Welcome to my world of creativity and cultural immersion!
I was born in Rio Grande do Sul, in the very south of Brazil, and raised in Rondônia, deep in the Amazon, near the Bolivian border. That in-between space — between forests and frontiers, roots and reinvention — continues to shape how I move through the world.
My path has always been guided by curiosity and a love for the arts. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Performing Arts from the University of Brasília (UNB), and later completed an MBA in Cultural Management and Production with a focus on the Creative Economy at Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV / RJ). But beyond titles and training, what moves me is the transformative power of culture.
In Brazil, I spent over a decade working in cultural production and public programming — most notably at SESC Escola Cultural in Rio de Janeiro. There, I coordinated interdisciplinary projects that brought together performance, visual arts, music, dance, and community engagement. I also danced with Regina Miranda’s Ateliê Coreográfico and deepened my research in movement and subjectivity at the Angel Vianna School.
In 2016, I moved to Amsterdam — a turning point in my personal and professional journey. As a South American immigrant, I began exploring how identity is shaped by distance, by touch, by the spaces between what we carry and what we become. This led me to research the body as territory, the skin as a threshold, and in 2022, I became certified as a touch therapist through Cuddle Professionals International.
Here in the Netherlands, I founded Jungle Brazil, a project born from my longing for home and my love for sharing it. Through food, I found a new way to tell stories — about Brazil, about belonging, about joy. From catering embassy dinners to serving hundreds at festivals, Jungle Brazil became a kitchen, a stage, and a gathering place.
Now, that energy continues under a new name: Borogodó.
More than just a brand, Borogodó is a feeling — that spark of charm, rhythm, and soul you can’t quite explain but immediately recognize. It’s the next chapter of my work: a cultural and culinary studio in Amsterdam where I host events, create sensory experiences, and invite others to celebrate the beauty of difference and togetherness.
Connect with me:
tahibamelina@borogodo.nl / https://www.instagram.com/tahiba_melina
Thank you for visiting my website, and I look forward to sharing my passion for arts and culture with you!