Celebrate Las Octavitas in the Barrio

Navidad criolla

Christmas is not over yet for many boricuas pues estamos en las OCTAVITAS.

Join the Comite de la Fiesta de San Juan Bautista for

las OCTAVITAS

Dedicated to Rudy Vargas

6:30-10:30 p.m., Sunday, January 18

Julia de Burgos Cultural Center
2nd flr. Theater
1680 Lexington (btwn. 106 & 105th Sts.)
NYC's El Barrio

As we celebrate
"La Fiesta de San Juan Bautista."
featuring

Zon del Barrio
&
Estampas De Borinquen
with a "controversia" (vocal duels)
by Trovadores Boricuas
Admission: $15
Bring your instruments
There will be food, raffles & refreshments.

A recent study found Puerto Ricans to be the happiest people on earth. Some say it's because we celebrate
the Christmas season (Las Navidades) longer than any one!
Puerto Rico's holiday season begins with Thanksgiving and ends with Octavitas, the last holiday of the season, beginning 8 days after the Epiphany (Jan. 6, 3 Kings Day) and lasting for 8 more days! In Puerto Rican tradition, if you received a visit from a friend or relative on Three Kings' Day, you return the visit eight days later.

The traditional festivities of San Juan Bautista are a form of cleansing in tribute to St. John the Baptist. In Puerto Rico and other islands, people take to the beaches in a communal cleansing ritual completed by music, dancing and food.

The festivities will begin with songs to the Three Kings followed by a "controversia" where troubadors compete with one another to see who can improvise the best. Zon del Barrio will follow with aguilnaldos, bolero, plena, bomba, boogalu and Salsa Navideña for the dancers! ¡Wepa!

In N.Y. we celebrate with music, dance, song and food at this time when people everywhere want to "renew" themselves making "resolutions" for a better year and a better life. Celebrate this life with us on Sunday and bring your instrument, voice and just plain good cheer one last time as we celebrate the end of the holidays with Zon del Barrio.... in el barrio, of course.

www.zondelbarrio.com

www.myspace.com/zondelbarriony

www.youtube.com/aurorazdb

-- Aurora Flores

(photo of Aurora Flores and Zon del Barrio at the 'Mis Banderas' concert at Hostos Community College in the Bronx last December; photo by Clarisel Gonzalez)

San Juan - 21

San Juan - 21
Originally uploaded by gulshan.

Today's featured shot from the Puerto Rico Sun photo group is by gulshan.

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.

Politics

Obama vows to solve Puerto Rico's status


It's a 110-year-old dilemma that Congress has never committed to solve: Puerto Rico's ambiguous political relationship with the U.S.

President-elect Barack Obama has vowed to turn this around.

In a letter sent earlier this month to newly elected Puerto Rican Gov. Luis Fortuno, Obama pledged to "enable the question of Puerto Rico's status to be resolved" during his first term. For more, go to
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/services/newspaper/printedition/tuesday/orl-probama1309jan13,0,5768559.story

PRSUN Heads to CT for Three Kings Exhibit

I plan to go to Bridgeport, Connecticut this weekend to take part in the Three Kings exhibit. I plan to exhibit my photography as well as promote Puerto Rico Sun Communications, a community-minded independent multimedia social entrepreneurship.
The exhibit, which was postponed from last weekend because of bad weather, will be held on Saturday, January 17.
The Puerto Rican Parade of Fairfield County is organizing the event, which will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. in the Chase Wellness Center, 1071 East Main St.
I was invited to exhibit my work by the organization’s president, Diana Calderon Torres, a new member of our Puerto Rico Sun social network. She says they have about 22 artists and craftspeople lined up for the event.
If you go, make sure to stop by my table.

Community calendar

Al-Juriya
English/Spanish film...Puerto Ricans witness the occupation of Palestine
In light of the events in the Middle East, Cemi Underground presents this film.
3 p.m., Saturday, January 17
Cemi Underground, NYC's El Barrio

Suggested donation: $5
For more information, go to www.cemiunderground.com.

Community calendar

"Pregones Theater Music Emsemble" to perform in NYC's El Barrio

'Theater Music, Afro Caribbean Music, Spiritual Music' performance
Camaradas El Barrio in East Harlem
9:30 p.m. Wednesday, January 14

To see more details and RSVP, follow the link below:
http://www.facebook.com/n/?event.php&eid=48706237031

IMG_0425

IMG_0425
Originally uploaded by Silvered Capture.

Today's featured shot from the Puerto Rico Sun photo group is by Silvered Capture.

Stairs

Stairs
Originally uploaded by kikepic.

@ Mt Britton, El Yunque, PR

Today's featured image from the Puerto Rico Sun photo group is by kikepic.

My mom prepares pasteles

9 of 365: My mom prepares pasteles
Originally uploaded by clarisel.

Christmas may be over, but for many boricuas the celebration is not over. They celebrate las Octavitas.

Feliz Octavitas.