Happy Fourth of July

This is my Sol, the mascot of Puerto Rico Sun. (photo by Clarisel Gonzalez)

La Reina Rhina Valentin chats with PRSUN Radio

Click to listen to my interview tonight with La Reina Rhina Valentin. She is the host of Bronxnet's "Open" and runs her own production company La Reina Productions, LLC.

She works in many different areas in the arts and entertainment industry. She's a producer, director, performance artist, emcee, comedic actress, dancer, writer, and an arts educator. She's also about to give birth to her baby girl.

Here's a photo of Rhina Valentin performing one of her characters at a show in the Bronx. 

For her full bio, go to my blog at www.blogtalkradio.com/prsunradio.

Check out Rhina Valentin in action at www.youtube.com/rhinavalentin.

(photo by Clarisel Gonzalez)

Don Coqui restaurant in New Rochelle opens tomorrow

In addition to the fine boricua-style dining and entertainment at Don Coqui, make sure to check out the Puerto Rican-themed photos on the wall. They are the photos of the members of the NYC Collective of the Puerto Rican Photographic Society, a group I administer.

Participating photographers and artists in the Don Coqui photo show are:

Elena "Mamarazzi" Marrero

Jonathan C. Perea

David Camacho

Joseph Dominick

Luis Cordero

Katherine Barbosa 

Clarisel Gonzalez (moi)

I am the curator for this exhibit with input from Jimmy Rodriguez of Don Coqui.

Here's more information on the restaurant as posted at www.doncoqui.com:

Once again, Jimmy Rodriguez, the creator of the internationally-renowned Restaurants is cooking up a storm with his new and masterful creation of Don Coqui.

Mr. Rodriguez's personal passion for creating something great, and his business philosophy, "you can't succeed if you are not excited about what you are doing," are the main ingredients behind Don Coqui's story.

Don Coqui is an inspiration rooted and aged by four generations of "family secret" recipes birthed in the enchanting island of Puerto Rico and New York. Simply put, the concept of Don Coqui is: "mi casa es tu casa."

Don Coqui's vast cultural and global brand appeal is most noted for its passion for people. At Don Coqui you feel like a member of the family while treated like the most important person; in the most exciting place.

There is so much to be said about Don Coqui's love at first bite. It's all about the awesome food, the electric energy of the people, its beautiful sound; a mixture of laughter and Latin music as waiters gracefully dance to the rhythm of kitchen chaos.

At Don Coqui you are always reminded of how great it feels to be alive!

Don Coqui's mixture of authentic Puerto Rican classic, along with a minimalist/elegant design flair and upscale edge, is sure to become the most exciting dining and entertainment spot for all occasions.

Whether you are dinning, entertaining or catering an event, Don Coqui is ready to make you feel at home.

Don Coqui is purely authentic, enchantingly delicious and unforgettable!

Don Coqui's creative management team, collective offers over 100 years of expertise in: culinary arts, hospitality, dining, entertainment, interior design, marketing and branding.

The NYC Collective of the Puerto Rican Photographic Society is glad to be a part of the opening. 

Pues make sure to stop by tomorrow or some other night.

For more information, visit www.doncoqui.com.

Free Giveaway: New Harry Potter movie tix

Giveaway for Puerto Rico Sun readers on a first-come first-served basis for the new "HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE" movie. Puerto Rico Sun got a few giveaway tickets, courtesy of Harry Potter (OK, not really Harry Potter, but the folks promoting the film).

Winners will receive free tickets for a 6:30 p.m. Monday, July 13 screening at a Manhattan theater and/or a T-Shirt for a boy, girl and a man (sorry I was not offered a woman's T-Shirt).

Here's the official film site www.harrypotter.com for more information about this upcoming summer movie.

To enter this giveaway, please e-mail clarisel (at) puertoricosun.com your name and mailing address and the Harry Potter folks will send you your prize. I'll give you a heads up if you are a winner, so you can pay extra attention to your mail.

The screening is only for the Manhattan theater. Please apply only if you can make this NYC screening. Thanks and good luck.

Here's the movie's synopsis:
Emboldened by the return of Lord Voldemort, the Death Eaters are wreaking havoc in both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that new dangers may lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. He needs Harry to help him uncover a vital key to unlocking Voldemort’s defenses—critical information known only to Hogwarts’ former Potions Professor, Horace Slughorn. With that in mind, Dumbledore manipulates his old colleague into returning to his previous post with promises of more money, a bigger office…and the chance to teach the famous Harry Potter.
Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very different adversary as teenage hormones rage across the ramparts. Harry’s long friendship with Ginny Weasley is growing into something deeper, but standing in the way is Ginny’s boyfriend, Dean Thomas, not to mention her big brother Ron. But Ron’s got romantic entanglements of his own to worry about, with Lavender Brown lavishing her affections on him, leaving Hermione simmering with jealousy yet determined not to show her feelings. And then a box of love potion-laced chocolates ends up in the wrong hands and changes everything.
As romance blossoms, one student remains aloof with far more important matters at hand. He is determined to make his mark, albeit a dark one. Love is in the air, but tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again.
David Yates, who directed the 2007 summer blockbuster “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” returned to direct “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.” David Heyman, the producer of all of the Harry Potter films, produced the film, together with David Barron. Screenwriter Steve Kloves, who scripted the first four installments of the film franchise, adapted the screenplay based on the book by J.K. Rowling. Lionel Wigram served as executive producer, with John Trehy co-producing.
Warner Bros. Pictures presents a Heyday Films production, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” the sixth installment of Warner Bros. Pictures’ Harry Potter film franchise based on the beloved novels by J.K. Rowling. Once again heading the cast, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson reprise their roles as young wizards Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, who are facing new challenges and dangers following Lord Voldemort’s return.
Other returning Harry Potter cast members include: Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange; Robbie Coltrane as Rubeus Hagrid; Warwick Davis as Professor Filius Flitwick; Michael Gambon as Professor Albus Dumbledore; Alan Rickman as Professor Severus Snape; Maggie Smith as Professor Minerva McGonagall; and Julie Walters as Molly Weasley.
A number of young stars also reprise their roles as Hogwarts students, including Tom Felton as Harry’s longtime nemesis, Draco Malfoy; Evanna Lynch as Luna Lovegood; and Bonnie Wright as Ginny Weasley, the youngest of the Weasley clan.
Two award-winning actors join the cast in their first Harry Potter film. Academy Award® winner Jim Broadbent (“Iris,” “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”) plays Potions Professor Horace Slughorn. BAFTA Award winner Helen McCrory (“Streetlife,” “The Queen”) appears as Narcissa Malfoy, mother to Draco Malfoy and sister to the evil Bellatrix Lestrange. Additionally, several young newcomers are making their feature film debuts in “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”: Jessie Cave plays the role of Lavender Brown, who only has eyes for Ron Weasley; Hero Fiennes Tiffin is seen in the role of Tom Riddle at age 11; and Frank Dillane plays the 16-year-old Riddle, who is already on the path to becoming the evil Lord Voldemort.
Collaborating with David Yates behind the camera, two-time Oscar®-nominated director of photography Bruno Delbonnel (“A Very Long Engagement,” “Amelie”) on his first Harry Potter film. The behind-the-scenes team also reunites such Harry Potter veterans as production designer Stuart Craig, editor Mark Day, composer Nicholas Hooper, visual effects supervisor Tim Burke, and costume designer Jany Temime.
“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” is being distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

If you are not a lucky winner, see HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE anyway in theatres everywhere on Wednesday, July 15.

UPDATE: There are no more movie ticket giveaways available.

Fiesta de San Juan Bautista at Battery Park

Community calendar

Celebrate the 57th year of the Fiesta de San Juan Bautista (St. John the Baptist Festival)

1-6:30 p.m. Sunday

Free

Battery Park in Manhattan

This year's "La Medalla" will go to Msgr. Lorenzo Albacete, an author, theologian and contributing writer to the New York Times Magazine. He is former president of La Universidad Pontifica de Puerto Rico. He is the author of "God at the Ritz: Attraction to Infinity."

The event kicks off with a Spanish Mass celebrated by Father Eric P. Cruz, pastor of the Christ the King Church, the Bronx.

The program also includes entertainment. Jose Alberto (El Canario) y su Orquesta, Wayne Gorbea's Salsa Picante and El Trio Los Platinos.

There will also be artisan kiosks and typical foods on sale.

This marks the 57th anniversary of the Comite de la Fiesta de San Juan Bautista, an nonprofit organization. This committee is the longest serving Hispanic ministry in the Archdiocese of New York.

The Committee also has other programs, including la Gran Fiesta Anual y la Fiesta de las Octavitas.

To help support the work of the Committee, you are welcome to make a $10 donation and mail to Comite Fiesta de San Juan Bautista, Hispanic Affairs, Archdiocese of New York, 1011 First Avenue, Suite 1753, NY, NY  10022. Your name would be included in the committee's future programs with your donation.

(photo by Clarisel Gonzalez of St. John the Baptist at the Cathedral in Old San Juan, P.R.)

Happy St. John the Baptist!

Spirit of East Harlem Mural Defaced

East Harlem Preservation Calls for Community Action and Cultural Educational Campaign

During the early hours of June 13, one of El Barrio's s most famous outdoor artworks, the Spirit of East Harlem mural, was mysteriously defaced. The landmark painting has significant historical roots in the history of Spanish Harlem and has served as a cultural attraction for thousands of students and tourists from around the country and the world.  Commissioned by Hope Community, Inc. in 1978, the four-story Spirit of East Harlem mural was created by Hank Prussing and featured local residents engaging in everyday activities. Artist Manny Vega, who'd served as Prussing's apprentice, restored the badly weathered mural in the mid-1990s. On June 24 , the main wall of the Graffiti Wall of Fame was also painted over; although the alteration may have been in preparation for a new project. Located on the northwest corner of 106th Street and Park Avenue, the Graffiti Wall of Fame was the first legal and organized wall for graffiti writers to showcase their skills. Created during the early 1980s, the "Wall" has become a formidable means of artistic expression for a group of artists led by the Tats Cru. Manny Vega's internationally acclaimed Julia de Burgos mosaic on East 106th Street does not appear to have been defaced, nor have any works by artist James de la Vega. East Harlem Preservation has reached out to elected officials and other neighborhood agencies to address the matter and hopes to engage in public forums to highlight the importance of preserving local artwork. Stay tuned for further updates. For more information, www.eastharlempreservation.org.

Photos and text courtesy of Marina Ortiz of East Harlem Preservation

Danza Fiesta chats with PRSUN Radio Tonight

The Danza y Fiesta Puerto Rican Dance Company's mission is to educate and present aspects of Puerto Rican culture in the US.

My guest at 9 p.m. tonight on PRSUN Radio is Danza Fiesta.
Visit www.blogtalkradio.com/prsunradio.

Source: "Raices: Latin Music Museum: Danza Fiesta #3," mediamanny53 at YouTube

UPDATE: To listen to my interview with Danza Fiesta,

Concert: Miguel Zenón Trio at NYC's Hispanic Society of America

Community calendar

Concert: Miguel Zenón Trio

 

Featuring: Uptown Arts Stroll 2009 honoree Miguel Zenón playing new compositions with arrangements by Puerto Rican and Cuban composers.

 

Miguel Zenón, saxophone

Ricky Rodriguez, bass

Henry Cole, drums

 

Washington Heights resident Miguel Zenón was born and raised in San Juan , Puerto Rico .  There, he studied classical saxophone at the famed Escuela Libre de Música.  It was at the Berklee School of Music that his formal jazz training began.  Zenón went on to attend the Manhattan School of Music and received a Masters in Saxophone Performance.  

 

In 2008 Zenón received a fellowship from the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation.  Later that year he was one of the 25 distinguished individuals chose to receive the MacArthur “Genius” Grant.  The fellowship is a prestigious addition in Zenón’s fast-rising career fusing jazz with various forms of music from Puerto Rico , like bomba and jíbara.  To date, he has four albums of his own and has appeared as a sideman in more that 15 others.

 

*****

Miguel Zenón, residente de Washington Heights, nació y se crió en San Juan, Puerto Rico. Allí estudio saxofón clásico en la afamada Escuela Libre de Música. Fue en la Berklee School of Music donde comenzó formalmente su aprendizaje del jazz. Zenón continuó su formación en la Manhattan School of Music donde recibió un Master en Interpretación de Saxofón.

 

En el 2008 Zenón recibió una beca de la fundación John Simon Guggenheim. Ese mismo año, se convirtió en una de las 25 personas distinguidas con una beca “genio” MacArthur. Esta beca significa otro prestigioso logro en la meteórica carrera que Zenón ha desarrollado fusionando el jazz con distintas formas de música puertorriqueña, como la bomba o la jíbara. Hasta la fecha, Zenón ha publicado cuatro álbumes propios y ha participado como acompañante en otros quince.

 

Tuesday, June 23, 7pm

Hispanic Society of America

Broadway between 155^th and 156^th Street

New York, NY 10032

 

Free Admission

RSVP: 212.568.4396 - info@nomaanyc.org

 

www.miguelzenon.com

www.artstroll.com

www.nomaanyc.org

www.hispanicsociety.org

www.diaart.org

 

 

 

Interview: PR parade queen Crystal Rosa

Go to my site at examiner.com for my latest article, featuring an interview with Crystal Rosa who on Sunday led the Puerto Rican Day Parade as its queen.

She talks on her views on being Puerto Rican, her goals and more.

To check it out,

http://www.examiner.com/x-11970-NY-Latino-Community-Examiner~y2009m6d16-Miss-Puerto-Rico-of-the-National-Puerto-Rican-Day-Parade-Crystal-Rosa-wears-her-crown-as-a-proud-bor

(photo by Clarisel Gonzalez)

Virtual Boricua Marina Ortiz chats with PRSUN Radio

My guest tomorrow on PRSUN Radio is writer, artist and community activist Marina Ortiz.

Ortiz is the woman behind Virtual Boricua, a site dedicated to boricua culture, and East Harlem Preservation, a site dedicated to East Harlem community issues.

To learn more about Ortiz, check out my blog at www.blogtalkradio.com/prsunradio.

The interview is at 5 p.m. tomorrow.

UPDATE: To listen to my interview with Marina,

@ the parade

For more photos from the National Puerto Rican Day Parade in NYC, go to www.flickr.com/photos/clarisel. Click on the PR in NYC '09 events set.

My photos featured at us-puertoricans.org

Some of my photos from the Flag series are now featured at www.us-puertoricans.org, a multimedia community dedicated to the Puerto Rican Diaspora - a place for discussion and learning, for stimulating imagination, and promoting solidarity.

Live Music @ El Maestro on PR Parade Day

Community calendar

AFTER THE PUERTO RICAN DAY PARADE

MUSICA EN VIVO—LIVE MUSIC

5 p.m., Sunday, June 14

EL MAESTRO, INC., 1029 E. 167th St., Bronx

For more information, (646) 337-6775.

'Ay, Que Funny' finds humor in Latino life

AY QUE FUNNY Show Intro - 2009 from AYQUEFUNNY on Vimeo.

Check out my interview with Jesenia Bailey at Examiner on her upcoming comedy show "Ay, Que Funny" at the Nuyorican Poet's Cafe in NYC's Lower East Side.

Bizarre Foods - Puerto Rico

ON TV

The folks of Travel Channel's Bizarre Foods reached out to Puerto Rico Sun to let us know about this show airing tonight.

Here's the info.:

Andrew takes a tour of Puerto Rico where the flavors of the food tell the history of the island. From the deep-fried treats brought in by Africans, to the roasted pork made popular by the Spanish, Andrew tries a variety of traditional foods.

Andrew's culinary tour kicks off with stops not usually seen by the average tourist. First is a local bakery in San Juan where he tries Mallorcas (a Spanish pastry) and Cocas (similar to pizza, but with vegetables and sardines). Next, he visits Plaza del Mercado de Rio Piedras to find some unique local products including: Algarobba, Mavi (a drink made from sugar and tree bark), Corazon, and Caimitos (a star shaped pulpy fruit).

What would a trip to Puerto Rico be without pork? On Sundays, Puerto Rican families like to pile into the car and take a trip up into the mountains of the Guavate Region, where they pig out on roasted pork. There are a dozen of lechonaras that serve pork along the so called “Pork Highway”, but the original is El Rancho Original. In Andrew's own words, "That little bite that I had there is the best pork I've ever eaten in my life!".

Tonight at 10 p.m. on the Travel channel.

source: TravelChannelTV on YouTube

El Rev. Pedro Pietri Hand Awards

Community calendar
The awards ceremony at Hunter College in Manhattan is Friday. Award winners are Puerto Rican Traveling Theater's Miriam Colon, the late boxer and writer Jose "Chegui" Torres (in memory), activist, filmmaker, writer, and artist Dylcia Pagan, poet/playwright Tato Laviera, poet/playwright and author Ntozake Shange and photographer, filmmaker and director Carlos Ortiz.
The award honors the memory of the late Rev. Pedro Pietri, one of the most gift poets and playwrights of the Twentieth Century and co-founder of the Nuyorican Poetry Movement. The award was created to recognize significant artistic and cultural contributions by Puerto Rican/Nuyorican poets, artists and political activists working in their fields today.

For more information, go to http://lostidentities.vox.com/library/post/el-rev-pedro-pietri-hand-awards.html.

(Click on image to see larger text.)

Boogie Rican Blvd.'s Caridad De La Luz 'La Bruja' to chat with PRSUN Radio

My upcoming guest on PRSUN Radio is writer and actress Caridad De La Luz "La Bruja" who will speak on her newest project "Boogie Rican Blvd: The Musical." My chat with La Bruja is at 10 p.m. Wednesday, June 10, at www.blogtalkradio.com/prsunradio.

On Tuesday, June 30th, Urban Lifestyle Media (ULM) presents “Boogie Rican Blvd: The Musical” for a limited engagement at the Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre (304 W. 47th Street) in Manhattan, running from July 1st - July 26. Written and performed by La Bruja, directed by Nelson Vásquez and music by William Cepeda. Boogie Rican Blvd. in the Bronx is where the Pacheco family and their colorful collection of friends examine life, love and regret through words, song and dance in front of Don Jose’s bodega.

Renowned composer and arranger, William Cepeda comes from a well-known family rooted in music. The Familia Cepeda is famous for their performances of folkloric music with African roots, and as keepers of traditional Puerto Rican music for many years. Cepeda's unique jazz style he coined as “Afrorican Jazz.” He has produced all the music for “Boogie Rican Blvd: The Musical”.

The multi-faceted De La Luz gives life to seven colorful characters such as “Don Jose”, the owner of the bodega, patriarch of the family and father of three daughters. 

For more, go to my blog at www.blogtalkradio.com/prsunradio.

(Click on the photo to learn more about La Bruja.)

UPDATE: To listen to my interview with La Bruja:

Business Day in the Bronx to include golf, networking, freebies and art

TheNetWorks Organization is celebrating its “Bronx Week Golf Outing and Networking Event” on Thursday, June 18, as part of the Bronx Week celebration. This date has been designated as “Business Day” by the Bronx Week organizers. The networking event will begin at 5 p.m. and end at approximately 9 p.m. Tee times are available from 1 p.m.

The event will be held at the Pelham/Split Rock Golf Course in the Pelham Bay section of the Bronx. Pelham/Split Rock features a lavish renovation of the original clubhouse and a beautiful new pavilion with views of the course. Our co-sponsors and participants currently include the Pelham/Split Rock Golf Course, the Fordham Road Business Improvement District (BID), Banco Popular (Fordham Road), Bronxnet, Liberty Mutual, NYC Business Solutions, WFAN Sports Radio, Entrepreneur Magazine, Minority Business Entrepreneur Magazine, and Puerto Rico Sun Communications.

The networking event will be hosted by Rhina Valentin and music will be provided by DJ Willie Rodriguez. Our guest speaker will be Diane Edelson of NYC Business Solutions. She will be talking about many of the free services that are available to area businesses and entrepreneurs. There will be passed hors d’oeuvres and desserts, and beverages including wine, soda, coffee, and tea. Free valet parking will be available. Our sponsors and Premier Members will be providing giveaways. A cash bar will be available where TheNetWorks will be introducing our new signature drink – The NetTini. Puerto Rico Sun Communications will be displaying a Bronx-themed photo exhibit by local photographers. Each guest (until supplies run out) will receive a promo bag which will contain materials from our sponsors and Premier Members as well as complimentary magazines provided by Entrepreneur and Minority Business Entrepreneur. In addition, there will be a special appearance by the WFAN Fan Van Crew from 5-7 p.m. with Fan Freebies.

The event is open to both individuals and businesses in the NY Metro area. There will be a charge of $10 at the door for those who RSVP in advance on our website, and $25 at the door for those who do not RSVP. Golfing is additional and is available at a discounted rate of $45 for 18 holes.

Our organization offers exposure to business professionals as well as potential customers, entrepreneurs, and other individuals. We assist with networking, advertising, marketing, consulting, and other support services for both individuals and businesses. We offer many free services including membership on our interactive networking website. We also host and sponsor networking events and we participate in various types of events that benefit both businesses and individuals.

For more information or to RSVP, please visit our website at www.TheNetWorks.org. We can also be contacted at 914-302-2598 with any questions or requests to participate. To reserve a tee time please contact Elizabeth at Pelham/Split Rock directly at 718-885-1258 ext. 232. Be sure to mention that you are attending our event in order to qualify for the discounted rate.

source: The NetWorks release

Editor's note: Puerto Rico Sun is a project of Puerto Rico Sun Communications. I'm honored to be part of this lineup for Bronx Week.

Viva Cultura in the Bronx

Go to my site at Examiner for my interview with the Bronx Council on the Arts' Leenda Bonilla and the upcoming Saturday Culture Trolley in the Bronx celebrating Puerto Rican heritage.

Here's the link:

http://www.examiner.com/x-11970-NY-Latino-Community-Examiner~y2009m6d4-Viva-Cultura-Saturday-trolley-celebrates-Puerto-Rican-heritage-in-the-Bronx

June is Puerto Rican party time in NYC

Read my article at http://www.examiner.com/x-11970-NY-Latino-Community-Examiner~y2009m6d1-June-is-Puerto-Rican-party-time-in-NYC.

The article focuses on some of NYC's upcoming festivals in celebration of Puerto Rican culture. Also see my photo slideshow.

PRSUN Radio chats with boricua actress Jazmin Caratini

Actress Jazmin Caratini is my guest at 9 p.m. Wednesday, June 3, at www.blogtalkradio.com/prsunradio. She is currently based in Puerto Rico. We'll talk on her acting career, her time in New York City and her transition back to Puerto Rico. We'll also chat on her current and future projects.

Jazmin is an ACE-nominated actress. She was nominated for Best Actress in Classical Theater 2006 (NY) and for Best Actress in Drama 2007 (NY).

For more, go to my blog at www.blogtalkradio.com/prsunradio.

UPDATE: Listen to my interview with Jazmin at

Don Juan Mari Bras to visit El Maestro

Community calendar

Puerto Rican citizen DON JUAN MARI BRAS

“La Ciudadania Puertorriquena de los Boricuas en E.U.”

6:30 p.m., Thursday, June 11
EL MAESTRO, INC.
1029 E. 167th St.
For more info, (646) 337-67775

Sponsors: EL MAESTRO, PARTIDO NACIONALISTA-JUNTA DE N.Y., COMITE 27 DE OCTUBRE, FUNDACION ANDRES FIGUEROA CORDERO,N.Y. FRIENDS OF PUERTO RICO AT THE ONU

*There will be a bomba and plena cultural performance as part of this event featuring Don Juan Mari Bras.

My new exhibit: Visions of Puerto Rico

Exhibition: Visions of Puerto Rico & Puerto Rican Pride

June 12th – 28th – Opening Show 7-10 p.m. on June 12th

Clemente Soto Velez Cultural & Educational Center, Inc.

107 Suffolk Street, Manhattan

Contact: Mia Roman Hernandez - artbymamamia@yahoo.com / 646-361-6448

About the show:

“Visions of Puerto Rico & Puerto Rican Pride” Celebrates Puerto Rican culture through Photography. The show will include more than fifty works by emerging and established artists from Puerto Rico, Miami Fl. and New York City. Each artist brings a unique style and vision. These artists have discovered the beauty, tales and the history to their culture in which has been incorporated into their craft of photography. Some of the pieces will depict Community, Urban settings, Music, Nature, Family, Politics and Spirituality. The photos will embrace the cultural empowerment of the Puerto Ricans and their pride. The photos will evoke emotion, feeling and discussion. We have bridged a gap between the Puerto Ricans on the Island and the Puerto Ricans out side of the island and this exhibit is the result of that connection.


Art is an expression of the unconscious and is dedicated to the free expression of feeling.


About CSV/ Clemente Soto Velez Cultural & Educational Center, Inc.:

The Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural & Educational Center, Inc. (CSV), a 501 (C) 3 not-for-profit, was founded in 1993. The CSV Cultural Center is a Puerto Rican/Latino cultural institution that has demonstrated a broad-minded cultural vision and a collaborative philosophy. While CSV's mission is focused on the cultivation, presentation and preservation of Puerto Rican and Latino culture, it is equally determined to operate in a multi-cultural and inclusive manner, housing and promoting artists and performance events that fully reflect the cultural diversity of the Lower East Side and the city as a whole.


Artists include:

Clarisel Gonzalez, Mia Roman Hernandez, Elena Marrero, Vivien Perez, Carissa Hernandez, Christopher Lopez, Susan Alvarez, Marcelino Pagan, Luis Cordero, Pepper Negron, Marie Paola Martinez, Gamalier Martinez, Gerardo Javier Melendez Silvagnoli, Marielly Martinez, Ismael Nunez, Pablo Colon, Eliud Martinez

source: Art by Mia press release

In The Heights: Chasing Broadway Dreams on PBS Trailer

Premieres at 8 p.m. May 27 (ET on "Great Performances." See local listings. For more info., http://www.intheheightsthemusical.com.

source: InTheHeightsBroadway @ YouTube

Cemi Underground's All-Star Extravaganza is more than a fundraiser

Hi gente, I am a NY Latino Community Examiner at www.examiner.com. Check out my article today titled "Cemi Underground's All-Star Extravaganza is more than a fundraiser."

http://www.examiner.com/x-11970-NY-Latino-Community-Examiner~y2009m5d26-Cemi-Undergrounds-AllStar-Extravaganza-is-more-than-a-fundraiser

Prez chooses boricua for Supreme Court Justice

BRONX BORICUA for the high court. Way to go.

President Barack Obama chose federal appeals judge Sonia Sotomayor to become the nation's first Hispanic Supreme Court justice on Tuesday.

Check out this blog entry in the New York Times' blog about this "Kid From the Bronx."

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/27/us/politics/27websotomayor.html

Spanish Fly's Elstabo chats with PRSUN Radio

My upcoming guest on PRSUN Radio is artist Alexander Aviles aka Elstabo who has self published a book titled Elstabo's Spanish Fly series, a collection of portrait paintings depicting women of Puerto Rican heritage. We'll chat on his art, why he self published a book and more.

Tune in at 9 p.m. Wednesday at www.blogtalkradio.com/prsunradio.

Here's some of his artwork:





To view more of his artwork, go to his site at http://elstabo.com.

To read his bio, go to my blog at http://blogtalkradio.com/prsunradio.



(images courtesy of Alexander Aviles)

UPDATE: My interview with Elstabo

NYC Grassroots Media Conference: HOPE TO ACTION

I am serving as a panelist at The Sixth Annual NYC Grassroots Media Conference.

Here's the press release about the conference:

The Sixth Annual NYC Grassroots Media Conference: HOPE TO ACTION
Co-Sponsored by the Film and Media Department at Hunter College, CUNY
9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, May 30
Hunter College, 68th Street & Lexington Avenue, Manhattan


On May 30th, the New York City Grassroots Media Coalition (NYCGMC) will host its sixth annual conference at Hunter College. The conference theme Hope to Action invites participants to consider how we can build a media network that ensures the visibility of our communities' voices, images and stories. Conference workshops will explore how we can use the media tools at our disposal to turn HOPE for social justice into ACTION in our communities.

The conference first convened in 2004 by a volunteer collective of media activists and organizations responding to the FCC’s moves to further deregulate media control and diversity. The annual conference is part of an ongoing effort to build bridges between New York City's diverse social justice and grassroots media communities to better realize our common goals for social change. To date, approximately 300 organizations and 4,500 independent media makers and community organizers have participated in NYC Grassroots Media Coalition’s conferences.

This year's conference comes on the heels of a historic 2008 election season that was fueled by an unprecedented level of community based organizing, and highlighted the power that can be mobilized by the grassroots. Even as we celebrate, uncertainty looms ahead. Many of us have lost our jobs, our insurance, and our economic stability; many of our independent media producers and social justice organizations face diminished financial support and increasing barriers. In this moment of great opportunity and great challenge, the NYC Grassroots Media community asks: What role can the media play as a catalyst for social justice?

The Sixth Annual Conference will host more than 40 informative panels and skill-sharing workshops, a daylong film festival, art exhibits, and musical performances. Featured panels include immigrant rights groups strategizing on how they can use media to debunk stereotypes, editors of independent publications confronting the crisis in journalism, and prison justice activists developing a media platform. Hands-on workshop tutorials will cover how to organize via social networking tools, activist mural making, hip-hop activism, community radio production, and more.

The conference continues its commitment to elevating youth voices and empowering young people to make their own media by providing various workshops for, about, and led by New York City teenagers. To further engage young media makers, on May 14, NYCGMC in partnership with the Youth Media Reporter/Academy for Educational Development will host a screening of youth produced media at 100 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY.

The NYCGMC works in partnership with a variety of locally based organizations to design the theme and content of the conferences. 2009 Partners include representatives from Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting, GoLeft.org, Indypendent, Alliance for Community Media, Left Turn magazine, LGBT Center, Manhattan Neighborhood Network, MAGNet, Radical Reference, Youth Media Reporter, Listen Up! and others.

More details about our current and past programs can be found at www.nycgrassrootmedia.org. To register and to pay online, go to the site. Prices range from $5 to $20 to register for the conference.

Poverty in the barrio

Pensamientos

poverty sometimes
blinds us, there
are many artists
in the barrio
just too poor
to know -- coconut brujita

Coconut Brujita contributes her writings to Puerto Rico Sun.

The Loisaida Festival

Community calendar



The Loisaida Festival is coming up. It's this Sunday.

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