Opportunity

If you are an artist, business or corporation interested in Comité Noviembre's Third Annual Puerto Rican Artisans Exhibition and Fair in New York City in November for Puerto Rican Heritage Month, go to www.comitenoviembre.org for more information.

PRSUN plans to be there.

Theater

Featured story

Jets? Yes! Sharks? ¡Sí! in Bilingual ‘West Side’

More than 50 years after the musical “West Side Story” had its original Broadway premiere, it is set to return in February in a darker, grittier, bilingual revival, the show’s producers said (recently).
Arthur Laurents, who wrote the original book for "West Side Story," suggested the bilingual production and will direct.
In an element that its director, Arthur Laurents, said would heighten the passion and authenticity of the show, much of the dialogue — both spoken and sung — will be in Spanish.
For the complete New York Times report,
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/17/theater/17bway.html?ex=1231992000&en=34fa0f7e24d3c677&ei=5087&WT.mc_id=TH-D-I-NYT-MOD-MOD-M053-ROS-0708-HDR&WT.mc_ev=click&mkt=TH-D-I-NYT-MOD-MOD-M053-ROS-0708-HDR

Editor's Note: Gente, what do you think? Should "West Side Story" return as a bilingual production? What do you think of the idea of this musical returning as a "darker and grittier" revival? Would you go see it?

Artist Spotlight: Fascious

Fascious Brings Hip Hop Theater to El Barrio

Anthony Martinez from the Bronx is a self-described “Hip-Hop Head” who is better known by his pseudonym Fascious. His mission is to promote Hip Hop Theater, telling and dramatizing what he calls the untold stories of the Hip Hop Generation.
Tonight you can catch Fascious in action when he performs his one-man Hip Hop Theater show “Penumbra” at Cemi Underground in NYC’s El Barrio.
Just like a poet, Fascious breaks down what every letter in his name represents.
“Each letter symbolizes several words beginning with that same letter, which collectively defines the essence of its meaning,” he says.

F is for the final fatal fights for freedom facing fickle fears frozen from finicky feelings forcefully fenced.
A is for the anticipation of Armageddon, awaiting are agents, apostles and after-life arrangements. Allocating Anthony Alphabetic acrobatics ascending authenticity…admire an angel’s anatomy
S is for the Schizophrenic suicidal side separated since Satan’s spectrum subsided significantly surpassing superstitions. Still some see sugar satisfying sacrificing self-sufficiency.
C is for the cascading colors confirming creativity concerning certain circumstances.
I is for the Ill ideas ignited instantly implying inconspicuous idioms I imprint inside my eyelids.
O is for the obvious, often-oblivious…opinions opposing our oval office oozing oil, omen orbits.
U is for the urgency underlying umbrellas uncovering underestimated ulcerations.
And the other S…that’s for serenity. Strings suppressing such severe solemn solutions.

While Fascious is rooted in the word “Fascist” which is known to have a negative connotation, he says, his name has a positive spin.
“As an adjective, the word Fascious contains flexibility with respect to meaning and allows more admittance to truth,” he says. “Fascious embodies the elements of one’s personality that permits militancy in advocating action over word as words are a means of action. In order for Fascious to gain power, he has to lead a movement and this movement begins…with music, poetry…the arts.”
Fascious is currently working with the Hip Hop Theater Festival, which aims to invigorate theater and Hip Hop by nurturing the creation of innovative work.
Hip Hop Theater, he says, serves as a way of bringing theater to young people from low-income and working class families who otherwise may not appreciate or patronize theater.
“How do you explain to a 14 year old kid whose father is in jail, whose mom is a drug addict, and who academically is on a 5th grade reading level that watching Hamlet is going to affect his life in a positive way? Hip Hop Theater seeks to address these and other such issues in a way that is tangible, multi-disciplinary, and overall engaging. It also seeks to preserve the art of live performance while promoting new work within the genres of Hip Hop and Theater through celebrating culture, community outreach and education.”
Fascious, who was born and raised in the Bronx near the Eastchester Projects, says that his childhood was not easy. Growing up he remembers that his father was in prison. He recalls the pressure to fall to the pits of drugs, gangs, and violence was “ infinitely overwhelming.”
But, he says, every struggle has proved to be an opportunity to grow and learn life lessons.
Luckily, he discovered his love of music early.
He remembers that it was in middle school when he decided to cultivate his passion for the Hip Hop art form.
“The first ‘rhyme’ or ‘lyric’ I ever wrote was in the hospital after hearing my grandfather’s last words delivered to me from his deathbed,” he recalls. “Writing became a way for me to facilitate my own therapy.”
His influences in Hip Hop range “from the socio-political elements that generated its initial movement to the words and rhythms of its poetry.”
Other influences include Hip Hop’s underground scene, salsa, merengue, boleros, funk, jazz, rock, gospel, and “pretty much anything I can get my hands on.”
“I like to keep my heart open and mind expanding,” he says.
His Bronx roots definitely influence his art.
“Bronx is the fertile mother in which birthed and served as the vessel for nurturing the founding movement of Hip Hop,” he says. “From DJ Kool Herc setting up block parties in 1973 and Afrika Bambaata advocating peace in the midst of gang wars and violence to Big Pun becoming the first Latin Hip Hop Artist to go platinum. The Bronx is a site of rich history and culture. Every block corner is an inspiration.”
Being a Puerto Rican from New York City is an inspiration too.
“As an individual living in New York City and of Puerto Rican descent, I take a lot of pride in representing both cultures,” he says. “But I especially stress learning the significance of my ancestral past.”
To learn more about Fascious, visit www.fascious.com. -- Clarisel Gonzalez

Flags in El Barrio

IMG_9320
Originally uploaded by clarisel.

Today's featured image from the Puerto Rico Sun photo group

I shot this photo earlier this week at a community garden in NYC's East Harlem. Visit my photostream at flickr (www.flickr.com/photos/clarisel) for more recent photos of East Harlem.

The Reading Life



Father Luis Barrios reads from his book "Coquiando: Meditaciones subversivas para un mundo mejor" at a recent event at Cemi Underground in East Harlem. (photo by Ismael Nunez)

Keeping the Stickball Tradition Alive

These are some of the faces of stickball players and enthusiasts who are keeping the old school NYC street tradition of playing stickball.

Today is the 111TH STREET SALSA STREET PARTY AND OLD TIMER'S STICKBALL GAMES in NYC's El Barrio. For more information on this outdoor festival, check out this link at
http://www.salsanewyork.com/events/111th-street-salsa-street-party.htm

(photos from a stickball event last week by Ismael Nuñez)

Meetup

Featured site

Click here to check out
The NYC Puerto Rican Culture Meetup!

This Meetup group is dedicated to promoting and celebrating Puerto Rican culture in New York City. The group's next meetup is
a CopaCabana dance cruise.

'Political Animals' Film Fest

Film

Handball Court Summer Film Series
at White Park, NYC's El Barrio

"Political Animals", this year's curatorial theme…

MediaNoche presents the free Handball Court Summer Film Series at White Park beginning Saturday, July 12. The series at White Park (106th Street between Lexington and Third Avenues) will run Saturday nights at sunset (about 8 p.m.) until August 30.

Curator Judith Escalona brings together a set of fictional films, dramas and comedies, examining the U.S. electoral process. The Candidate (1972), which looks at how a young politician slowly gives up his ideals to be elected, is as relevant today as when it premiered 36 years ago! In the more recent Head of State (2003), a young politician who knows the ropes finds his voice and a way to embrace his ideals. The last film in this set is actually a documentary entitled An Unreasonable Man, a moving portrait of America's greatest public advocate Ralph Nader that includes a critical view of the entrenched two-party political system.

"Hazardous to your health" groups films dealing with health and the environment. Not to be missed are: Sick Around the World, comparing health coverage in five capitalist democracies, and The Medicated Child, how troubled children are over-prescribed medicines that have unknown long term effects. Lastly, An Inconvenient Truth, screened last year but presented here again, to stress the urgency of global warming.

MediaNoche is a project of PRdream.com.

For the complete lineup and more information, visit http://www.prdream.com/wordpress/?cat=5, e-mail info@medianoche.us or call (212) 828-0401.

source: Judith Escalona

Things to do

Destination: NYC's El Barrio. Free Walking Tours
Every Saturday, through October 11, 3 – 5 p.m.
Tour meets each Saturday at the southeast corner of Fifth Avenue and 104th Street. Guides from Big Onion Walking Tours lead excursions highlighting the thriving scene of Latino arts, culture and cuisine native to El Barrio. This program has been developed for El Museo del Barrio and the East Harlem Board of Tourism through grants from the Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.

Admission: Free.

For advance registration, e-mail elbarriotours@elmuseo.org.

source: El Museo del Barrio

(Photo courtesy of El Museo)

Puerto Rican Music Roots & Beyond Project

From left, Leticia Rodriguez, executive director of La Casa de la Herencia Cultural Puertorriqueña, Inc., and Hector Ortega, a class participant, at a July 6 event in NYC's East Harlem that focused on Puerto Rican roots music.

La Casa as well as El Centro de Estudios Puertorriqueños at Hunter College is working with William Cepeda, a renowned composer, trombonist, educator, producer and artist, on a project titled “Puerto Rican Music Roots and Beyond.” The New York State Music fund and the National Endowment for the Arts is helping to fund the project.
The goal is to promote Puerto Rico’s musical heritage to a wide audience throughout New York State, Puerto Rico, and elsewhere. The project will document four genres (Bomba, Plena, Danza, and Musica Jibara) by recording the concerts and other project activities to be used in the creation of DVDs and CDs for educational and commercial release. La Casa is located at 1230 Fifth Avenue, Suite 458. It is a nonprofit, cultural and educational institution. For more information, visit http://www.lacasapr.org/-- Ismael Nuñez

(photo by Ismael Nuñez)

In the Mailbox

Hello Everyone!

Thank you for your continued support of Latino Arts and all its many forms! We are truly grateful!

We are proud to announce LOISAIDA CORTOS LATINO FILM FESTIVAL'S 7th year of bringing quality short films to our community (in New York City) and to cities in Europe such as Barcelona, Madrid and Antwerp since 2005. Also our first Mexico screening at THE LATIN AMERICAN FOOD SHOW (www.lafs.com.mx) in Cancun this September 2008 and for 2009 our first screenings in Brazil and China!!!

This year our festival has moved up to Sunday, August 24 with pre-festival events (this Thursday!!!!) THURSDAYS JULY 10 & AUGUST 7 @ NUBLU (www.nublu.net) with performances by "ROPA VIEJA" and NUBLU's resident DJ's plus FREE COCKTAILS FROM BUDWEISER & BACARDI for those of you who get there early!!!!

With all this said...we want to remind you that our call for submissions is in full effect and our deadline is: AUGUST 8 ! So, please help us spread the word through myspace, facebook, e-mail, text message or fire signals! Any help is truly appreciated...just one click of the mouse!

For more details, submissions forms and guidelines please visit: www.loisaidacortos.com.

Thank you again! We look forward to seeing your bright shining faces throughout the summer!

Ellie Diez
Executive Director
Loisaida Cortos Latino Film Festival

IMG_8624
Originally uploaded by clarisel.

Featured photo from the Puerto Rico Sun photo group at flickr by Clarisel

On a wall in New York City's gentrifying El Barrio

Puerto Rican Music Roots and Beyond

Community Calendar



Concert featuring William Cepeda and his group Afro-Rican Jazz

The “King of Plena,” Angel Luis Torruellas, salsero Michael Stuart and more

This Brooklyn concert will focus on the Puerto Rican folkloric genre of Plena, both traditional and contemporary.

Saturday, July 5 at 7 p.m.

The concert is part of the All Celebrate Brooklyn series of summer performances at the Prospect Park Bandshell. The entrance to the Prospect Park Bandshell is located at Prospect Park West & 9th Street in Park Slope. Free though there is a $3 suggested donation at the gate.

For more information,
http://www.briconline.org/celebrate/070508.asp