Thursday, September 13, 2007

Community Calendar

6th LOISAIDA CORTOS LATINO FILM FESTIVAL

GALA RECEPTION
Friday September 14,7 p.m. to midnight
Hip Hop Culture Center (at the Magic Johnson Theater)
2309 Frederick Douglass Boulevard @ 124th Street, 2nd Floor
Harlem
Suggested Donation $20
Please rsvp to info@loisaidacortos.com

FILM FESTIVAL PREMIERE
Sunday September 16, 5 to 10 p.m.
La Plaza Cultural Community Garden
9th Street and Ave. C
East Village
Free Admission

LCLFF’s annual presence at the garden enriches the surrounding residential and business community both artistically and financially — as artists and festival-goers stream into the area to shop, eat, and experience the best of Latino culture.

For more information, go to www.loisaidacortos.com.

Gathering Around the Plaque


Gathering Around the Plaque
Originally uploaded by mamarazzi1.
Check out mamarazzi1's photo set titled "Tito Puente Post Office" at flickr.
Spotlight

Post Office in El Barrio Dedicated to Tito Puente
By Ismael Nunez

In East Harlem, there’s a street, there's a school, there's talk of having a statue one day, and now there's a post office that bears his name: Tito Puente.

After all, Puente is considered one of Latin music’s greatest band leaders and musicians. A plaque was recently unveiled in Puente’s memory and it hangs in the lobby of the post office at 167 East 124 Street.

Congressman Charles Rangel, who had introduced the bill to have the post office dedicated in Puente's honor, was among those who attended a Sept. 10 ceremony to celebrate.

“Tito Puente was more than a musician, more than a ambassador," Rangel said. "The personality he had (brought) people of different colors and cultures together.

"Young people and adults will have the honor of knowing who this person was, and people who knew him can share who this great musician was," he said. "Most importantly, (they will know) that he loved people."

Patricia McGovern, spokeswoman for the postal services in the New York Metro Area, said, “It’s a great honor to have this building dedicated to him. Many are not aware he was born/raised in the neighborhood. This dedication was solely appropriate."

As the dedication shifted to the Taino Towers Crystal Ballroom where live music filled the air and Latin food was served, several community people shared their thoughts.

"It is great; the best thing currently to have happened in this community was to name a building in his honor," said Charley Diaz, head of the Stickball Hall of Fame. "I know and the community knows there will be more dedications like this taking place."

Nina Olson, director of Development/Publicity/Community Outreach for the Harbor Conservatory for the Performing Arts, described Puente as "an amazing profound musician/bandleader."

"He took this music all over the world," she said. "He was also very concerned about musical education. The conservatory was one of the sponsors for the Tito Puente Scholarship Fund, the conservatory was a favorite of his. His generosity, his music, the conservatory will continue to educate the next future generations of musicians."

Joe Conzo, who is in charge of the “Tito Puente Legacy Project” at Hostos Community College in the Bronx, said, “He would’ve loved this dedication; he’s watching it now."

As the band started to play some Puente's classics, Conzo said, “He’s playing the drums, leading the band, he’s still with us in spirit and heart."

Ismael Nunez is a freelance writer based in El Barrio who contributes his writings to Puerto Rico Sun.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Featured article

Cemi Underground is a new cultural haven in El Barrio.

Check out today's New York Daily News:

www.nydailynews.com/latino/2007/09/12/2007-09-12_culture_store_in_east_harlem_attracts_cu.html

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

'Encuentros'


'Encuentros'
Originally uploaded by prsuncom
Joe Falcon and Bobby Gonzalez Form a Marriage of Music and Poetry
By Robert Waddell

Bassist Joe Falcon and poet Bobby Gonzalez describe their collaboration as a mélange and merger of poetry, various styles of Latin music and Taino and jibaro traditions. They join words and melody in their soon to be released CD “Encuentros” or Encounters. They bring years of personal experience to the genre and form a marriage of poetry and music.

“An Encuentro (an encounter) is something that comes together,” said Falcon, “either naturally or because you seek it; could be a friendship or an encounter with your past.”

Falcon stands at his bass and sways his body, playing fine mellow tunes to Gonzalez’s poetry, which talks of Puerto Rican and Taino culture. Falcon gives a smooth touch of jibaro cords as Gonzalez's tenor tells of ancient Taino gods in a contemporary setting. And Alto saxophonist Ricardo Strobert adds and improvises ideas, Falcon said.

“I’m always careful to acknowledge our African ancestry,” Gonzalez said, “and our Spanish culture...I was told by my mother that there are ‘African, Spanish and Taino spirits walking behind you so you should honor all of them.’ ”

In one of Gonzalez’s poems, he honors a Taino goddess called Atabex-gurra-pita, which is the goddess of the waters like the Yoruba Yemaya.

“Our culture is still here," he said. "We are still a dynamic force in the Caribbean and the United States. I want to communicate pride and love in who we are today that will empower people if they know this history.”

Falcon takes Gonzalez's words and conceives music that fits. For example, Falcon and Gonzalez take listeners to the past or a different place as with “El Yunque,” the Puerto Rican rain forest.

They both describe the feeling within their collaborations as surreal.

“Something far out, something real and unreal,” Falcon said. “The form is not direct. There’s no straight line. There are many lines.”

And, they are adding a jibaro and Taino contribution to this genre.

Falcon reads Gonzalez’s poetry, grabs onto an image and flies with the music.

Falcon recalled that he first saw Gonzalez in the Highbridge section of the Bronx, where he was giving a talk on the history of the Taino. And what struck Falcon were the images.

Falcon said he plays improvisational salsa that doesn’t speak to one approach or style. He lives up to Duke Ellington’s definition that music should go beyond category.

“I could play just one style,” said Falcon, “but if I’m not careful, we arrive there without really wanting to be and we’re boxed in. If you stick to only one style then you’re stuck to that one style.”

And Gonzalez's poetry compliments the music.

Gonzalez said his words come from his family traditions of going to El Barrio on the weekends, eating rice and beans and listening to salsa. They also come from Native American pow-wows and his Taino roots.

The poetry songs take the listener on a voyage,” said Gonzalez, who grew up in the Bronx. “This voyage takes them through the past, present and future.”

Falcon and Gonzalez said “Encuentros” tells and re-tells personal and collective Puerto Rican stories. Their poetry and musical come together, forming a dance that has a touch of jibaro, Taino, salsa, jazz, poetry and collective discovery.

“In a way, I’m fulfilling my fantasy of being the lead singer in a rock band,” Gonzalez said of "Encuentros."

Robert Waddell is a freelance writer from the Bronx who contributes his writings to Puerto Rico Sun.

For more information, visit www.bobbygonzalez.com.
Coming soon
Friday, Sept. 28
"ENCUENTROS" A jazz/poetry collaboration featuring Bobby Gonzalez (poet), Joe Falcon (bass) & Ricardo Strobert (saxaphone/flute) Admission: $10 at Cemi Underground in East Harlem. Visit www.cemiunderground.com.

IMG_2751


IMG_2751
Originally uploaded by clarisel.
@ Cemi Underground in El Barrio

Boats to Build


Boats to Build
Originally uploaded by silversldr.

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

Community Calendar

THIS WEEK AT CEMI UNDERGROUND

Wed., Sept. 5, at 6 p.m.
Book signing and presentation with Prisionera introducing her newly published book “Puro Ritmo Y Patriotismo.”
Admission FREE!

Fri., Sept. 7, at 7 p.m.
"El Boogie Down Comedy Show" with comedians Arnold Acevedo and Eric Nieves.
Admission $8

Sat., Sept. 8 at 3 p.m.
Book signing and presentation by best selling author Steven Torres of the popular series Precinct Puerto Rico and his newly released book The Concrete Maze. Admission FREE!

Cemí Underground
1799 Lexington Ave., at 112th St., El Barrio
212-860-2820
Email: info@cemiunderground.com
Visit: www.CemiUnderground.com and www.myspace.com/cemiunderground

Pigeon Park - Old San Juan, PR


Pigeon Park - Old San Juan, PR
Originally uploaded by avpjack.

Sunday, September 02, 2007

Saturday, September 01, 2007

IMG_2525


IMG_2525
Originally uploaded by clarisel.

In the Mailbox

Dear friend:
LaMicro Theater and Teatro IATI will present a workshop reading of On Insomnia and Midnight by Edgar Chias on September 7, at 7 p.m. at 59-61 East 4th Street #4E in Manhattan. Edgar Chias is an emerging playwright and his play On Insomnia and Midnight was produced by the Royal Court Theatre in London last year.

We hope you can make it.

Sponsored by NYC DCA and LMCC!

Thank you
Sincerely
Pietro Gonzalez

For more information visit:
www.lamicrotheater.org