Monday, June 22, 2015

Check out PRSUN Project: National Puerto Rican Day Parade '15

For the last few years, Puerto Rico Sun has assembled a group of photographers to cover the National Puerto Rican Day Parade through their lens. We don't have any other agenda but showcasing select images of the parade as seen by the photographers on our PRSUN team.

Here is the link to our online photo gallery of this year's parade and related activities:

https://www.flickr.com/groups/prsunprproject15

More images to be added soon.

This year's PRSUN team: Ismael Nunez, Miriam Quin and yours truly.

Enjoy.

Monday, May 11, 2015

Rita Moreno, Lin-Manuel Miranda and More to Lead National Puerto Rican Day Parade 2015

Cultural Celebration on Fifth Avenue to also Honor
Afro-Boricua Heritage and the State of Connecticut


Special campaign to raise awareness about Environmental Justice
for Caño Martín Peña in San Juan



The National Puerto Rican Day Parade (NPRDP) today announced its line-up of honorees, themes, special events, and initiatives, for the upcoming celebration annual celebration along Fifth Avenue.


Oscar, Emmy, Grammy, and Tony-winning entertainer Rita Moreno, will serve as the Parade's Grand Marshal, leading up the massive Parade of approximately 20,000 marchers and 2 million spectators, on June 14th. Salsa superstar Victor Manuelle will serve at the Parade's King. Emmy, Grammy and Tony Award winner Lin-Manuel Miranda, star and creator of the upcoming Broadway musical "Hamilton", will receive the "Nuestro Orgullo" (Our Pride) Award for his inspiring contribution to the American stage.

In a press conference held at the New York Regional Office of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration (PRFAA), Lorraine Cortés-Vásquez, President of NPRDP, joined the Parade's Board of Directors to announce the continuation of "Un Pueblo Muchas Voces" (One Community, Multiple Voices), as the Parade's overall theme. A special commemorative theme has been added, "Celebrating Afro-Boricua Heritage", meant to coincide with the designation of the next decade as the "International Decade for People of African Descent", by the United Nations.

As part of this celebration NPRDP 2015 will honor Kennedy-Center Honor recipient Martina Arroyo, Opera Legend and Founder of the Martina Arroyo Foundation, Dr. Marta Moreno Vega, Founder of the Caribbean Cultural Center and African Diaspora Institute, novelist and educator Mayra-Santos Febres, musician and composer Cucco Peña, painter Carmelo Sobrino, and bandleader, musician and composer Miguel Zenón. Posthumous tributes will honor historian, author and activist Arturo Schomberg, and pioneer choreographer, actress and activist, Sylvia del Villard.

Following last year's successful awareness campaigns focused on the legacy of poet Julia de Burgos (commemorating the centennial of her birth) and the Oscar López Rivera case (the civil and human rights case that has grabbed the attention of activists internationally), NPRDP will has launched a new campaign in 2015 focused on the environmental, social and economic crisis at Caño Martín Peña, a 3.75 mile-long canal located at the heart of San Juan's metropolitan area, home to 8communities with over 25,000 residents.

"Part of the Parade's mission is to raise awareness about important issues that affect Puerto Rican communities across the board", Cortés-Vásquez said. "The situation at Caño Martín Peña is very similar to the environmental justice struggles faced by Puerto Rican and Latino communities in the United States. Our goal is to educate everyone about what is going on, in an objective way".

As part of the awareness campaign, a delegation from G-8 and Proyecto ENLACE (two local advocacy organizations) will march on Fifth Avenue. A video about the ecological state of Caño will be shown at events leading up to the Parade, outreach will be conducted through NPRDP's social media, and a special segment dedicated to highlighting the importance of Caño and its surrounding communities, will be shown on NPRDP's television broadcast.

NPRDP's 2015 State dedication was granted to Connecticut, home of one of the largest Puerto Rican communities in the United States. The Hartford Metropolitan Area has the 8th highest Puerto Rican population in the nation, surpassing 106 thousand people, according to the last Census.

Other 2015 honorees announced today include:

Darlene Rodriguez (Ambassador)
Tito El Bambino (Ambassador)
Yan Ruiz (Ambassador)
Elise Drew Leon (Rising Star in Performing Arts)
Lilliana Vázquez (Rising Star in TV & Media)
Amanda Brown (Rising Star in Music)

NPRDP in conjunction with The New York State Coalition of Hispanic Chambers of Commerce and The United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (Ignacio Veloz, Chairman), will host it's first Puerto Rican / Hispanic Business Summit in New York City, on Friday, June 12th, 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM, at the Bank of New York Mellon. The event seeks to promote business development and collaborations in both Puerto Rico and the United States, and includes workshops and panels.

In a press conference held last month in San Juan, NPRDP announced that the 2015 Puerto Rico township dedication will go to Añasco, a tourist attraction located west of San Juan. Other honorees announced in San Juan were:

Roselyn Sánchez (Parade Queen)
Andrés Jiménez (Godfather)
Ivy Queen (Godmother)
Ivonne Coll (Lifetime Achievement in TV & Film)
Alfonso Vélez Iturrín "El Fuá" (Lifetime Achivement in Music)
Raquel Sofía (Rising Star in Music)
Lynn Ponder (Rising Star in Social Media)
Luis Jiménez (Ambassador)
Katiria Soto (Ambassador)
Carmen Dominicci (Ambassador)

The only official NPRDP 2015 events are:

Education Leadership Awards - May 27th
152nd Street Festival in the Bronx - May 30th
Rising Stars Challenge - June 6th
Annual Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral - June 7th
Annual Gala of the National Puerto Rican Day Parade - June 12th
National Puerto Rican Day Parade (58th Annual Puerto Rican Day Parade of New York) - June 14th

The Parade will take place from 11am to 5pm on Fifth Avenue, from E. 44th to E. 77th Streets.

NPRDP 2015 sponsors include JetBlue, GOYA Foods, McDonald's Corporation, The Coca-Cola Company, AT&T, Acacia Network, City University of New York, Healthfirst, Bronx Lebanon Hospital, Univision, NBC/Telemundo, Spanish Broadcasting System, Meredith Corporation and The New York Daily News.

Source: Content courtesy of The National Puerto Rican Day Parade

Thursday, March 19, 2015

NPRChamber Releases Report on Puerto Rico's Economy

The National Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce (NPRChamber) today released its report on Puerto Rico’s economy, which discusses its currently distressed economic status, as well as some of the historical factors that have led to its current state.

Entitled “Puerto Rico’s Economy: A brief history of reforms from the 1980s to today and policy recommendations for the future,” the report further describes some of the structural reforms that have taken place over the last several decades, and concludes with a discussion of policy alternatives that should be considered for the present economy and into the future.

“Over the last decade, Puerto Rico has undergone a number of policy shifts that have impacted its economy. But these changes have been but a brief moment in the context of what really led to Puerto Rico’s current economy,” said Executive Director Justin Vélez-Hagan. “Only through hindsight can we begin to understand what has led to the economic environment of Puerto Rico today, and what changes might be better suited to long-term prosperity.”

Puerto Rico’s economy has been stagnating or contracting for nearly a decade, while unemployment remains more than double that of the rest of the U.S., leading to migration from the island at a rate higher than in any state in the country.

In addition, total debt has reached levels that many critics and economists now consider to be unsustainable, leading its legislators to recently ask the Federal Government for bankruptcy protections not currently afforded the municipality, as well as to push for Congressional action to permanently change Puerto Rico’s status from that of an American territory, objectives that will have nationwide ramifications.

Here is a link to the full report:

http://nprchamber.org/files/3-19-15-Puerto-Rico-Economic-Report.pdf

source: NPRChamber release

Friday, March 06, 2015

SummerStage to Celebrate its 30th Anniversary Season

SummerStage Celebrates 30th Anniversary Season Leaks 30 Artists Over 30 Days Culminating April 8th

The non-profit City Parks Foundation’s famed SummerStage performing arts festival is celebrating its 30th anniversary season this year.

To get fans pumped for the summer and to shake off a case of the late winter blues, SummerStage will leak the names of 30 artists performing at the citywide festival starting on March 9th. One artist will be announced daily over the course of 30 days, culminating in the full season announcement on April 8th. Artists will be broadcast via all three of SummerStage’s social media accounts, giving fans an interactive outlet to share their excitement for this season’s upcoming shows.

To stay up to date on the artists being announced, follow SummerStage via the below links and visit www.SummerStage.org for festival information.

PRSUN can't wait to find out the artists, especially the Latin music artists, who will entertain us this summer. Un verano en nueva york is certainly better with SummerStage, one of our favorite things to do in the summertime.

Thursday, January 29, 2015

Latino Stats American Hispanics by the Numbers

The Reading Corner

Last Christmas I received in the mail a new book titled Latino Stats by Idelisse Malave and Esti Giordani, a Puerto Rican mother-daughter team who take a closer look at Hispanics in this country. The recently released paperback book (published by The New Press) is now part of my Puerto Rican/Latino library collection, and it is expected to become a go to guidebook for anyone who wants to better understand the new reality of our nation's widely diverse Latino population. It has been described as the go-to book for anyone who wants to understand the future of America.

This book serves as an important resource for advocates, educators, journalists and policy makers because it cuts through the rhetoric and sensationalism in the mainstream media and highlights with actual numbers the reality of Latino life in the U.S.

Latinos are both the largest and fastest growing racial/ethnic group in the country while many continue to fight for status as Americans. There are 53 million Latinos in the U.S.: one in six Americans is Latino. Thirty years from now, it will be closer to one in three. In about 15 years, Latinos will be 40 percent of the U.S. electorate. As of 2013, Latino buying power stands at an impressive 1.2 trillion, with women driving the purchases.

With statistics on jobs, family, lifestyle, identity and more, Latino Stats is a multi-generational source aimed at being a starting point to delve deeper and educate ourselves on the very broad Latino population and work towards a more equitable future.

Here is a snapshot of sample stats from Latino Stats:

On voting, education and social issues
*Seven out of ten Latino registered voters identify with or lean towards the Democratic Party. Latinos accounted for 10.8 percent of all registered voters in 2012.
* Over the past four decades, the number of Latinos receiving college degrees grew by sevenfold.
* With a median annual household income at $39,000, Latinos earn $11,000 less than the median for the total U.S. population and have the lowest weekly earnings out of any other group.

On immigration
* During the Obama administration, a record-breaking 400 thousand immigrants a year have been deported at a cost of billions of dollars.
* Undocumented immigrants contributed $10.6 billion to state and local sales tax, property tax (even if they rent), and income taxes in 010.
* The majority (two-thirds) of Latinos were born in the U.S. Only 17 percent of all Latinos are undocumented immigrants; the number of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. has been declining since 2007.

On lifestyle and family
* Just over half (53 percent) of Latinos identify as Catholic. Twelve percent identify as mainline Protestant, 13 percent evagelical Protestant, 6 percent with a non-Christian religion, and 12 percent are unaffiliated.
* Latino millennials living with their parents spend 21 percent of their time with family, and those who live on their own commit 31 percent of their time to family. Latino millennials also spend 14 percent of their time on "me time," slightly more than non-Latinos (10 percent). Interestingly, Latino millennials also carry the least amount of credit card debt compared to their non-Latino counterparts.
* Latinos account for 15.4 percent of same-sex couple households. Contrary to media depictions of Latino homophobia, 59 percent of Latinos also agree that homosexuality should be accepted rather than discouraged by society.

For more information, http://thenewpress.com/books/latino-stats.

Latino Stats will soon be available in the PRSUN aStore as well.






Monday, December 08, 2014

Memories of Puerto Rican Heritage Month '14


For Puerto Rican Heritage Month I attended a series of cultural and social events in New York, including Mayor Bill De Blasio and NYC Council Speaker Melissa Mark Viverito's reception at Gracie Mansion, Mark-Viverito's celebration at the City Council Chambers, the Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.'s luncheon at Don Coqui in the Bronx, and a jibaro Mass in honor of Our Lady of Providence, patroness of Puerto Rico, at St. Luke's Church in the South Bronx. November is always a great Puerto Rican time in New York City. It ushers in the holiday season for sure.

(At the Puerto Rican celebration at City Council Chambers on Nov. 5, City Council Speaker Melissa Mark Viverito honored actress and TV personality Rosie Perez.)

Here is an album dedicated to Puerto Rican Heritage Month that I created with more photos:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/clarisel/sets/72157647098400453/




-- Clarisel

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Like NEW Puerto Rico Sun FB Page

Hi, Puerto Rico Sun Communications is back. I have decided to create a new Puerto Rico Sun FB page, which is an extension of this blog.

facebook.com/prsun



Thank you.

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Young Lords Way in El Barrio


By Ismael Nunez

A highlight this summer is the naming of a street in East Harlem in honor of the Young Lords. It finally happened on July 26, a great day and victory for the community. That day the YOUNG LORDS were remembered and honored for their contributions. Former members of the YOUNG LORDS from chapters from New York City, Chicago, and Connecticut, were present as 111th Street was named Young Lords Way.

Here are some scenes from that joyous day in El Barrio. I am honored to live in a neighborhood with a street called Young Lords Way.


Ismael Nunez is a PRSUN contributor.

Sunday, June 08, 2014

PRSUN Project: Puerto Rican Day Parade '14

(Participants at the National Puerto Rican Day Parade show off their pride. Photos by Clarisel Gonzalez)




Actress Rosie Perez, parade queen, joins the fun, proudly waving the Puerto Rican flag. (Photo by Ismael Nunez)


To view more photos taken at the National Puerto Rican Day Parade, the Bronx Puerto Rican Day Parade and related events by Gonzalez and Nunez. Visit our online gallery.

https://www.flickr.com/groups/nprparade14/

Wednesday, June 04, 2014

@ the Bronx Puerto Rican Day Parade

On Sunday, June 1, the Bronx, the borough with the largest Puerto Rican population in NYC, celebrated its Puerto Rican Day Parade along the Grand Concourse. The Bronx parade kicks off Puerto Rican parade season in the city. Here are a few photos I shot that day. The Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. missed a good parade.


Sunday is the National Puerto Rican Day Parade in Manhattan. See you there.

Sunday, May 25, 2014

Bronx Street Named in Honor of Casa Amadeo's Mike Amadeo

A street in the Bronx was recently named in honor of Mike Amadeo, the legendary owner of the Casa Amadeo music shop and composer. Prospect Avenue is now also known as Miguel Angel (Mike) Amadeo Way. Here are some scenes of the May 10 celebration, attended by local elected officials, musicians, community leaders and Amadeo's family members. After the street naming, there was a 80th birthday bash for Amadeo at Casita Maria in Hunts Point. He is 80 years young.


To view more photos from the Amadeo street naming celebration: https://www.flickr.com/photos/clarisel/sets/72157644828211782/

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Q&A with Rocky on Broadway's Luis Salgado

The actor plays Kid Rizzo in the new production

By Ismael Nuñez




Here is the story of Rocky on Broadway, which is currently playing at the Winter Garden Theatre in New York City. Yes, it is that familiar Rocky story from the movies: "Somewhere in downtown Philadelphia, a down-and-out fighter named Rocky Balboa struggles to stay on his feet. But when the chance of a lifetime comes along, he takes his best shot at becoming a champion… and his last shot at finding first love."

The iconic underdog story Rocky has inspired an innovative new stage production, brought to life by a five-time Tony Award-winning creative team, including director Alex Timbers (Peter and the Starcatcher), songwriting team Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (Ragtime), and book writers Thomas Meehan (The Producers) and Sylvester Stallone (Rocky, the Oscar-winning Best Picture). Rocky is a heart-stopping theatrical experience for everyone brave enough to follow their dream such as Puerto Rican actor Luis Salgado who plays the role of Kid Rizzo in the production.

Puerto Rico Sun had the pleasure of chatting with Salgado about being a Puerto Rican artist in New York, his new role in Rocky on Broadway and more.

1-Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

"I was born in Puerto Rico and my blood is Taíno. Spanish-Caribbean is my soul". Those lyrics from “The Capeman” define very well how I feel. Living in New York City, I have the chance to represent my culture and inspire many other Latinos, through the arts. It is a great time to honor and celebrate our Latino identity, and tell those stories from our own experience.

I started performing at Bellas Artes (Performing Arts Center) in San Juan, professionally directed by Ernesto Concepcion, Sr., at the age of 16-17 - when we did a play called Vida Vida. Then I had the honor of performing alongside renowned actors Angela Meyer, Lucy Boscana and many others, in a revival of Francisco Arriví's Vegigantes, the classic play about three generations of a Puerto Rican family, dealing with race. Another experience that I’ll never forget was working in the Zarzuela by Ernesto Lecuona Maria La O with Johanna Rosaly at the Paoli Hall, directed by Gilberto Valenzuela. I studied at the University of Puerto Rico for three years and then moved to NYC to pursue my dream of being on a Broadway stage.

Now I am celebrating 10 years since my very first Off-Broadway Show, Fame on 42nd St., which I did in 2004. It has been a ride, and I am thrilled to be in my third original Broadway production with a wonderful cast and inspiring creative team. We just recorded the music album for “Rocky Broadway” this past week, and that’s part of the wonderful opportunities that we get to experience and learn from being an original cast member. This album is an addition to my record collection, which also includes . In the Heights and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, which represent my other shows on Broadway.

2. You are on Broadway and you are Latino...Are you aware that in this city there is a large Latin American community?

I am extremely aware because I love my community and try to contribute something to it with every step I take. Sometimes I get to do that by simply doing my art. Other times it is by working in the community such as on R.Evolution of Evolution through the arts. “R.Evolución Latina” is now in its sixth year of empowering local communities and our programs continue to expand.

There is also a BIG interest in the Latino community nowadays. I see it, hear it and feel it.

We have always been here, very present in society, in sports, in arts…Now because of the potential for business in the Latino market, people are paying more attention.

That is why it’s very important that we also use this time to represent our community in the best way possible and voice the things that most empower us and have the greatest potential to make positive changes and contributions in areas such as the arts, TV, news media, public service and cultural awareness.

3-For the part of Rocky on Broadway, you watched the past Rocky movies, right?


Funny enough, I have seen all Rocky movies, many times. I love the first two. I love the relationship of this character [Rocky] with himself, Adrian and his community. My favorite is perhaps Rocky 4 when he meets Drago. But overall, the musical is based on Rocky I, where he gains his self confidence and the love of his life.

Besides my passion for boxing and theater, this show speaks to me closely because my wife Denisse has also been a major inspiration in my life, to dare to go beyond and pursue my dreams with her endless support. She came all the way from Puerto Rico with me and now we have made our dreams come true, one step at a time.

4-In this play you act, dance, and sing. You really had to do a lot of training, practicing?

The last 10 years I have been madly in love with musical theater, so every show has brought the challenge of this combination. I have always had a new positive challenge in every project. I find that being in the arts is the best way to not only train my body, but also my mind, education and spirit.

5-Puerto Rico has produced many gifted boxers. Take any lessons from any of them?

I wish! It would be a great honor to train or do a full training camp with one of the great champions of my island. Perhaps with Miguel Cotto. To be by his corner when entering the ring, that would be a dream. I am very passionate about boxing in my daily life, far beyond this show. I find the discipline and mental challenge of a boxer, one of the greatest of all.

6-A lot of gifted Puerto Rican actors/actresses made a name for themselves on Broadway: Rita Moreno, Chita Rivera, Jose Ferrer, Raul Julia, Miriam Colon, Benicio Del Toro. How do you feel about that?

I have huge respect and admiration for them all. For sure Raul Juliá has always inspired me. Somehow, I realized that he was 24 when he moved to NYC. I was 21, so it sort of inspired me to have three years of studying as my main plan, before pursuing bigger endeavors. I studied non-stop for a year an half, and then got my first musical after performing at places like Madison Square Garden with such Latin music stars as Thalia and Paulina Rubio and traveling to Japan as a guest dance/choreographer artist. I knew quick that NYC was home, that I wanted a life in the theater here. Great leaders like Miriam Colon (and the work she has done at the Puerto Rican Traveling Theater), as well a Rita Moreno, Chita Rivera and the legacy of José Ferrer have created a road map and opened doors for me and my generation.

I also love the story of the underdogs, and there are so many not so famous names that have also inspired me such as Puerto Rican dancer Carlos Sierra, who I saw perform in the Broadway show Swing with the great Maria Torres, who I later worked with in my first Broadway-bound show Mambo Kings. Also Julio Monge, who I saw many times in videos doing Fosse, and whose footsteps I followed in re-creating his role in the musical The Capeman for the concert version staged by the Public Theater at Central Park a few years ago. I even got to take workshops with him before I moved to NYC. All of these people have a part of my heart and a part of my history.

7-Do you feel their presence is with you when performing?

Yes and yes!! When doing “In the Heights” at the Richard Rodgers Theater, I had stories of Raul Julia in my mind during intermissions. I remember telling myself: "I am performing where Raul Juliá performed.”


8-So after Broadway what’s next? Movies, television, telenovelas or another Broadway show?

I love Broadway and there is so much more for me to accomplish here, in the many fields that I love and admire – as producer, choreographer and mainly, as an actor. But I have been able to experience film in projects like Enchanted and Step up to the Streets. I would love to do more film as well. I love all the arts, but among all the forms, musical theater thrills me. To be in front of an audience and get their honest reactions live every night, eight shows a week, while being challenged with dancing, singing and acting night after night is fascinating to me.

9-Any message you’d like to say to the Puerto Rican community here in New York City?

"Si yo no hubiera nacido en la tierra en que nací, estaría arrepentido de no haber nacido allí”. Even when I discover a strong connection with many places in Latin America and admire our collective history as Latinos, I find myself having a very unique human experience thanks to the vulnerable heart and warmth that comes from my island, my people, my family, my pasteles and coquito. Thank you to all of the people who with pride and respect, honor who we are as Boricuas, as Latinos.
Make the Taíno blood always shine throughout the world!


###

Salgado's Broadway credits have included: Women on the Verge…and In the Heights. Pre-Broadway: Mambo Kings (Frankie Suarez). Off-Broadway: Fame on 42nd Street (Ensemble, Joe Vegas u/s). Other: The Capeman (Public Theater). Film: Across the Universe, Enchanted, Step Up 2: The Streets, Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights. For more information about Salgado, visit www.luissalgado.com.

(video courtesy of Luis Salgado/YouTube)

Ismael Nuñez is a contributing writer to Puerto Rico Sun. He is a resident of East Harlem.