Dr. LaVerne Adams exclusive for Mighty Magazine

Mighty Magazine is thrilled to introduce Dr. LaVerne Adams who is a lifelong advocate for personal growth and over-the-hill couch. Dr. Adams is also a Les Brown trained, TedX motivational speaker, and hast most proud of her opportunity to spoken at the United Nations regarding trauma in education as a UN Peace Ambassador. She travels extensively throughout the United States.

In recent years, Dr. Adams has focused her work on helping people who are often overlooked or marginalized, particularly those who are considered “over-the-hill”. After her first shocking experience of ageism left her feeling unheard and invisible, she became determined to do everything in her power to fight it. She believes that everyone has something to offer, irrespective of their age, and she is committed to helping people to find their voice and live their best lives. To this end, Dr. Adams uses pageantry as a way to celebrate her beautifully gratifying life as a Servant Leader, and as a way to spread good will to seniors. She is fortunate to be the reigning Ms. Sr. Earth 2023.

Dr. Adams is now a sought-after speaker, executive coach, and consultant. She specializes in helping people of all ages overcome adversity and achieve their full potential. She is particularly passionate about working with women.

Dr. Adams is the Chief Executive Coach of Total Life Consultancy LLC, where she serves leaders as an Executive Coach, Organizational Consultant, and Corporate Trainer in the public and private sectors.

United States, Africa, India, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Philippines, inspiring thousands with her empowering message of hope for a better life, a better community, and a better world.

By Eva Maria Scott

Torcuato Zamora Herrada, Spanish Citizen, born in the town of Dona Maria three villas Almeria.

torcuato a talented classical guitar professional specializing in Flamenco an immigrant residing in Maryland; was honored with the medal of merit by the king of Spain, Philip VI upon request by the Spanish embassy in DC for his contribution in promoting the art of flamenco in the U.S

Flamenco is alive and well in the DMV area. Performance groups like Furia Flamenca continue to bring Spanish music and dance to eager aficionados and students. A recently formed cultural organization called Torcuart endeavors to contribute to the cultural landscape in DC, Maryland and Virginia with phenomenal flamenco performances, concerts, literature, visual arts and poetry among other activities. But at the heart of this movement there is a man, a Pioneer of all things Spanish!; the guitarist Torcuato Zamora.

On a sunny Saturday morning a month ago we drove to Silver Springs Maryland to interview and get to know this man. Torcuato ,now 89, welcomed us into his home with a warm abrazo and proceeded to tell us his life stories as we walked by pictures, paintings and posters on the walls. Stories of a sad childhood as his father became a political prisoner at the end of the Spanish civil war leaving his mother and 7 kids evicted from their Almeria ranch.

Stories of migrations first, with his mother and siblings to Barcelona to be close to relatives and find a meager factory job to support her starving children and then as a young man to Luxembourg where he earned respect as a classic guitar instructor and performer.

Torcuato’s space tells a story of his journey and life. His colorful home contains a teaching studio, a large Spanish tile top table (where tapas and good wine never cease to flow), a performance stage, a store for flamenco shoes and attires...it feels more like a museum, chock-full of Spanish, souvenirs, posters and mementos among pictures of himself with different political leaders, presidents, dignitaries, the Spanish Royal family and more. Torcuato, this humble man with a sad story, an immigrant, has done more to expose the beautiful sound of a Spanish guitar and the art of flamenco in our area than anybody else. He came to the US with Susan his red haired American wife. They met in Luxembourg where she was working at the embassy , she became her student and girlfriend and when her two year assignment was over, they embarked on a transatlantic ship towards New York. They settled in DC in the 60s ,started a family and Torcuato continued playing guitar in restaurants like el Bodegon, el Caribe, el Caminante, Torremolinos and Andalucia as well as in multiple theaters and embassies.

He first toured Europe with his guitar and then the Americas, Torcuato Zamora has toured the U.S with the Jose Molina Spanish dance company and opened the Spanish guitar Academy in Silver Springs Maryland. He was honored with the medal of merit by the Spanish embassy in the US for promoting the culture of flamenco in this country it was given to him by his majesty King Philip VI.

The maestro gifted me with his book El Cortijo,a brief memoir of his tumultuous life. I cannot put in this little article all of the details of his journey but what stands out is his passion for music, that was his first language:the guitar ! he started performing in concerts at the young age of 15...Zamora found more appreciation among strangers than in his own country ; an incredibly talented and disciplined musician, full of humor, a genuine welcoming person who has lived his life to the fullest ...what a legacy of Love! what dedication to his art! If interested in attending the Flamenco events in the DMV area don’t hesitate to check into www.torcuart.com or www. Furia-Flamenca.com