Irka Mateo is a Dominican singer and cultural activist based in Santo Domingo whose work sits at the convergence of Dominican folklore, world music, and fusion. She has devoted much of her artistic life to excavating and reimagining the Afro-Dominican musical traditions that form the deepest roots of the island's cultural heritage — the salves, palos, and gagá rhythms associated with the country's African-descended communities.

Through her recordings and extensive live performance work, Mateo has brought these traditions into contemporary contexts, reaching audiences in the Dominican Republic and internationally who might not otherwise encounter this dimension of Dominican culture. She has collaborated with musicians from across the Caribbean and beyond, weaving together threads from different musical traditions into a sound that is always rooted in Dominican identity.

Mateo is recognized not only as a musician but as a guardian and transmitter of cultural knowledge, working to ensure that the Afro-Dominican musical heritage survives and thrives in a changing world.