Machiran

Machiran is a Cuban performer, composer, and interdisciplinary artist based in New York City whose work brings together music, performance, and storytelling to explore identity, access, and cultural belonging. Drawing from his experiences as a Black, Latinx, and LGBTQ+ artist, he creates work that centers community, connection, and the transformative power of shared cultural experiences. After overcoming barriers that limited his artistic path in Cuba, Machiran has built a practice rooted in dialogue, artistic exchange, and expanding opportunities for historically underrepresented voices.

Now based in New York, Machiran continues to develop original work that bridges genres and disciplines while fostering spaces of inclusion and collective creativity. He is AFI’s newest Safe Haven Incubator for Musicians: NYC (SHIM:NYC) Musician in Residence, a residency led by Artistic Freedom Initiative, Tamizdat, and Joe’s Pub, where he is developing new work alongside a community of artists rebuilding their creative practices in exile.