Boricua Pride

From the archives of PRSUN TV

Footage of the National Puerto Rican Day Parade in NYC 2006

This year's national parade is Sunday, June 8.

Join BCA June 4th Celebrate its 45th Anniversary

Opening reception for OTHER, OTHER…, an exhibition of Urban Artist Initiative artists at the Longwood Art Gallery @ Hostos

2008 BRIO Award /Check Presentation Ceremony

Special Honorees: Dr. Valerie Capers, Pepón Osorio, and Al Quiñones

And the following Bronx Culture Trolley Activities:
OTHER, OTHER... Curator's Talk by Wanda Raimundi-Ortiz
The Artisans Boutique
“Works-in-Motion” performance on the trolley by Bronx choreographer Christal Brown
Artist in the Marketplace 28 at the Bronx Museum of the Arts
Walking cluster gallery exhibitions
Walking tour of the Alexander Avenue Art & Antiques District
Jazz at Maxson’s Bar & Grill

For more information, www.bronxarts.org.

Reminder

Support Latino Theater

Celebrando la Trova Boricua

Community Calendar

Saturday, June 7, at 7 p.m.


NYS Assemblyman José Rivera in collaboration with the Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture invites you to "Celebrando la Trova Boricua," at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 7. The celebration is a salute to the 51st National Puerto Rican Day Parade and to The City of Lajas, Puerto Rico. Victoria Sanabria “La diosa de la trova” and Prodigio Claudio (Maestro del cuatro) will perform.
Admission: $15
(group, senior & student rates available)
Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture

For more information, http://www.hostos.cuny.edu/culturearts/Default.htm

IMG_8035

IMG_8035
Originally uploaded by clarisel

@ East 148 Street and Willis Avenue

Two Bx 'Places that Matter' to be Honored

JCR Percussion and The Point are "places that matter" in the Bronx.

These two Bronx institutions are among 10 "places that matter" that will be honored as part of the 10th anniversary celebration of Place Matters. City Lore and the Municipal Art Society founded the Place Matters project in 1998, and Place Matters' mission is to foster the conservation of New York City's historically and culturally significant places.

Place Matters is honoring JCR Percussion in Highbridge for keeping tradition alive. JCR Percussion, owned by Calixto Rivera, is where many musicians buy the percussion instruments which form the rhythmic backbone of Latin music. In a small unassuming workshop not far from Yankee Stadium, Caly, as he is known to his customers, makes cowbells, congas, bongos, and timbales by hand.

Meanwhile, THE POINT Community Development Corporation in Hunts Point is being honored for fostering creativity. In
1994, four Bronx residents founded THE POINT to organize for comprehensive revitalization, and social and economic justice in the Hunts Point neighborhood. Today, in two creatively re-used industrial buildings, after-school programs, theater and dance troupes, photography and art programs, advocacy and planning initiatives, and environmental justice efforts all thrive.

Log onto www.placematters.net and the Municipal Art Society website to learn about these and the other eight featured places, which include La Plaza Cultural Armando Perez, a community garden in Manhattan's Lower East Side, and the Federation of Black Cowboys in Queens.

In celebration of its 10th anniversary, Place Matters invited a group of fellow place-enthusiasts to help select 10 places from its Census of Places that Matter to receive special recognition.

At a ceremony on June 11 at the Municipal Art Society, Place Matters will honor the 10 places and give each one a newly-designed place-marking award. The June event is now sold out, but log onto Place Matters' website for more information about all the honorees.

Sports Opportunity

Delmundo Baseball launches website and officially opens for business

Delmundo Baseball trains and develops softball and baseball players between the ages of nine and sixteen. Its goal is to give young athletes the opportunity to physically and mentally improve, learning in a positive baseball environment throughout the year. Athletes are taught about the importance of teamwork and sportsmanship.

Delmundo Baseball’s goal is to address every facet of softball and baseball with instructional techniques and drills. Class workouts are designed for students wanting to improve their agility, strength, skills, and the ability to compete at a higher level of game play. Delmundo Baseball hosts a variety of clinics covering a wide range of softball and baseball topics.

For more information, contact:

Victor Delgado Phone: (800) 758-1053
Email: Delgado@DelmundoBaseball.com
Website: http://www.DelmundoBaseball.com

source: press release

Editor's Note: Victor Delgado, who grew up in the Bronx, says Delmundo works with kids from the Bronx, Westchester, and Rockland. They also work with leagues and teams in the tri-state area.
"I'm actually trying to find a location in the Bronx where I can run three clinics a year," Delgado says.

Artist Opportunity

Friday, May 30, 8 p.m.
Starving Artist Weekend
249 City Island Avenue, City Island

'Take the Stage' Open Mic Night - Poet? Songwriter? Actor? Comic? There's room on our stage at this last-Friday-of-the-month event that brings together the finest in talent - all at the Starving Artist. To sign up to "take the stage" or just sit and watch. For more information, elliott@starvingartistonline.com.

Congrats to Mike Amadeo

Bronx Latino recently spent some time at Casa Amadeo, the legendary Latin music shop of Mike Amadeo on Prospect Avenue. Amadeo, who has composed songs interpreted by some of Latin music's greats such as the late salsa singer Hector Lavoe, is this year's godfather or padrino for the National Puerto Rican Day Parade in Manhattan, which is one of the largest cultural parades in the country. And, he surely deserves this honor. He is a walking library of the Latin music scene of New York City. Felicidades.
For more photos of my day at Casa Amadeo, go to www.flickr.com/photos/clarisel.
For more information on the history behind Casa Amadeo, go to
www.nps.gov/history/nr/feature/hispanic/2001/amadeo.htm
Or visit, Casa Amadeo's site at www.casaamadeo.com.
-- Clarisel Gonzalez

Spotlight: Activist Al Quinones

Al Quinones, Community and Cultural Activist, to be Honored at BCA’s 45th Anniversary Celebration on June 4th


Al Quinones, community and cultural activist who kept 52 Park and Latin Jazz alive in the South Bronx, will be honored at the Bronx Council on the Arts (BCA) 45th Anniversary Celebration on June 4th at the Longwood Art Gallery at Hostos Community College. The celebration will coincide with the evening’s Bronx Culture Trolley activities and will include a presentation of the 2008 BRIO Award to 25 Bronx artists.

As BCA celebrates its 45th year as the official cultural agency of Bronx County, it pays tribute to Quinones for his contributions to the arts as a community leader and a cultural activist.

Alberto Quinones was born in the South Bronx. He attended St. Anselm's Grammar School, Rice High School in Harlem, and the Borough of Manhattan Community College.

1989 was a pivotal time for Quinones as he witnessed his childhood neighborhood burning and suffering neglect, he and three others took action and founded, 52 People for Progress, Inc. Now, 28 years later, 85,000 hours of work and an immeasurable commitment of heart, Quinones and 52 People for Progress. Inc. have created one of the best playgrounds in the South Bronx, a living testament to their philosophy, leadership development, brotherhood, and caring, while providing access to world class music, culture and the arts.

His other accomplishments in this South Bronx neighborhood include the opening of Rainey Garden in 1984, and the development of Demara/Santiago Garden. In 1990 the Miranda Theater, was inaugurated and gave birth to the 52 Latin Jazz Concerts Series. Since then over 152 concerts have been performed there – and have included the talents of Johnny Pacheco, Conjunto Clasico, Manny Oquendo and Libre and 9 time Grammy-award winner Eddie Palmieri, among others.

The success of 52 People for Progress, Inc., has to do with the many partners involved in realizing the dream. It has taken the effort of city-wide agencies, the community at large and the city as a whole with the leadership and passion of the indefatigable Alberto Quinones.

Other activities taking place during that evening’s Bronx Culture Trolley includes the opening of the OTHER, OTHER… exhibition at the Longwood Art Gallery @ Longwood, The Artisans Boutique, Artist in the Marketplace 28 at the Bronx Museum of the Arts, a performance at Pregones Theater, a walking cluster of gallery exhibitions, a walking tour of the Alexander Avenue Art & Antiques District, and Jazz at Maxson’s Bar & Grill.

The Longwood Art Gallery @ Hostos is located on the campus of Hostos Community College at 450 Grand Concourse and 149th Street. For more information on BCA’s 45th Anniversary Celebration at June 4th’s Bronx Culture Trolley, contact Phil Cardone at 718-931-9500 x33 or phil@bronxarts.org or visit www.bronxarts.org.

source: press release/photo courtesy of BCA

Featured story

Bayside is ranked best for kids, but in nabes like Mott Haven life's a struggle

Want to raise kids in the city? Think about moving to Bayside.
The Queens neighborhood was named New York's most kid-friendly community, according to a new report that ranked areas in the five boroughs on safety, schools and health care.
Two other Queens communities, Rego Park and Forest Hills, along with Tottenville on Staten Island, were also high on the list.
Mott Haven in the Bronx had the distinction of coming in last, according to the Citizens' Committee for Children report.
To read more, go to
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/queens/2008/05/22/2008-05-22_bayside_is_ranked_best_for_kids_but_in_n-3.html

'Flamenco Fiesta' in the Bronx

This free flamenco bash will be at Pregones on Walton Avenue.

Dance to the Music!

Ana "Rokafella" Garcia shows off her moves.

Community Calendar

'Dance to the Music! A Look at Hip Hop, Dance and Culture'

For “Dance to the Music! A Look at Hip Hop, Dance and Culture,” four highly respected hip hop pioneers from the worlds of dance, activism, and education join forces to present a one-of-a-kind program on June 6 that explores the history, relevance, and future of hip hop dance and the culture that birthed it. The event will feature the screening of "Everything Remains Raw" – a groundbreaking documentary on hip hop dance culture, a panel discussion, and music provided by DJ DOC.

This is part of a series launched in 2007, First Fridays!, that offers FREE film screenings, art performances, music and other special events the first Friday of every month. For more information, visit www.bronxmuseum.org

Panelists will include: Adesola Osakalumi, (Elite Force/ MopTop Productions), Buddha Stretch, (Elite Force/ MopTop Productions), Jorge "Fabel" Pabon, (RSC, Tools of War), Ana "Rokafella" Garcia (Full Circle Productions), and Moncell "Ill Kozby" Durden (Filmmaker). Moderated by April Silver: (AKILA WORKSONGS, Inc)

The event will be from 6 to 10 p.m., Friday, June 6, at The Bronx Museum of the Arts, 1040 Grand Concourse @ 165th Street.

(Photo by Yu Wadee.)

source: The Bronx Museum of the Arts

'Puerto Rican Sun'

Originally uploaded by cberengu1

Rafael Ferrer
Puerto Rican Sun, 1979
painted steel, 22' x 25' 6" x 22'
entrance to community garden
Community Park Fox Street and 156 Street
Bronx Venture Corporation
City of New York Parks and Recreation

This photo was taken and information was provided by cberengu1 on flickr.

(Also, see a black and white shot of this same artwork taken in 1984 in the South Bronx by rigglord on flickr, which was recently posted right here in Bronx Latino. Go to the May 17 entry.)


Both cberengu1 and rigglord are members of the Bronx Latino photo group at flickr.com. Go check out old and new pictures of the Bronx with a Latino twist.

The Bronx Says: 'Que Viva Puerto Rico'

IMG_7966
Originally uploaded by clarisel

Today was Puerto Rican parade day in the Bronx. Visit my photo page at flickr.com/photos/clarisel for images of the day.

!Que viva Puerto Rico!

-- Clarisel

Freaking' Ricans at City Island

Community Calendar

Starving Artist Cafe & Gallery Presents Freakin' Ricans
The Freakin Ricans with Jorge Caraballo & Nick Morales offers 'a potpourri of beautiful noise'


Monica Glick of The Starving Artist says: "They are two Puerto Rican musicians - Jorge Caraballo & Nick Morales - who play a 'potpourri of beautiful noise,' as they bill their act. It's a mixed bag of fun. Check out the blogs at the Starving Artist web site - from 11/26/07 and 3/20/08 - or at http://www.confessionsofthestarvingartist.blogspot.com/ for those dates to read a review of their past Starving Artist performances."


Time: 8 p.m., Friday, May 23
Location: Starving Artist Cafe & Gallery, 249 City Island Avenue
Admission: Free

(Photo courtesy of The Starving Artist)

For reservations, e-mail: elliott@starvingartistonline.com

Mi Patria

Mi Patria
Originally uploaded by Rigglord

From back in the day

At the steel palm tree sculpture on Fox Street and 156th Street. (Photo by Ricky Flores)

TeatroStageFest to Spotlight Latino Theater

New York's Premier Latino and International Theater Festival Returns for 2nd Season


TeatroStageFest
June 2-15


Featuring eight international and local productions, concerts and comedy, family theater, appearances by John Leguizamo, Chicago star Bianca Marroquín, Grammy nominee Bobby Sanabria, Marga Gomez, Graciela Daniele, Lin-Manuel Miranda, LAByrinth Theater Company & much more.


TeatroStageFest, the celebrated theater festival that spotlights great theater from New York, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Spain, returns for a second year to make New York City the capital of Latino theater nationwide. The second annual Festival will run June 2-15, and will feature eight full-length local and international theater productions, an intimate concert and comedy series, artist panels, a TeatroStageFamily show for children, and a playwriting competition for high school students. Productions are in English, in Spanish with live English interpretation or supertitles, and bilingual (English and Spanish dialogue).



"The tremendous success of last year's inaugural TeatroStageFest provides the momentum to bring together thousands of multi-cultural and multi-generational theater lovers and culture seekers once again, eager to celebrate great theater for all audiences! With something for everyone, our festival features new voices from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Spain, side by side with the great work created by New York based Latino theater companies," said Susana Tubert, Executive Producer of TeatroStageFest and Co-Founder of the Latino International Theater Festival of New York, Inc.



Box Office and Public Information is available at www.teatrostagefest.org or 212-695-4010.

Among the diverse lineup of events, there are some with Bronx ties including:





June 2 at 9:30 pm:
 The Bronx's own Bobby Sanabria performs at 
Joe's Pub, 425 Lafayette Street (at Astor Place), Manhattan.
The multiple Grammy-award nominated drummer, percussionist, composer and arranger, adds spice to TeatroStageFest with his Quartero Aché and his legendary fusion of sounds that continues to redefine Latin Jazz.





June 6 - 8: "
Borinquen Lives in El Barrio," 
Hostos Center for the Arts, 450 Grand Concourse at E. 149th Street, the Bronx. 
When an unexpected visitor challenges the cultural contradictions of a Puerto Rican family in East Harlem, everyone is forced to reexamine the past, present, and future of the island. A politically charged drama that is unbiased, moving, and brutally honest. Performed by By Hostos Repertory Company (Bronx, NY). Written by Tere Martinez and directed by Angel Morales. Bilingual (English and Spanish Dialogue).

(Photos courtesy of TeatroStageFest of Bobby Sanabria and scenes from "Borinquen Lives in El Barrio")

source: TeatroStageFest release

Community Calendar

Bronx Week is coming up next month. As part of its many activities, is the Bronx Week Food & Arts Festival. It will be at 1 p.m. June 22 at the Mosholu Parkway South & Van Cortlandt Avenue East area. This food and arts festival features some of the borough’s most popular artisans and restaurants.

If you are interested in participating in the festival as an artist or a vendor or for more information, go to http://ilovethebronx.com/?pg=load&loc=bronxweek&tab=festival

You may also click on the "I Love the Bronx" link posted right here in Bronx Latino. Just click on the link to go directly to the newly redesigned website to view the full lineup of Bronx Week activities and more.

Banderas in the Bronx

Banderas in the Bronx
Originally uploaded by clarisel

Featured story

Puerto Rican Day Parade Struts to 20


The Grand Concourse will mimic the tropical beauty of San Juan Sunday, as Bronxites of all nationalities celebrate the 20th Annual
Bronx Puerto Rican Day Parade.
The parade kicks off at 1 p.m. at 176th St., and marches down the Grand Concourse to 167th St. This year's grand marshal is Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion.
For more, go to
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/bronx/2008/05/13/2008-05-13_puerto_rican_day_parade_struts_to_20.html

Bronx Latino at East Harlem Arts Festival

Community Calendar




Manhattan Community Board 11, State Senator Jose M. Serrano and Art for Change proudly present the 5th Annual East Harlem Arts Festival with Live Music by: Tato Torres & YERBABUENA, Aurora and Zon del Barrio, and more...

YERBABUENA plays at 2 p.m. at East 106th Street and Park Avenue. Festival is from noon to 5 p.m.

Editor's Note: I, representing Puerto Rico Sun Communications (which publishes Bronx Latino), will have a table at this arts festival. I will display some of my Puerto Rico-related images at the festival. So, drop by my table OK.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

IMG_7709
Originally uploaded by clarisel

!FELIZ DIA DE LAS MADRES!

WITH LOVE,

BRONX LATINO

Q&A with Latino Sports’ Julio Pabon

Roberto Clemente is prominent figure inside Latino Sports


If you are in the South Bronx and are a Latino sports lover, a place that you must visit is Latino Sports, a small business located at 424 Grand Concourse.
This haven has rare sports collectibles, Latino Sports’ branded merchandise, sports books about Latinos, and jerseys featuring Caribbean baseball teams. Latino Sports considers itself as the “Number 1 Roberto Clemente Memorabilia Store.”
Latino Sports is not just a business. There is a small museum at the shop, which is free and open to the public.
The store’s motto is: “It’s about us, it’s about time!”
Julio Pabon, CEO and founder of Latino Sports, recently spoke with Bronx Latino about his shop.


(Julio Pabon, left, is pictured here with Senator Jose M. Serrano at the East Harlem Little League Parade.)

Q: Why did this business get started?
A: It got started out of anger. It was a result of an award we presented to Ruben Sierra who at that time was playing baseball with the Texas Rangers. Many felt he deserved to win the “Most Valuable Player Award” in the American League. Eventually, the award went to Robin Yount who played with the Milwaukee Brewers. The baseball writers voted for Yount. Who’s to say they were wrong? Yount had a good season, but then again Sierra’s numbers were far better.
This event showed that a Latin American institution to highlight the positive values of Latinos in sports was needed. So, I felt it was important for the community to have our own award. I didn’t know that it was going to turn out to be a yearly thing and then to the creation of Latino Sports.

Q: So, Latino Sports is not just about promoting the goodness of Latino athletes. Do you also consider yourselves as activists?
A: This is true. That’s how it basically got started. We realized that Latinos were overlooked not only in baseball but also in other sports.

Q: Latino Sports is heavily involved in the fight to retire “Roberto Clemente’s number 21.” Why is that?
A: Very true. Clemente was not only a great player and Hall of Famer. He was a humanitarian, father/husband, and a person who was proud of his Afro-Puerto Rican heritage. He stood up for things he believed in, loved people/children, and gave back. That is why number 21 should be retired.

Q: If 21 were retired, what would that mean to the Latino sports community?
A: It will be a victory for the entire Latin American community everywhere. It will be something that we believed in, working side by side by side to get. That team effort and caring is what has made Latino Sports a success.

For more information about Latino Sports, visit www.latinosports.com. – by Ismael Nunez

(Photos by Ismael Nunez)

Boringken in the Bronx

Community Calendar


(Click on image to see larger.)

Looking for Something to do in the Bronx

Theatre


(Click on image to see larger text.)

Here's the press release from Pregones:

Pregones Theater announces its new production Game Over. Running through May 18th, Game Over will showcase the dynamic actors and musicians of Pregones Theater’s Ensemble.
Game Over is a musical theater piece about the choices we make when confronted with the unexpected. The play is conceived and directed by Alvan Colón Lespier and the musical score is composed by Pregones Theater’s Musical Director Desmar Guevara. Game Over is the story of J, a man who had everything. Suddenly, everything is taken away from him and he is driven to the depth of despair. What he doesn’t know is that it is all a game of chance being played by two powerful beings. J is the pawn.
Game Over is about a wager between two super powers. Super D bets that J will resist all punishment. Super P bets that J will be destroyed by it. The game is on. Who will win the bet?
Game Over will delight audiences with a cast headlined by José Joaguín García in the role of J along with veterans Jorge B. Merced, Rosalba Rolón, Sol Marina Crespo and Yarani Del Valle. Live music is played by Desmar Guevara in piano, Juan Carlos Acosta in string bass, Anthony Garcia in percussion and Milton Ruiz in electric guitar.

For Tickets: Call 718-585-1202 or visit www.pregones.org

Artists' Town Hall Meeting

Community Calendar

For Mott Haven artists and friends
All disciplines --including literary arts, media arts, performance arts, and visual arts

Monday, May 12, 7-9 p.m.
In the Savoy Room at 120 East 149th St, at Walton Avenue - 2nd Fl
(one block west of the Grand Concourse)
On the campus of Hostos Community College
Refreshments will be served

They will discuss
OPPORTUNITIES FOR ARTISTS
CURRENT ISSUES AND CONCERNS
UPCOMING PROJECT: OPEN STUDIO TOUR and TROLLEY
-tentatively scheduled for late June
-collaboration encouraged with artists and businesses in Mott Haven for those located out of area

Call 718-401-7866 for more info or email lauran@bronxarts.org to RSVP

Boogie Down Flamenco Dancer

Nelida Tirado to Perform at BADD!
By Ismael Nunez

Nelida Tirado began her formal training at age six at the Ballet Hispanico of NY where she trained in classical ballet, Spanish dance and flamenco. A talented salsa dancer, she has performed with notable Latin music greats such as the late Celia Cruz and the late Tito Puente. She has given workshops in England and Italy and has performed at the Copacabana Salsa Congress.
This week Tirado will perform in her hometown. She is one of three Bronx Indie artists that will kick off BADD!'s (the Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance) BOOGIE DOWN DANCE SERIES at 8 p.m. on May 9. BAAD! is teaming up with the Bronx Council on the Arts to present performances by Tirado, Bradon McDonald, and Jessica Danser in what organizers are calling a “spectacular dance concert.”
Tirado has danced with Noche Flamenca and Riverdance and the New York Times has called this Flamenco dancing Bronxite "magnificent."
You can check her out at the dance concert, which will be at The Bronx Academy of Art & Dance, 841 Barretto Street in the Hunts Point section of the South Bronx. Admission is $12. For more information on this performance, call 718-842-5223 or www.bronxacademyofartsanddance.org.

PRSUN spoke with Tirado about her dance career, which started in New York and has taken her to different parts of the world.

Q: You started dancing at an early age. Was it something you wanted to do?
A: It definitely was something I wanted to do, but I had no idea that training to be a dancer would be that intense. After a wonderful experience in a kindergarten recital, my mom knew that she needed to put me in classes. It actually wasn’t early. Five to seven years old is a normal age to begin serious formal training if you want to be a professional.

Q: Do you remember the first show you ever did?
A. Honestly, I don’t remember.

Q: Do you get nervous when you perform?
A: Occasionally I do, but I don’t look at the actual show as pressure to be perfect. I see it as an opportunity to express myself.

Q: You performed with two notable Latin music giants: Celia Cruz and Tito Puente. Is this something you’ll never forget?
A: It is definitely an experience I will never forget. They were two of many musical giants I’ve been blessed to work with. It was a wonderful opportunity not only to perform with them but also to have conversations with them.

Q: In your bio it states you’ve worked with notable Flamenco performers in Spain. Can you name a few and what was it like working and performing with these individuals?
A: There were many but the main ones were Maria Pages, Juan Andres Maya and Antonio El Pipa…Juan and Antonio are gypsies. Their dancing and culture is different from the Spaniards. Their culture is a subculture within the Spanish culture. Flamenco for the gypsies is their life…For a lot of them, it’s passed on from generation to generation and there is no formal study. Maria Pages is a Spanish dancer from Seville and is known for her open mentality towards the art form, experimenting and pushing the envelope always with new ideas. I had great experiences with all of them and learned a lot, especially being a foreigner to Spain. I was lucky. Here I was a Bronx girl that was hired to work in Spain with these incredible people. My father did play congas and I do come from a family of musicians but please! It was a big deal to leave NY. It’s difficult to gain their respect and work in Spain being a foreigner. Who would have known that I would have ended up in Spain and traveling the world?

For more information about Tirado, visit her site at www.nelidatirado.com.

(Note: This article was originally published in Puerto Rico Sun.)

Spotlight: Author Abraham Rodriguez

Photos of a recent book signing event in East Harlem. Tonight Rodriguez will be right here in the Bronx at the Longwood Art Gallery @ Hostos promoting his recent book "South by South Bronx."
(Photos by Ismael Nunez)

IMG_7013
Originally uploaded by clarisel

May Trolley Offers Art, South Bronx Book and Touch of Jazz

Among the highlights of this month’s Bronx Culture Trolley are art exhibitions, a literary reading by author Abraham Rodriguez, and a performance by the NuyoRican School Original Poetry Jazz Ensemble at the Longwood Art Gallery.

May 7th’s trolley begins at the Longwood Art Gallery @ Hostos (Hostos Community College, 450 Grand Concourse at 149th Street) at 5 p.m. with a “Meet & Greet” reception and a viewing of its current exhibitions. Congos, Guloyas y Altares: Afro-Dominican Images and Cultural Connections is an exhibition of works by members of BCA's Artisans Initiative. The Bronx Council on the Arts, as event partners with the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, extends its celebration of Immigrant Heritage Week with this showcase of craft-based art and objects that expresses cultural connections as immigrant artists/artisans. The featured artists are members of the Artisans Initiative and the local Bronx artisan community. Both shows will be on view through May 10th.

At 6 p.m. at The Longwood Art Gallery, the NuyoRican School Original Poetry Jazz Ensemble, a theater ensemble that presents literary works of Puerto Rican authors through performance, will have a show. Featured performers are actors Luis Enrique Flores and Amauris Munoz; with Desmar Guevara (keyboard), Andy Gonzalez (bass), Abe Rodriguez (congas & vocals), Gene Golden (congas), Wendy Fernandez-Rossi (vocals) and group founder, director, and recipient of the New York Foundation for the Arts’ 2003 Poetry Fellowship Americo Casiano Jr.

The act will be followed with a 6:30 p.m. reading by author Abraham Rodriguez. The Bronx native unleashes a poetic, urban, Hitchcock-riff with a new literary thriller South by South Bronx. His first book, The Boy without a Flag, was a 1993 New York Times Notable Book of the Year. His novel Spidertown won a 1995 American Book Award and was optioned by Columbia Pictures. His next novel, The Buddha Book, was published by Picador in 2001.

The trolley bell clangs at 5:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m., and 7:30 p.m., indicating the trolley’s departure from Hostos to make its way to the evening’s cultural events. The trolley and all activities are free.

The night will wind down at J. Maxson’s Bar & Grill with music by the Ethereal Jazz Quartet.


(Photo by Clarisel Gonzalez @ the Congos, Guloyas y Altares: Afro-Dominican Images art exhibit at the Longwood Art Gallery. Exhibit runs till May 10.)

!Celebra el 5 de mayo con nosotros!

www.mexicanosunidos.org/5demayo.html

Desfila con Mexicanos Unidos en el desfile del 5 de mayo este domingo 4 de mayo a las 10:30 a.m.

Lugar: 99 Street y Central Park West, Manhattan
Tren: C a 110 St

Viste una camiseta blanca, roja o verde.

Celebrate 5 de mayo with us
www.mexicanosunidos.org/5demayo.html
March with Mexicanos Unidos in the 5 de mayo parade this Sunday, May 4, at 10:30 a.m.

Place: 99 Street & Central Park West, Manhattan
Train: C to 110 St

wear a white, red or green T-shirt.

See you on Sunday!
!Nos vemos el domingo!

Javier Soriano
Fundador/Director
Mexicanos Unidos
Tel (718) 573-9179
www.MexicanosUnidos.org

Reading Corner

South by South Bronx, a novel by
Bronx native Abraham Rodriguez

"When Puerto Rican ladies' man Alex awakes one morning to find a mysterious woman in his bed, he assumes he's suffered another embarrassing blackout. He soon learns, however, that Ava is no one-night stand--in fact, he's never met her before. As her story begins to unfold, and her reason for appearing in his bed emerges, it is not just Alex's life that she risks, nor her own, but the entire character of the South Bronx . . ."

Abraham Rodriguez was born and raised in the South Bronx. His first book, The Boy without a Flag, was a 1993 New York Times Notable Book of the Year. His novel Spidertown won a 1995 American Book Award and was optioned by Columbia Pictures. His next novel, The Buddha Book, was published by Picador in 2001. He currently lives in Berlin, Germany.

Rodriguez is back in New York City promoting his newest book.

You can meet the author at 6 p.m. tonight at Cemi Underground in East Harlem. Free admission. Go to www.cemiunderground.com for more information.

Rodriguez will return home to the South Bronx next week as part of the Bronx Culture Trolley activities. He will be reading from his book at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Longwood Art Gallery at Hostos Community College. Free. Visit www.bronxarts.org for more information.

The book, published by Akashic Books, is also available online. Go to http://www.akashicbooks.com/sxsb.htm. Akashic Books is a Brooklyn-based independent company dedicated to publishing urban literary fiction and political nonfiction by authors who are either ignored by the mainstream, or who have no interest in working within the ever-consolidating ranks of the major corporate publishers.

Rodriguez can't be ignored.

"A street poet like Bob Dylan, Abraham Rodriguez has woven a lyrically inventive and sophisticated noir, worthy of the people he champions. Full of unforgettable one liners, South by South Bronx manages to film a neighborhood filled with beauty, danger, and magic. One fearless, hell of a literary mystery novel." --Ernesto Quinonez, author of Bodega Dreams


He has gotten some rave reviews for his writings. Check out Akashic's site.

Here's a link to an article about Rodriguez that was published in the New York Daily News:
http://www.nydailynews.com/latino/2008/04/30/2008-04-30_author_abraham_rodriguez_delves_into_bar.html

Bronx PR Parade Celebrates 20th Year

The Bronx Puerto Rican Day Parade is this month and there is a lineup of activities leading up to the big day. This is the 20th anniversary of the Bronx parade, which will be celebrated on May 18 along the Grand Concourse.
On May 9, the Crowning for Miss Puerto Rico will be held at 7 p.m. at Hostos Community College on E. 149th Street on the Grand Concourse. This event is open to the public. Entrance is $10.
There will also be a festival on May 10 at White Plains Road between Lafayette and Story Avenues, starting at 12:30 p.m.
The parade’s route is between 176th street and 167th streets. Ceremonies will begin at 11:30 a.m. and the parade kicks off at 1 p.m.
For more information, visit www.bronxprparade.com or call (646) 401-4787.

(photo by Milagros Gonzalez aka bajounpalmar)

Here's footage from the PRSUN TV archives of last year’s Bronx parade.


-- Clarisel Gonzalez, producer