Monday, March 09, 2009

Viva Loisaida @ Centro


Community calendar

Centro de Estudios Puertorriqueños Hunter College, CUNY

Presents Viva Loisaida

6-9 p.m., Thursday, March 19

I. VIVA LOISAIDA
the 1978 Documentary Film conceived and produced
by photographer MARLIS MOMBER

II. Discussion of the Socio-Economical Transition to follow Screening.

Also on view is the Inaugural Archive Exhibit
III. "On and Off the AVENUE" until May 1

Hunter College
Centro Library East Bldg. 3rd Floor, Main Library Entrance
68th & Lexington Avenue, Manhattan

For more information,
http://www.centropr.org/events.html?event=47

Sunday, March 08, 2009

Happy Day of La Mujer


The International Women's Day is a major day of global celebration for the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future.

I am a proud member of Bloggers Unite.

Go to
http://www.bloggersunite.org/event/international-womens-day

Check out the wonderful array of articles in celebration of la mujer.

Felicidades mujeres trabajadoras y luchadoras.

Picture Puerto Rico in the South Bronx





This series was shot on East 142nd between Brook and St. Ann's avenues. The yellow casita is Villa Puerto Rico.
(photos by Clarisel Gonzalez)

Saturday, March 07, 2009

Community calendar: Inspiring women


(To view larger text, click on image.)

For more information on this or other Women's History events at Cemi Underground, go to www.cemiunderground.com.

Q&A: Writer Sofia Quintero

On the reading corner


This month you can meet and greet Sofia Quintero, author of the novel "Divas Don't Yield." Quintero will discuss and sign copies of her "Divas Don't Yield" from 6:30-8 p.m. Tuesday, March 10 at El Museo del Barrio, 1230 Fifth Ave. at 104th Street, El Taller, 3rd Floor, East Harlem.

3 Questions for Sofia Quintero

1. What was the inspiration behind your book?
The novel "Divas Don't Yield" was based on a screenplay I wrote almost 10 years ago in response to the so-called Latin pop explosion or as I prefer to describe it - the six months in 1999 when Latinos were "in" again. It was difficult for me to celebrate our popularity because one, I suspected it would be fleeting, and two, the few Latinos handpicked for stardom were not very diverse. I decided to write a screenplay that would break out not just one but four different Latina stars including an Afro-Latina and hopefully an out lesbian. It is much easier to get a novel published about four Latinas than it is to have a film produced about one.

2. If you were casting the movie version of "Divas Don't Yield" who would be your picks for the main characters?
That's actually something I hope readers of the novel will assist me. Most of my favorite actresses at the time I wrote the
screenplay like Rosario Dawson and Zoe Saldana can no longer play college students. But I realize that I may not be familiar with the upcoming Latina talents, so I'd love it if readers of the novel will go find "Divas Don't Yield" on Storycasting.com and post their suggestions. I'd be especially indebted if they could lead me to a spectacular Afro-Latina actress who could pull off Jackie.

3. When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
I've been writing stories since I was eight years old. At the age of 12, I wrote my first "novel," and it starred all the kids on my block! When I was about 15, I wrote another based on the b-boys in my high school, so I've been writing with a hip-hop aesthetic for over 20 years. However, it wasn't until I had my creative recovery at the age of 28 that I decided to pursue writing as a career. I encourage anyone who aspires to create art to follow the 12-week program in Julia Cameron's "The Artist Way." That is one of the books that has changed my life.

Light refreshments will be provided at Tuesday's meet the author event. RSVP required: lacasaazulbookstore@gmail.com. -- Aurora Anaya-Cerda



Aurora Anaya-Cerda is owner of the independent La Casa Azul Bookstore and a new contributing writer to Puerto Rico Sun. For more information, visit www.lacasaazulbookstore.com or e-mail lacasaazulbookstore@gmail.com. Article reprinted with permission from La Casa Azul Bookstore.

Friday, March 06, 2009

Concert of art songs by classical composers from Puerto Rico


Music

La Casa de la Herencia Cultural Puertorriqueña, Inc. invites you to a concert of art songs by classical composers from Puerto Rico

Mezzo soprano Anna Tonna and pianist Daniel Daroca will present a recital of art songs by composers from Puerto Rico at 3 p.m. TOMORROW at La Casa, 1230 Fifth Avenue, Suite 458 (between Fifth and Madison Avenue) in Manhattan.

Dominican-American mezzo-soprano Anna Tonna and Cuban pianist Daniel Daroca will showcase songs by Puerto Rican composers from the past and present. Tonna and Daroca will highlight the various compositional styles of Puerto Rico's most important classical composers in the genre of art song and their song settings of Puerto Rico's national poets. This same concert will be presented at The Casals Festival of Puerto Rico by these artists on March 19. La Casa’s performance will be the New York premiere of several of the pieces to be performed, including the “Tres Canciones de Luis Palés Matos” by Luis Prado.

This concert demonstrates the rich repertoire and variety of Puerto Rico’s classical composers, with styles that show influences from folklore to romanticism, to more modern and contemporary idioms. Ms. Tonna and Mr. Daroca will interpret 20 songs by Héctor Campos-Parsi, Awilda Villarini, Julio Mirón, Luis Antonio Ramírez, Jack Delano, Narciso Figueroa, Ernes to Cordero and Luis Prado.

The program will conclude with “Tres Canciones de Luis Palés Matos” by the young Puerto Rican composer Luis Prado. This cycle was first premiered by the mezzo Nancy Fabiola Herrera in Philadelphia. The cycle was first presented by Tonna and Daroca in Puerto Rico at the Festival Iberoamericano de las Artes in August of 2008 and was requested again for the March 2009 Casals Festival of Puerto Rico.

Mezzo-soprano Anna Tonna returned recently from Madrid where she served as U.S. Fulbright Scholar to Spain from 2007-2008. She completed an investigation of the Spanish composer Julio Gómez (1886-1973) at La Fundación Juan March, under the tutelage of the distinguished Spanish pianists Miguel Zanetti and Jorge Robaina of the Escuela Superior de Canto of Madrid. In the fields of recital and concerts, Anna Tonna has bowed with the following organizations: Música de Cámara, Los Amigos de la Zarzuela, Elysium Between Two Continents and Joy in Singing in Nueva York. The mezzo soprano has appeared in Alice Tully Hall (Lincoln Center), Weil Recital Hall (Carnegie Hall) CAMI Hall, Merkin Hall and New York's Town Hall.

Cuban born pianist Daniel Daroca has given recitals and master classes in Europe, Asia, and the United States. Daroca has worked as=2 0an accompanist at the Juilliard School and is currently on the faculty of Kean University. He has participated in the opera seasons of Opera de Colombia and Wexford Festival Opera, among others. The Alban Berg Stiftung, the Verein der Freunde der Musiklehranstalten (Vienna), the Folkwangschule Essen, the Rotary Foundation International, and the Manhattan School of Music have endorsed his accomplishments through honors and fellowships. Daroca is a vocal coach and a frequent collaborator in vocal recitals.

Suggested Donation: $10. For more information contact (212)722-2600 or email lacasaprnyc@verizon.net.

source: La Casa release

Thursday, March 05, 2009

Study of our soul

Pensamientos


Puerto Rican studies
is the study of our
soul. It has kept
our identity safe
from assimiliation
suicide. -- Samaris Ayala

Women of El Barrio Wanted

Activism

Women of El Barrio (WOEB) promotes the leadership of Puerto Rican women regardless of age, sexual orientation, religious preferences, political affiliations or socio-economic status. Through the annual Women’s History Month celebration, WOEB has the opportunity to recognize women who have contributed to enhancing the quality of life in El Barrio/East Harlem according to the criteria stated below:

Required Criteria: All nominees must have the following attributes for this award:

*Must be a woman of Puerto Rican descent

*Must be a resident of El Barrio/East Harlem

*Must be active in the cultural, social, political efforts, enhancing quality of life in El Barrio, demonstrating leadership, mentorship and/or creativity.

If nominating a young woman, the candidate should be aspiring, mature, active, creative and be seen as an emerging leader.

Nominations are due by MARCH 12.

Here's the link for the nomination form:

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p231/alyssa2178/WOEB2009NominationForm.jpg

You may also e-mail WOEB at womenoeb@gmail.com to have the form sent to you.

The WOEB celebration will be Thursday, March 26 at the Taino Towers, Crystal Room in East Harlem.

source: Women of El Barrio

Wednesday, March 04, 2009

Former Menudo turned financial expert Xavier Serbia to visit the Bronx

Community calendar



Xavier Serbiá, ex-integrante del grupo Menudo, lanza en Nueva York su primer libro LA RIQUEZA EN CU4TRO PISOS, CÓMO CONSTRUIR LA INDEPENDENCIA FINANCIERA
7 p.m. jueves 26 de marzo
Barnes & Noble Booksellers Bay Plaza
290 Baychester Ave.

Xavier Serbia, a former member of Menudo, will be in the Bronx promoting his first book LA RIQUEZA EN CU4TRO PISOS, CÓMO CONSTRUIR LA INDEPENDENCIA FINANCIERA at 7 p.m. March 26, Barnes & Noble, Bay Plaza. The book is about building financial independence.

Editor's note: Serbia's book is also available at the PRSUN aStore.

PR to slash thousands of government jobs

Yesterday's big story from Puerto Rico is that the governor plans to cut 30,000 government jobs. The government is one of the biggest employers on the island and this is devastating news to the island's economy. This new wave of cuts will also probably lead to new migration to the United States.

Featured story

Puerto Rico plans to slash 30,000 government jobs

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, March 3 (Reuters) - Puerto Rico Governor Luis Fortuno said on Tuesday he would slash 30,000 jobs, freeze salaries of government workers and raise some taxes, as he warned the U.S. Caribbean territory must confront "the reality of a bankrupt government."
For the complete report, go to
http://www.reuters.com/article/bondsNews/idUSN0350631020090303.

Tuesday, March 03, 2009

Artist spotlight: Mia Roman Hernandez



For Women's History Month, PRSUN talks to boricua multimedia artist Mia Roman Hernandez about her many loves: art, life, culture, family and the month of March.
This month is a busy one for Mia. She's organizing and taking part in a lineup of Women's History Month events in New York City aimed at celebrating and highlighting the work of Latina artists. She is participating in a group art exhibit, curating and showcasing her photography in a group exhibit titled "Latinas En Foco/Celebrating Women in Photography" and performing in a poetry show titled in "Her Food For Thought/Celebrating Latina Women in Poetry." For Mia, March is an important time to celebrate sisterhood.


The Interview

1. What kind of artist are you and what is your mission?
I would say that I am a multimedia artist. I enjoy painting, poetry and photography. I love to sample all types of mediums and touch on various subjects. My mission is to produce art whenever possible. As an artist, I enjoy sharing the love of my culture, spirituality and artistic views with others. I have found a way to express myself with visual arts that I was unable to do in any other way.

2. Did you always want to be an artist?
I never set out to be an artist and never thought I would be an artist. Growing up, I was surrounded by creative people. Watching my mom paint small murals in our Brooklyn apartment, hearing her play the congas, helping her make our Halloween costume and taking crocheting lessons from my grandmother were just some of the daily things that surrounded me. Art was second nature to me growing up. I was encouraged to use my creativity and was always praised when I did. There was no wrong or right to art. It was always a way of self expression even as a child.
2a. When did you realize that art was for you and do you remember what was your first piece of art?
I was always making something. If it wasn't a piece of clothing for my dolls, I was playing makeup artist with my friends. I did crafts, painted clothing and designed jewelry as a teen. It wasn't until the passing of my grandfather that I started painting on canvas. He painted into his late eighties and loved painting landscapes of Puerto Rico. I would watch him paint the patio of the house, build shelves for the flower pots and then paint the flower pots. He painted coconuts, sea shells and anything he could get his hands on. After his passing, I walked into his studio and something came over me. It was almost as if he was passing the torch. I inherited his art supplies, books and sketches and just took it from there. His paint brushes are with me during every show, whether in my pocket or in my bag. It's a way for me to bring him along. My very first piece was a spiritual piece of an altar with offerings on the beach.

3. You mention that life inspires your art. Could you please elaborate on that?
My life experiences are reflected in my artwork: Latino Culture, my travel experiences, people I meet, things I dream, stories I hear. I am a spiritual person, so I enjoy painting things inspired by spirituality. I paint very much like the book "Like Water for Chocolate." My artwork can almost reflect the mood I was in at the moment. I will have very dark and sad pieces because that is how I was feeling, and some will be very bright and colorful. That is the wonderful thing about art: the possibilities are infinite.
3a. You come from a line of family of artists. Please tell me a little about them and how or if they have influenced your art.
On my maternal side, my grandfather was a graphic artist, musician and cartoonist. He designed the logo for the sugar bags in Puerto Rico. He also wrote a cartoon strip for one of the local Puerto Rico tribunes. My grandmother, now 83 years old, still does puntillo and crochets. My mother is an interior decorator and silversmith/jewelry maker in Miami, Fla. My aunt was a photographer and graphic artist and my uncle is a chef. On my paternal side, my uncle was an architect, my grandfather was a painter and my aunt is a jewelry maker. I have a brother that is an amazing mixed media sculpture, my sister a creative writer, younger brother a wonderful sketch artist and my youngest brother plays the piano. Art is in the blood no matter the craft. Each and every one of them inspire me to go forward and have always been very supportive in any endeavor of mine.

4. The subject of the woman is an important part of your artwork. Why is that?
In my family, the women play a very important role. They have been mother, father, friend, and spiritual advisor. They are the band aid to the boo boo. They always made it better no matter how bad it was. They showed strength, determination and will. These attributes are very inspiring. The images in my artwork are of my family, friends, the women that have crossed my path, and the women I admire and inspire to be.

5. You are involved in several exhibitions and activities during Women's History Month? Why is this month significant to you?
The month of March is a very important month for me. It's a month that showcases the achievements of all women. The month of March is empowering and inspiring no matter what the age, field or craft. I am able to take the month of March and bring a group of talented women together and collaborate as a sisterhood on a particular project or endeavor.

6. Who are your favorite artists and why?
Some of my favorite artists are Frida Kahlo, Lola Alvarez-Bravo, Rafael Tufino and Michael Angelo. The styles of their work inspire me. The works evoke emotion, dialogue and culture and that is exactly what I like to convey in my work.

7. What are your biggest accomplishments as an artist and why?
Some of my biggest accomplishments as an artist are not the awards, merits or honorable mentions. They are the smiles on the faces of the youth I teach art to; they are the ones that I am able to help through donating my artwork to charities/auctions. They are the people that I inspired by sharing my artwork. These are the accomplishments that truly give me a breath of fresh air.

8. What are your biggest challenges as an artist and why?
My work is very cultural and I have found it challenging to showcase my artwork outside the Latino communities. I am a self taught artist. I do not have a fancy fine arts degree from a fancy arts school, and my artwork reflects that independent self taught style, which is very nontraditional.

9. Outside of your art, what do you enjoy doing?
I collect books and am an avid reader, so I will read till I fall asleep or organize my bookcase. I love to go to Coney Island for Nathan's French fries, cotton candy and jelly apples, love the water balloon shooting games and enjoy to watch DVD's in my PJ's on a rainy day.

10. Please tell me anything else I didn't ask that you'd like to share.
I have a Golden Retriever named Bingo, which I adopted from North Shore Animal League. He is nine years old and is the son I will never have. He is a major part of the family.


Mia Roman Hernandez was a guest at PRSUN Radio at www.blogtalkradio.com/prsunradio. You can listen to the show online right here.



For more information about Mia, visit her blog at http://artbymia.blogspot.com or her MySpace page at www.myspace.com/1mamamia.
-- Clarisel Gonzalez

Photos courtesy of Mia Roman Hernandez

Monday, March 02, 2009

Opportunity

Request for Partnership Proposals for Centro Voices
Application deadline: March 15

The Center for Puerto Rican Studies (Centro) at Hunter College in NYC seeks partners to launch Centro Voices, a new peer-reviewed, online magazine devoted to Puerto Rican studies. Centro Voices will be a web-based outlet for the exchange of ideas and scholarship not regularly covered by traditional academic journals. Within this new framework, we propose to support a number of specific community-based and CUNY academic groups that will be able to create online content in their areas of expertise for the public and for the university community.

For more information, www.centropr.org.

source: Centro

Sunday, March 01, 2009


Community calendar


Cemi Underground's annual Latina Women's History Month celebration

Cemi in East Harlem is planning a monthlong of events, including art exhibitions, comedy, poetry, freestyle night, music, books and more.
Just in: I have been invited to be part of a panel with Iris Morales and Lenina Nadal about the "Cyber Boricua Chicas-Web 2.0 and the Puerto Rican Experience" on March 12. Details to come.

The events kick off at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 5 with an art exhibition and comedy show, featuring artists Mia Hernandez, Amy Ponce, Reina Miranda, Elena "Mamarazzi" Marrero and Cindy SugaRush.

For more information, www.cemiunderground.com.

(Click on image for larger text.)