La Batalla de Cotto



(From left, Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito pose for a shot.)


Boricua champ Miguel Cotto hopes to add another win to his record of 32-0 with 26 KOs when he faces el mejicano champ Antonio Margarito on the boxing ring. Margarito has a record of 36-5 with 26 KOs.
Cotto is the WBA champion in the welterweight division and Margarito is the WBO/IBF champion in the same weight, said promoter Bob Arum at a recent press conference in Manhattan. The boxing match will be on July 26 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, live on pay-per-view.
“What you see here are two of the best welterweights in boxing today,” Arum said.
No welterweight championship fight has created so much excitement since the welterweight title fight between Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns in September 1981. – Ismael Nunez

Photo by Ismael Nunez

Puerto Rican Day Parade Scenes

Images from the National Puerto Rican Day Parade by Ismael Nunez for PRSUN

Politicians including New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and parade honorees open the National Puerto Rican Day Parade with a ribbon cutting. Then the parade comes alive with music, flags and cultural and political expressions. The yearly display of Puerto Rican pride is a NYC tradition for sure.

To view more photos from the parade and more, visit Ismael's photo page.

Commentary

MLB Should Retire Clemente's #21 for Good
By Ismael Nunez

It is time for Major League Baseball to retire #21 in honor of one of baseball’s greats Roberto Clemente.
It’s up to you Commissioner. You are at bat.
The New York City Council’s Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries, and International Relations recently held a hearing on the resolution calling for Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Sleigh to retire # 21 in honor of Clemente, a Hall of Famer and a humanitarian.
Many grassroots activists and baseball fans have lobbied MLB to retire Clemente’s uniform number from all baseball teams. That’s an honor given only to one player: Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson.
That January day advocates made their presentations before the City Council, saying why they support retiring the number.
Two of them were judges from Connecticut: Carmen Lopez and Dale W. Radcliffe.
“We honor a young Latino from Carolina, Puerto Rico, who came north to play baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1950’s and confronted the dual minority status of race and language,” Radcliffe said. “We honor a superb athlete…often over-looked and underappreciated, yet who managed to transform anger and resentment into determination and reached the pinnacle of his profession.”
Radcliffe also spoke of the boricua’s accomplishments on the baseball field.
Lopez said it is about time that MLB retires the number.
“I believe that MLB, as a good corporate citizen, has a wonderful opportunity to showcase a superstar who lived by the principles of respect and service,” Lopez said.
This move, she said, would help a future generation know the legacy of Roberto Clemente.
And she spoke about Clemente’s heroic acts.
Clemente is not a hero, she said, because he played baseball with skill and pride. He’s a hero because he led a life of service to others. He even lost his life in an attempt to help others.
“These are the role models that our children and youth need,” she said.
William Gerena-Rochet, editor of Latinosports.com, spoke about how Clemente opened doors for future players.
“Clemente was not the first Latin American to play in the MLB,” he said. “He was the first Latino super star and began playing baseball when ML teams still had quotas on how many players of color they would have on their teams at a given time.
“Whereas Robinson is said to have opened the gate, Clemente can be said to have held it open for the Latino players who followed,” he said.
Bryon Hunter, producer of the documentary “The Legacy of 21,” said that almost ballplayer interviewed for the project agreed that #21 should be retired.
Julio Pabon, founder of Latino Sports, said Clemente deserves the honor because “he was more than just a great baseball player.
“The fact that he was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame posthumously after his death without having to wait the five year period is a testament to his great ability as an athlete that still to this day is mentioned and compared when certain plays or throws are made from right field,” Pabon said.
The fact that Clemente was killed on December 31, 1972 in an airplane crash on his way to take badly needed supplies to earthquake Nicaragua victims was the ultimate sacrifice that any human being can make, Pabon said.

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

In the First Person

My Night with Piri Thomas
By Ismael Nunez

I had the pleasure of speaking to author Piri Thomas earlier this year before he had a stroke. I wish him a quick recovery. Here are some of my notes from my conversation with Piri.

I remember the night I spent with Piri Thomas.
It was on a February night in Brooklyn, New York.
Piri Thomas, the legendary author of “Down these Mean Streets,” was the featured speaker at an event entitled “Capicu Poetry Cultural Showcase” at the Notice Lounge,198 Union Avenue in Williamsburg. That night there was a rich lineup of live cultural performances as part of an Open Mic. It was a nice place to be on a cold night.
PRSUN sat down with Thomas for only five minutes. I remember listening to him talk and thinking how strong this man is. Rappers, poets, hip-hop artists, listen and learn!

PRSUN: You wrote the book 41 years ago. Still a best seller, read in schools and colleges. Is this magic or …?
Thomas: It’s no magic. The reason it’s done well in the past/present is because it tells the truth about everything. (It deals with) life in the streets, the prison system, what people of color go through while being incarcerated, and family struggles in a big city.

PRSUN: Was it prison that got you into writing?
Thomas: In reality, it was my mom. My mother is from Fajardo, Puerto Rico. She would always tell me stories of the island, the food, the beaches. My six siblings and I would sit for hours as she told us these lovely stories. When I was sent to prison, I remembered all those stories...My mother’s spirit saved my life along with the writing.

PRSUN: Do you share your stories of your life as a street gang leader, drug addict, ex convict with others?
Thomas: Oh Yes! Just like my books, I speak the truth. After what I went through, I don’t want no child/adult to go through what I went through. Prison life, being in a juvenile hall, gangs, that’s not cool. It’s not fun.

PRSUN: How do you stay so young?
Thomas (laughing): A lot of things. I love people, I love what I’m doing, talking to kids. Being a motivational speaker saves lives…seeing a child come to me saying, “Thank you, you saved my life,’ means a lot to me. I’m never bored!

After he spoke that night, artists and audience members shook his hand, gave him kisses and hugs and took photos with him.

We love you Piri.

Ismael Nunez is a freelance writer based in East Harlem who contributes to Puerto Rico Sun.

For more on Piri Thomas’ appearance at the Capicu showcase, go to Sofrito for Your Soul at
http://www.sofritoforyoursoul.com/2008/02/history-has-b-1.html.



Photo of Piri Thomas courtesy of wikipedia.

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.

Q&A with Michael Reyes of 'Crime Against Humanity'

Crime Against Humanity NY Premiere
Originally uploaded by prsuncom

"Crime against Humanity" is a play based on the real life experiences of 14 Puerto Rican political prisoners who spent more than two decades in prisons for seditious conspiracy -- two of whom are still incarcerated. Written by poet and activist, Michael Anthony Reyes Benavides and former Puerto Rican political prisoner Luis Rosa, the play brings us into the U.S. prison system and the experiences of these prisoners for more than 27 years. The New York Premiere of the play is this Friday at Hostos Community College in the Bronx. PRSUN contributing writer Ismael Nunez talks to Michael Reyes.

Q. How did you come up with the name “Crime Against Humanity”?
A. “Crime Against Humanity” has two meanings. The first is that the United Nations states its a crime against humanity to have a colony, and Puerto Rico is still a colony of the United States. Also, prison is a crime against a person’s humanity. All of the
prisoners kept referencing the issue of maintaining
and holding onto their humanity, so it was an organic
choice to select the title. It just kept coming up.

Q. Why did you co-write the play with former political prisoner Luis Rosa?
A. True. Luis had a very similar idea when we
visited Puerto Rico and we decided to create it
together. Since his idea was more about a day of a prisoner and my ideas were about years, we fused the ideas to create the play. He was a big help in the entire process because he was coming from a space that experienced prison as a political
prisoner.

Q. You were given the opportunity to interview Oscar Lopez Rivera and Carlos Alberto Torres. Did you get a chance to interview Haydee Beltran as well?
A. Haydee Beltran has made it clear that she does not
want to be included in any of the campaign materials and such, so I fully respect that decision. Since this play is to further the campaign to free them, I did not attempt to include her.

Q. The play pulls no punches. Why did you decide to leave the profanity and nudity?
A. Yes, it was the only way we could present it honestly and truthfully. I decided to go all out with it, so I wanted to show the true brutality of the prison industrial complex and the only way to do that was to reflect the truth.

Q. Did you write this play before the clemency by President Bill Clinton to release some of the prisoners in 1999?
A. No, this play is less than a year old, so it’s really in its infancy.

Q. Would you say this is a educational play?
A. It deals with the issue of political prisoners. It is an issue the legal system never mentions. That's the reason it was created to educate
and spread a message that shows the truth about the United States and the issue of political prisoners and prisoners of war. With this play, we can reach thousands of people in a different way. It has been a great tool.

Q. What has been the response of the other Puerto Rican political prisoners toward the play?
A. Mostly they love the production and are grateful. Almost all of the prisoners that have seen it say it is a very accurate dramatization of their experience. Ninety percent is their actual words and that's what I wanted to do. I wanted to tell their story, so they really enjoy it. As hard as it is for them sometimes, they have been very supportive.

Q. What type of feedback have you received from this play so far?
A. People love it. But the most important thing for me is that the Puerto Rican community loves it. That's who we are speaking to and so that’s who is important. If other people get something out of it, then we have truly created something special. The play does speak to everyone that has to struggle to maintain humanity. For now, we are happy spreading the word through the many communities we reach. And I hope we do get to write a sequel, which will be based on the rest of the prisoners coming home and telling the story of that
journey. – Ismael Nunez

For more information, click on image for larger text or visit www.crimeagainsthumanity.net.

Editor's Picks: PRSUN Photo Project/PR Parade '11

For the National Puerto Rican Day Parade, PRSUN organized a team of contributing photographers to take photos at the parade from their perspective. The images are part of a permanent online gallery titled "PRSUN Photo Project: The 2011 National Puerto Rican Day Parade." Participating photographers included Catherine Fonseca, Eileen McNamee, Kevin Tyson, Oscar Rivera, and Ismael Nunez. This gallery is the Editor's Picks from the online exhibit. While I also participated in the online exhibit as a photographer, this gallery does not include any of my images. Here is a selection of some of my favorite images that my photo colleagues took at the NYC parade on June 12. Editor's Picks: www.flickr.com/photos/clarisel/galleries/72157627784719336/ To view the full online PRSUN Photo Project exhibit, which includes images I took at the Puerto Rican parade, visit www.flickr.com/groups/nyprparade/ -- Clarisel Gonzalez/curator

Photos from the Bronx PR Day Parade

PRSUN had a photo team at yesterday's Bronx Puerto Rican Day Parade. Happy 25th anniversary to the Bronx parade.

The PRSUN photo team included Kevin Tyson, Miriam Quiñones, Benny Betancourt, Ismael Nuñez, and moi.

Here is a link to the photos I took at the parade:


To view the team PRSUN Project: Bronx Puerto Rican Day slideshow go to:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/bxprparade/

Cotto Loses, Margarito Cheers

Commentary

When two of today's best Latino boxers below the Middleweight Division faced off on a Las Vegas ring last July 26, they put up a good and intense fight.
In the end, Antonio Margarito from Mexico overpowered undefeated welterweight champion Miguel Cotto from Puerto Rico. Margarito score a Technical Knockout with 2:05 of the 11th round.
The fight started slow at first. After the third round both Cotto and Margarito exchanged blows left and right, fighting toe to toe and fighting alongside the ring side ropes.
Margarito, who is known as the Tornado, has said he got stronger after the 7th round. And, it surely became the Tornado’s night.
In the start of the 11th round, Margarito scored a knockdown.
When Cotto’s corner saw he was banged up pretty badly, they threw in the towel to stop the fight.
But Cotto is no loser.
Cotto fought like the fighter he is as his family members, including his little boy, watched and cried.
With his eye nearly shut and his face bleeding, Cotto started to back up and Margarito charged.
After the fight, Cotto described Margarito as being an “excellent fighter” who “did his job better than I did.”
I say that both fighters deserved every penny for their boxing performance.
A rematch in the works?
Oh Yes! -- Ismael Nunez

A conversation with martial artist Shihan Warixi Soto

Bronxite Shihan Warixi Soto is a high ranking martial artist, a multiple Hall of Fame recipient and the creator and Executive Director of F.A.S.T. (Female Alternative Street Tactics) and "Secure Your Child."
F.A.S.T focuses on urban survival and has been created to empower and teach women and teen girls how to avoid all forms of attacks and confrontations. The program was created for the streets of New York City. The other program teaches children ages 4-12 street awareness, self protection and self defense. Both programs have been taught throughout the city since 1983. That same year Shihan Warixi was awarded the rank of “Kaiden” in “Miyama Ryu Combat Ju-Jutsu.” The rank is very similar to 10th degree black belt, and it’s the highest rank awarded. Her specialties are anti-rape tactics, live blade knife techniques, and Ju-Jutsu for adults and children.
She has trained and holds certificates in weaponry. She has training in Jodo (the long staff), bokken (wooden sword) and tanjo (short staff).

The Q&A

Q: What got you into martial arts?
A: It was a few things that contributed to my getting into the martial arts. First, I loved Angela Mao, Bruce Lee, and Sonny Chiba. Second, I grew up fighting. When I was little, my father would take me to the fights. Third, I needed to get in shape. You can see it was a few things.

Q: Were you ever a victim of a crime or bullied?
A: Whenever I got bullied, I had to fight or my mom would kick my butt. I grew up fighting. I was the oldest. Sometimes I had to defend my brothers. I’ve always hated bullies.

Q: Were you often the only female in the martial arts class and how did the men treat you?
A: Yes. Some men were really soft, treating my like a real girly girl. Others were really really hard like they wanted me out of there.

Q: Where did you grow up?
A: I was born in East Harlem and lived there until I was eight. We then moved to the Bronx.

Q: How was it? Were you a tough girl growing up?
A: No. No gangs, No bullying. In fact, I hated gangs and bullies. I was more the athletic type: bike riding, swimming, horseback riding, skateboarding, knife throwing, street basement karate.

Q: What do you teach your students?
A: Wow, there is a whole lot that I teach my students. If I’m teaching my children’s program “Secure Your Child,” then I teach everything from how to walk alone, how to deal with bullies and strangers and much more. I don’t teach children about weapons. When I teach my “Female Alternative Street Tactics” eight-hour program, I teach women how to use everyday items for self defense. I also have a workshop called “Using everyday items for self defense.” There I teach how to use everyday items, including weapons.

Q: Which weapons do you specialize in teaching?
A: I specialize in knife, stick, and Bokken (wooden sword).

Q: Could you tell us the certificates you have received and what is the role of the shihan?
A: I have received numerous awards, really too many to mention. I have been inducted into seven Hall of Fames. My most priced award came from my own peers in Miyama Ryu Combat Ju Jutsu. I was given “The Keeper of the Lost Art” Award for “Woman of the Year” in 2004. Shihan is my title, my rank is Kaiden. It means that I have devoted my life to this art, and I am qualified to teach, and rank. It means “All things passed.” Check out my blog at www.shihanwarixi.blogspot.com .

Q: You seem to have a special bond with children. Why?
A: I love children and truly believe that all the children in the world are my children. Children are loyal, honest, truthful and fun. More adults should try to be like children.

Q: Do you have children and are they also in martial arts?
A: Yes, I have three children. When they were young they were in the art. They ranked in Judo and Ju Jutsu. My daughter still trains.

When she is not involved in martial arts, she devotes time to her love for the Taino culture. She enjoys educating people about the rich history of Boriken. For more information, visit www.kukarey.com. – Ismael Nunez

(photos courtesy of Shihan Warixi Soto)

On the Reading Corner



Book lovers were treated to a literary feast last Saturday at Cemi Underground in NYC's El Barrio with the visit of two authors and the presentation of their books: "Sabrosuras Boricuas," a cookbook by Erisbelia Garriga and "Shadow of the Fathers," a novel by journalist Robert Friedman.
The next book presentation at Cemi Underground is "The Diaspora Strikes Back" by author Juan Flores. This event will be at 6:30 p.m. Thursday and admission is free.

This is all part of Cemi Underground's Puerto Rican Heritage Month events.
For more information, visit www.cemiunderground.com.

(Photos of Erisbelia Garriga and Robert Friedman by Ismael Nunez)

Editor's Note: You can also purchase Robert Friedman's book "Shadow of the Fathers" at the PRSUN aStore:



"The Diaspora Strikes Back" by Juan Flores is also availabe at the PRSUN aStore


Purchases at the PRSUN aStore are a way of contributing to the Puerto Rico Sun project.

Three Kings Day Parade in El Barrio

El Museo del Barrio's 43rd Annual Three Kings Day Parade and Celebration titled "Nuestros Barrios Unidos: Celebrating our Collective Strength" was on January 6 in East Harlem. The parade theme honored the city's immigrant and migrant communities of past and present.

Here are some parade photos by Ismael Nunez:

@ the Bronx Tribute to Jose 'Chegui' Torres

Boxing trainer Jose Cotto Talavera, right, and former boxing champion Juan La Porte at the February 7 tribute in the Bronx in memory of the late boxing champion and writer José ‘Chegui’ Torres. Former boxing champion Juan La Porte remembers his mentor as “a true friend who was always at your corner." (photo by Ismael Nunez)

Feliz 2009 from PRSUN

IMG_5483
Originally uploaded by clarisel.

Puerto Rico Sun readers and supporters, I want to thank you.

Thanks for advancing PRSUN's mission of empowering, informing and building community.

I want to especially thank our PRSUN FRIENDS, FAMILY AND ANGEL CONTRIBUTORS (YOUR NAMES ARE IN PRSUN'S HONOR ROLL BECAUSE YOU DESERVE TO BE THERE). THANKS FOR BELIEVING AND INVESTING IN THIS COMMUNITY MEDIA PROJECT.
Thanks to all those who have contributed to this project in one way or another, including Ismael Nunez, Jose "Boricuation" Medina, Samaris Ayala, the photographers in the Puerto Rico Sun group, and the members in the PRSUN Video group. Thanks to our members in the Puerto Rico Sun social network, the Puerto Rico Sun group at Facebook and the Puerto Rico Sun blog network at Facebook. Thanks to my followers at twitter.com. Thanks to PRSUN TV viewers and guests as well as PRSUN Radio listeners and guests. Thanks to those who have supported the PRSUN for the ASPCA fundraising campaign at www.change.org/profiles/prsun. All of you help make the PRSUN community more vibrant and diverse, so thank you.
Thanks to all those who visit, comment and vote in our poll posted right here in this blog. Thanks for your feedback. Thanks for staying in touch, letting PRSUN know about your news and community events.

I look forward to a productive new year. I count with your support.

Consider becoming an official PRSUN member. Help take Puerto Rico Sun Communications to the next level.

Remember that Puerto Rico Sun Communications is a boricua-owned community-minded independent social entrepreneurship project. Apoya lo nuestro.

Thanks and God bless from Puerto Rico Sun.

Happy 2009.

Clarisel Gonzalez
editor and publisher


(photo by Clarisel)

Time for Clarification: Puerto Ricans Need to End their Indecision

Featured Analysis

On June 9, the UN Special Committee on Decolonization considered yet again the status of the world’s oldest remaining colony, Puerto Rico. The Committee called on the United States to accelerate the process of self-determination for the island, an action that many Puerto Ricans regard as a crucially important step towards fulfilling their fifty-six year-old quest to achieve a majority opinion on the permanent status of the island. However, this is not the first time the UN has issued the same appeal.

For the last eight years, the UN Committee has called upon the United States to grant autonomy to Puerto Rico, but has yet to witness any changes. In response to the most recent resolution, Washington has reminded the international community that Puerto Rico democratically decided to enter into a free association with the United States in 1952. Accordingly, the persisting inconclusive political status of Puerto Rico is a domestic matter that has no place on the UN agenda. The United States has repeatedly stated that only the Puerto Rican people can decide the structure of their future political arrangement. If the United States is willing to resolve Puerto Rico’s status, why are Puerto Rican representatives annually attending a UN Committee that has repeatedly failed to produce results for them?

It seems that after 500 years of foreign domination, Puerto Ricans have grown accustomed to having others decide what is best for them. Its leaders can no longer blame outsiders for their continuing subordinate status. In 1967, 1991, 1993, and then again in 1998, Washington assisted the Puerto Rican government in the organization of referendums on the island’s future status, giving its people the opportunity to decide between statehood, independence, or the existing commonwealth. In each instance, Puerto Ricans voted overwhelmingly in favor of the status quo. However, the commonwealth status was never meant to be a permanent solution, but instead a first step towards independence. In fact, the 2005 White House report gave Puerto Rico only two options: integration as a federal state or independence.

Now that the status quo is no longer a viable alternative, Puerto Rican voters cannot continue badgering Congress to grant them independence or statehood if they themselves have been unable to decide between the two. In order to take control of their future and formalize their own decision, they must act now instead of looking to outsiders to solve their problems. Only after adopting their own plan of action can Puerto Ricans demand that Congress approve it. Until then, the only thing stopping Puerto Rico from achieving a permanent status are Puerto Ricans themselves. In this regard, reaching a decision will prove to be the island’s first act of self-determination.

This analysis was prepared by COHA Research Associate Michelle Quiles


COHA or the Council on Hemispheric Affairs is a nonprofit, tax-exempt independent research and information organization. It was established to promote the common interests of the hemisphere, raise the visibility of regional affairs and increase the importance of the inter-American relationship, as well as encourage the formulation of rational and constructive U.S. policies towards Latin America. For more information, www.coha.org.

source: press release

(Photo depicts scene outside the UN on the day of this year's hearing. Photo by Ismael Nunez)

RIP JOE CUBA

The best way to remember Joe Cuba is with his music. Enjoy this video posted by neels39 on YouTube.

Here's a news release by writer and musician Aurora Flores about Cuba and his mark in the world of Latin music:

Joe Cuba: The Father of New York Boogaloo has passed

The "Father of Boogaloo," Joe Cuba, passed away on Sunday, February 15, 2009 at 4 p.m. at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York. He was the most popular exponent of the boogaloo, a fused Latino and R&B rhythm that exploded onto the American top 40s charts during the turbulent 1960s & ‘70s. Hits such as “Bang Bang,” “Push Push,” “El Pito,” “Ariñañara,” and “Sock It To Me Baby,” rocked the hit parades establishing Joe Cuba and his Sextet as the definitive sound of Latin New York during the ‘60s & ‘70s. The Joe Cuba Sextet’s unusual instrumentation featured vibraphones replacing the traditional brass sound. His music was at the forefront of the Nuyorican movement of New York where the children of Puerto Rican emigrants...took music, culture, arts and politics into their own hands.


Joe Cuba’s Sextet became popular in the New York Latino community precisely because it fused a bilingual mix of Afro-Caribbean genres blended with the popular urban rhythm & blues of its time creating a musical marriage between the Fania and Motown sound. His was the first musical introduction to Latin rhythms for many American aficionados. The lyrics to Cuba's repertoire mixed Spanish and English, becoming an important part of the emerging Nuyorican identity.


“Joe Cuba’s music validated the developing Nuyorican population whose language and music Cuba captured with his sound,” underlines Giora Breil, CEO of Emusica, the company that now owns the Fania label and who has remastered many of the classics to a new generation of music lovers. “He led the urban tribe,” pointed Breil, “into a united front of cultural warriors that were defining the social and political times they lived in.”

Longtime manager and promoter Hector Maisonave recalls Cuba as ”an innovator who crossed over into mainstream music at an early time. He was the soul of El Barrio. After Joe Cuba, El Barrio is just a street that crosses an avenue.”

In 1962, Cuba recorded "To Be With You" with the vocals of Cheo Feliciano and Jimmy Sabater whose careers he spotlighted after the bands introductory appearance at the Stardust Ballroom prior to its summer stint in the Catskills.


Born in 1931 in the heart of Spanish Harlem, his Puerto Rican parents arrived in New York City in the 20s. Christened "Gilberto Miguel Calderón," Cuba was a “doo wopper” who played for J. Panama in 1950 when he was a young 19 year old before going on to play for La Alfarona X, where the young congüerro/percussionist replaced Sabu Martinez tapped to play with Xavier Cugat.


By 1965, the Sextet got their first crossover hit with the Latino and soul fusion of "El Pito” (I Never Go Back To Georgia), a tune Cuba recorded against the advice of the producer later to be “broken” by a DJ over WBLS FM in N.Y. The Dizzy Gillespie "Never Go Back To Georgia" chant was taken from the intro to the seminal Afro-Cuban tune, "Manteca." Vocalist Jimmy Sabater later revealed that "none of us had ever been to Georgia." In fact, Cuba later comically described a conversation he had with the Governor of Georgia who called him demanding why he would record a song whose chorus negatively derided the still segregated Southern town. The quick thinking Joe Cuba replied, “Georgia is the name of my girl.”

In 1967, Joe Cuba’s band --–with no horns– scored a "hit" in the United States National Hit Parade List with the song "Bang Bang" - a tune that ushered in the Latin Boogaloo era. He also had a #1 hit, that year on the Billboard charts with the song "Sock It To Me Baby." The band’s instrumentation included congas, timbales, an occasional bongo, bass, piano and vibraphone. “A bastard sound,” is what Cuba called it pointing to the fans, the people, as the true creators of this music. “You don’t go into a rehearsal and say ‘Hey, let’s invent a new sound, or dance.’ They happen. The boogaloo came out of left field. “ Joe Cuba recounts in Mary Kent’s book:” Salsa Talks: A Musical History Uncovered. “It’s the public that creates new dances and different things. The audience invents, the audience relates to what you are doing and then puts their thing into what you are playing,” pointing to other artists such as Ricardo Ray or Hector Rivera as pioneers of the urban fused rhythm.


“I met Joe up in the Catskills in 1955,” recalls nine time Grammy Award winner Eddie Palmieri. “When I later started La Perfecta,” Palmieri muses, “we alternated on stages with Joe. He was full of life and had a great sense of humor, always laughing at his own jokes,” chuckles the pianist. Palmieri pointed to Cuba’s many musical contributions underlining the power and popularity of his small band and bilingual lyrics while providing a springboard for the harmonies and careers of Cheo Feliciano, Willie Torres and Jimmy Sabater. “He was Spanish Harlem personified,” describes Palmieri recalling the “take no prisoners” attitude Cuba had when it came to dealing with those who reluctantly paid the musicians. Recalling their early recording days with the infamous Morris Levy, Palmieri cites the antics of Joe Cuba, Ismael Rivera and himself as the reason for Levy selling them as a Tico package to Fania label owner, Jerry Masucci.


Funny, irreverent and with a great humor for practical jokes, Joe Cuba, or Sonny as he was called by his closest friends, was raised in East Harlem. Stickball being the main sport for young boys of the neighborhood, Cuba’s father organized a stickball club called the Devils. After Cuba broke a leg, he took up playing the conga and continued to practice between school and his free time. Eventually, he graduated from high school and joined a band.


“He was not afraid to experiment,” said David Fernandez, arranger & musical director of Zon del Barrio who played with the legendary Cuba when he arrived in New York in 2002.


By 1954, at the suggestion of his agent to change the band's name from the Jose Calderon Sextet to the Joe Cuba Sextet, the newly named Joe Cuba Sextet made their debut at the Stardust Ballroom. Charlie Palmieri was musical director of the sextet before his untimely 1988 death from a heart attack.


Since then, the Joe Cuba Sextet and band has been a staple of concerts and festivals that unite both Latinos, African-Americans and just plain music lovers in venues all over the world.


In 2003, the following CDs were released:

* "Joe Cuba Sextet Vol I: Mardi Gras Music for Dancing"
* "Merengue Loco" and
* "Out of This World Cha Cha".


In 2004, Joe Cuba was named Grand Marshall of the Puerto Rican Day Parade celebrated in Yonkers, New York. Musician Willie Villegas who traveled with Joe for the past 15 years said, “It didn’t matter where we played around the world Joe would always turn to me and say, To My Barrio…. With Love! " Joe Cuba is survived by his wife Maria Calderon, sons Mitchell and Cesar, daughter Lisa, and grandchildren Nicole and Alexis.

sources: YouTube and Aurora Communications Inc.

Editor's note: Joe Cuba's music is available at the PRSUN aStore:

Cemi Underground's Luis Cordero chats with PRSUN Radio tonight

PRSUN Radio

Tune in at 9 p.m. tonight for a chat with Luis Cordero, the owner of Cemi Underground, a cultural bookstore and gallery in East Harlem that features literature, arts and a host of community events highlighting boricua and Latino talent. We will chat on Cemi Underground's challenges, accomplishments and future plans.

www.blogtalkradio.com/prsunradio

For more information on Cemi Underground, go to www.cemiunderground.com.

Photo of Luis Cordero and Elena Marrero at the Viva Bronx festival last year. (photo by Ismael Nunez)

UPDATE: Listen to show right here in this blog or go to www.blogtalkradio.com/prsunradio.

RIP: Puerto Rico’s people champion Jose “Chegui” Torres

Jose “Chegui” Torres was known as a man who wore many hats because he did. Torres, a former light-heavyweight champion who became a boxing official and a writer of books about Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson, died January 19 in his native Ponce. He was 72.
Torres was laid to rest in Ponce. His wife of 48 years Ramonita Ortiz said he suffered a heart attack. Torres was honored as the hero he was on the island. The mayor of Ponce declared three days of mourning and ordered flags flown at half staff.
Many in New York City where Torres lived for many years also mourned him.
David Bernier, president of the United States Territory Olympic, spoke about Torres during a radio show, saying, “Puerto Rico has lost a great Puerto Rican, a very valiant person who aside from being a good boxer was a fine human being.”
New York City Comptroller Bill Thompson said: “He cared passionately about this city and all New Yorkers. He gained notoriety in the boxing ring. Eventually, he will be remembered for his strength of character and wealth of generosity.
“He was a role model not just for the Puerto Rican community, but for all New Yorkers who saw that one person could make a difference,” Thompson said. “He wanted our streets/neighborhoods to be safe and clean, and refused to sit on the sidelines because he believed in the power of the people.”
A place that Torres frequently visited in NYC was El Maestro boxing gym in the Bronx. Fernando "Ponce" Laspina, one of the top trainers at the gym, remembered that Torres also made it a point to visit the gym every time he was in town. He wouldn’t work out with the fighters or trainers, but he always talked to the kids, Ponce said.
“He never turned his back on anyone,” Ponce said. “He was always talking to kids telling them to stay in school, not to hurt each other, shaking hands with everyone in the gym. A true sportsman, gentleman.”
Torres was awarded in 1956 the silver medal at the Olympics games at Melbourne, Australia. He turned pro in 1958. In 1965, he became the first Puerto Rican to win the light heavyweight title. He also served as as chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission.
As a writer, Torres contributed to English and Spanish newspapers. He co-authored the book “Sting Like a Bee,” a biography on Muhammad Ali and wrote the book “Fire and Fear,” a book about former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson.
In the early 1990s, he served as president of the World Boxing Organization until 1995. He was a member of The International Boxing Hall of Fame. He also served as chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission. – Ismael Nunez

Note: The website Virtual Boricua has a tribute to Jose "Chegui" Torres. To visit, go to
http://www.virtualboricua.org/Docs/cheguitorres.htm

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/

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)