer my instrument is now words I'm not practicing for hours alone at the piano every day instead I'm