Poetry Connection: Poetry and Music in Santa Barbara

 Melinda Palacio

There’s a fun venue in Solvang that offers some evening entertainment as the sleepy town winds down for the night. Lost Chord Guitars is a quaint venue with an amazing array of talent that passes through it. On the last day of August, poet Ruben Lee Dalton from Buellton happened to play his original songs on guitar, along with Peter Claydon and Friends. It was an evening of all original songs and I was not surprised to notice how much I enjoyed Ruben’s lyrics. The poetry in his work really stands out. It could also be that I was attuned to hearing his lyrics because I recently read with him at the Goleta Valley Library. Look for an upcoming interview with Ruben Lee Dalton in the near future. If you are a fan of the local poetry scene and are scratching your head, wondering why you haven’t heard of Ruben Lee, it might be because he has changed his name. I kept asking myself the same question. Why is it that I haven’t heard of this poet and musician. Ruben Lee Dalton is the stage name for Bruce Schmidt. I remember reading with Bruce Schmidt years ago. I am happy to make the connection. 

 

September brings the celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month. I am honored to participate in two events celebrating the Latino Poetry Initiative, Places We Call Home. The first is Palabras Vitales: Latiné Poetry Series on Wednesday, September 18^th 1pm-2pm at Calden Overlook at Santa Barbara City College. All community members are invited to attend this special event. I will be presenting a series of poems and their companion songs that I have written. It’s not always a given that I am asked to prepare both music and poetry. As someone who is a late-blooming musician, it’s only been during the past couple of years that I have been adding music to my poetry readings. In some cases, the song preceded the poem. Although the themes of the poems and their companion songs are similar, each poem and song is its own entity and stands on its own. I am grateful for the time I have spent as your poet laureate to pursue music in addition to poetry and fiction. 

 

Another event that is part of National Hispanic Heritage Month and the Latino Poetry Initiative is the community open mic I am hosting at La Casa de la Raza, Thursday, September 26 from 6-7:30pm. This event is sponsored by the Santa Barbara Public Library. Poets and poetry lovers are invited to read a favorite poem that speaks to and from our Latino community. Participants may read from the Latino Poetry Anthology or read their own poems in English, Spanish, Spanglish, or Indigenous languages to Latin America, with one poem per person and a three-minute.   

 

Poet and pianist, Esteban Ramirez also combines poetry and music. He writes instrumental piano pieces to accompany his poems. On September 21, he will offer a free concert showcasing his piano work and his new book of poems, Welcome Home. He has added a third element to his presentation, visual art. Ramirez combines artificial intelligence and photoshop to produce illustrations for his poems. He says he is excited to share this multi-sensory experience with the community: “The audience can expect an evening of rich, evocative storytelling, brought to life through spoken word, visuals, and the beautiful harmonies of piano and cello." 

Upcoming Poetry Events:

 

September 11, Blue Whale Reading Series, 5:30-7:00 pm, Chapel, Unity of Santa Barbara, 227. E. Arrellaga Street. Featured poets includes Jace Turner and Catherine 

Abbey Hodges. 

 

September 18, Poetry and Music presentation by Santa Barbara Poet Laureate, Melinda Palacio at Santa Barbara City College’s Calden Overlook, 1pm-2pm with a reception to follow. This free program is part of Palabras Vitales: Latiné Poetry Series. This program is presented as part of Latino Poetry Places We Call Home. 

 

 Saturday, September 21, an evening of artistic fusion as Esteban Ramirez unveils his second poetry collection, Welcome Home—The Poetry Book, inspired by the romantic neoclassical melodies of his piano/cello album. at the Community Arts Workshop (CAW), located at 631 Garden St, Santa Barbara, CA. The event will begin with a mixer at 4 PM. The concert starts at 5 PM and concludes at 6 PM.

Sept. 21st at 11:30: Youth Poetry in the 805 hosted by Estimable Poet & Poetry Impresario, Sean Colletti

Don't miss this group of younger poets!  They are the nerve center of the next generation of Ventura County's famous poetry scene.

Sept. 22nd at noon:  Places We Call Home hosted by Marsha de la O.

This reading is in conjunction with the exhibit called "Places We Call Home" at the Santa Paula Agricultural Museum and with the statewide initiative by our California Poet Laureate, Lee Herrick.  It's called 'Our California' and is designed to get people throughout the state writing about their home whether that be their city, county, natural surroundings, place of origin or personal family.

 

September 26, Favorite Poem Open Mic/Poemas Favoritos, 6-7:30 pm, La Casa de la Raza 601 E. Montecito Street. Santa Barbara Public Library invites the community to a poetry open mic. In celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month and the Latino Poetry Initiative, Places We Call Home, poets and poetry lovers are invited to read a favorite poem that speaks to and from our Latino community. 

*a version of this column was previously published in the Santa Barbara Independent