Teatro Sin Fronteras in New Orleans

 Melinda Palacio

José Torres-Tama

When José Torres-Tama asked me to be a part of his Teatro Sin Fronteras, a 10 year commemoration of the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and the ongoing contribution of Latinos to New Orleans, I had no idea the reading would be unlike any other in the Big Easy. What's remarkable about this series of presentations is the variety in each show. Jose likens the events to "a moveable feast" in that the venues change, there are different artistic offerings, poetry, dance, art, music, performance art, and there's delicious comida, catered by Sarita's grill. José is able to offer all these events to the public free of charge, while paying each artist through a grant from Alternate Roots, Partners in Action and Jose Torres Tama and ArteFuturo Productions. So far this season has seven different shows. Teatro Sin Fronteras partners with Puentes New Orleans and there just might be future iterations of the series.

Melinda Palacio

A few days before the show, José asked me to join him for a radio interview with Diane Mack on WWNO's Inside the Arts program. I learned that Diane Mack has been following José's one-man acts for over twenty years. Born in Ecuador, raised in New York, José has been in New Orleans since the mid-1980s. Many of his performance pieces are lyrical in their own right and are included in his first full-length poetry collection, Immigrant Dreams AlienNightmares, Diálogos Books 2014.

The Old Marquer Theatre in the Faubourg Marigny

Performing first in Tuesday's show allowed me to sit back and enjoy the rest of the outstanding performances. The Old Marquer Theatre used to be named the Shadow Box Theatre, but before that it was Marquer Drugs.

Maritza Mercado-Narcisse

Maritza Mercado-Narcisse performed a spellbinding dance to La Llorona. Her choreography showed a willingness to pair risk with fluid movements.  

Denise Frazier with art by Cynthia Ramirz in background

In Cynthia Ramirez's artist talk, she provided the background for her original art which is part of her search for raza. She described herself as a Pocha from Virginia who didn't speak Spanish and didn't discover her Chicana roots until she arrived in New Orleans. For her, Aztlán is in the port city of New Orleans.

While José's work was featured in the Short Film Mardi Gras as Public Healing Ritual for the Wounded New Orleans, it was in the live sketches where his work shines. I've seen him perform from his repertoire before, but this was the first time I saw him accompanied by Violinist Denise Frazier. Her playing exuded a haunting beauty that worked especially well with José's sketch where he channels a woman escaping from Nicaragua.

Intimos w Blake Amos & Leo Oliveira

The evening ended with Brazilian music by Intimos with Blake Amos and Leo Oliveira. I had the opportunity to ask Leo what he thought about the whole experience. Leo played the Cavaquinho (a small acoustic guitar used in samba) and the Surdo (Drum). Some of the songs the duo performed were Tive Razao by Seu jorge, Dindi by Tom Jobim and Ive Brussel by Jorge Ben Jor. Leo said it was his first time performing at Teatro Sin Frontera with José Torres-Tama.

"It was nice to perform at a place where people were actually paying attention to the artists. I was very impressed by the quality of the event. In Brazil, we do something similar and we call “Sarau”. I am not sure about the meaning of the word, but that’s when people get together to express themselves artistically."

The next series of Teatro Sin Fronteras takes place at the Ashé Cultural Arts Center. 1712 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd., New Orleans at 7pm. Admission is $5 at the door and the comida will be catered by Sarita's grill on Freret. For more info on Teatro Sin Fronteras, contact José Torres-Tama. Teatro Sin Fronteras is also part of José's arts project, ALIENS Taco Truck Theatre Project.

Future events include:
July 21 at Ashé Cultural Center from 7-9 pm and features Odile Nicole De Giudice, Jennifer Pagan, A Scribe Called Quess, Pastor Oscar Ramos, Roberto Carrillo, Omaira Falcom, José Torres-Tama, and Denise Frazier. 
August 11 at the Arts Estuary 1024
August 18 at the Old Marquer Theatre
August 25 at the Old Marquer Theatre

ALA, Lego snub latinos. Win a novel. Gringo Heritage Month. Tucson. Lubov.

Only 2 outstanding Latino books for 5 years?

"The American Library Association (ALA) is the oldest, largest library association in the world, providing information, news, events, and advocacy resources for members, librarians, and library users. Our mission is to provide leadership for the development, promotion, and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all." [My emphasis.]

BUT, their YALSA list of 2014 Outstanding Books For The College Bound is generated every 5 years, what some might consider the New Canon. There are 2 Latinos on it who we should give a shout-out to.

Diaz, Junot. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, 2007.

Garcia McCall, Guadalupe. Under the Mesquite, 2011.

The YALSA list covers the areas of Arts & Humanities, History & Cultures, Lit and Language Arts, Science & Technology and Social Sciences. La Bloga confirmed the tally--only 2 latinos.

Apparently, American latinos are not writing many outstanding books, or maybe we just aren't trying hard enough to make ALA's list. Did we pay our "late fees." Quién sabe? Latino members of ALA might be able to get these questions clarified at their national meetings. In the meantime, you might want to prepare you college-bound kid about latino contributions, at least, better than the YALSA list will.

Arm kids for Lego Movie

Speaking of latinos not making lists . . . from advance reviews, The Lego Movie sounds great for all ages. Kids will want to see it. You'll take them. You should consider preparing them for what they might NOT see or hear.

The casting director was Mary Hidalgo, though I don't if she's Latina or whether she fought for latinos to be included in the cast. Four listed in the show's crew have Spanish-sounding surnames. Quién sabe?

The only possibly latino presence I found on the casting list was Chris Romano as the voice for Joe, and Larry The Barrista voiced by Chris McKay. Barrista is a puertoriqueño word for a coffee shop server. Is that all our people are good for in Legoland? Quién sabe?

My Googling for "Lego" + "latinos" turned up nothing, so I don't know if there are any latino Lego toy figures. (Quién sabe?) But this may change with Lego's announcement of a $125M investment in Nuevo Leon, Mexico. Quién sabe?

But if the couple of blacks and Asians are the only ethnic presence in the movie, your niños should know that it's not because you don't think they don't deserve to be part of The Lego World.

Why no White Heritage Month?

“For the same reason there’s no "Straight Pride" parades or "Not Having Breast Cancer Awareness Week.”

“We don’t have White History Month because we have several. They go by the names of May, June, July, August, September; pretty much any month that we have not designated as someone else’s month--that’s White History Month. But we take it for granted.

Because we don’t have to know other folks’ reality. That’s a privilege.”

Read all of white guy Ryan Dalton's penetrating article. 

Win a Latina's spec novel

There are 10 copies of Tejana author Amy Tintera's novel, Rebel, up for grabs on Goodreads. Go enter to win one! 

Latinos at Tucson Festival of Books

At the University of Arizona, March 15-16

SciFi/Fantasy - two workshops feature Yvonne Navarro

Building a Mythology - Sat, Mar 15, 10:00 am - 11:00 am

Integrated Learning Center Room 150 Dennis McKiernan, Yvonne Navarro, Jennifer Roberson, Brandon Sanderson, Sam Sykes

Landscape of Fear - Sun, Mar 16, 11:30 am - 12:30 pm

Integrated Learning Center Room 130 Jonathan Maberry, Isaac Marion, Jeffrey Mariotte, Yvonne Navarro, Weston Ochse

Nuestras Raices panels - this strand features many latino authors

Sagrado: Wherever Two or More are Gathered in the Name of Community - Sat, Mar 15, 10:00 am - 11:00 am

Student Union Tucson, Spencer Herrera, Robert Kaiser, Levi Romero

Raza Studies: The Public Option for Revolution - Sat, Mar 15, 10:00 am - 11:00 am

Nuestras Raíces - Presentation Stage (tent) Julio Cammarota, Augustine Romero

The Unique Ladies - Sat, Mar 15, 11:30 am - 12:30 pm

Student Union Tucson Gloria Morán

Growing Up Latino in the United States, Memoirs - Sat, Mar 15, 11:30 am - 12:30 pm

Nuestras Raíces - Presentation Stage (tent) Sarah Cortez, Rigoberto González

Camino del Sol: Latino and Latina Writing Today - Sat, Mar 15, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Student Union Tucson, Tim Hernandez, Rita Maria Magdaleno, Daniel Olivas

Pictures and Words - Sat, Mar 15, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Nuestras Raíces - Presentation Stage (tent) Xavier Garza, Duncan Tonatiuh

Lawrence Clark Powell Memorial Lecture - Sat, Mar 15, 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm

Chemistry Room 111 Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Recetas con historias - Sat, Mar 15, 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm

Nuestras Raíces - Presentation Stage (tent) Hugo Ortega, Ricardo Zurita

Lowriding/Lowriting: Stories, Art, Life, and Perspectives of the Lowriding Culture

Sat, Mar 15, 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Nuestras Raíces - Presentation Stage (tent) Ben Chappell, Art Meza, Gloria Morán, Santino Rivera

From a Russian child, with love

Comments I've read about The Sochi Opening Ceremony have sounded bitterly jingoistic, not that there's no reason for criticizing Putin's government.

I was struck by the press and Internet's white noise using the description "so-called Girl Hero" when referring to the little girl of the opening show. It was led by "a heroine in the Dreams of Russia show, a little girl named Lyubov (Love), whose image symbolized the soul of Russia. Lyubov told of her dreams in a magical journey through centuries of history and the expanses of Russia."

I don't how she kept her balance, how such a young girl could perform in front of the world. I do know that Putin-aimed criticisms shouldn't be spread to undermine her performance by labeling her the "so-called Hero Girl."

Anyway, since next week is Valentine's Day, I end with a poem by the greatest Russian poet. Not the best translation, not the "nicest" poem, it's one of the most emo-powerful from a people who once considered poetry almost sacred. Yeah, before Putin.

I Loved You 

by Alexander Pushkin

I loved you, and I probably still do,

And for a while the feeling may remain...


But let my love no longer trouble you,


I do not wish to cause you any pain.


I loved you; and the hopelessness I knew,


The jealousy, the shyness - though in vain -


Made up a love so tender and so true


As God may grant you to be loved again.

Es todo hoy, with 

RudyG

1st Novel - http://www.discarded-dreams.com/

Author FB - rudy.ch.garcia

Twitter - DiscardedDreams

Big Brother doesn't translate as Hermano Mayor

Snowden, Asange, Manning, gringo names in the press every day. They're not Chicanos, latinos or whateveros. But even if some latinos believe that the three men are "traitors," their actions and the reaction of our government will touch and affect every brown face out there.

I know my gente. We've got a "What, me worry?" attitude. As if this was a gringo problem between gringos, something the gente shouldn't be concerned with. After all, we're marginalized in gringo-dominated society, deprived of its full benefits, so won't we also be safer than gringos from disadvantages like invasion of our privacy?

As part of the Internet media, La Bloga is more than concerned. We should assume our posts, Emails, cell phones, tweets and likes are being monitored every hour of every day. Big Brother Surveillance is an equal-opportunity service and won't marginalize us.

Actually, I am more amazed by the laissez-faire reaction of mainstream Americans to Edward Snowden, the NSA whistleblower who admitted leaking secret documents about U.S. surveillance. I was so amazed, I decided to write a fiction story about how gringo Americans should have reacted to all the increased spying being done to them by the gov't. Here's the intro to the story:

"In 2012, the government proposed the creation of an enormous government-run central database to store details on every phone call, e-mail, and Internet search made in the country. Click a “send” key or push an “answer” button and the details of the communication end up, perhaps forever, in the government’s data warehouse to be scrutinized and analyzed.

"But when plans were released, there was an immediate outcry from the press and the public, leading to the scrapping of the 'big brother database.'

"In its place, however, the government came up with a new plan. Instead of one vast, centralized database, the telecom companies and Internet service providers would be required to maintain records of all details about people’s phone, e-mail, and Web-browsing habits for a year and to permit the government access to them when asked.

"That led again to public anger and to a protest by more than 330 telecommunications firms. 'We view the volume of data the government now proposes we should collect and retain will be unprecedented, as is the overall level of intrusion into the privacy of citizenry,' concerned groups said.

"Then the government allowed public debate on the idea of a central data bank and could not obtain the full cooperation of much of the telecom industry in secrecy due to September 11."

Science fiction, you say, because this could never happen here? Americans and the U.S. press and telecommunications industry would never act like this, you say. You'd be almost right, up to this date.

Bad fiction, you say? That's right, too, because I plagiarized the whole thing from a New York Review of Books article.

It's not anybody's piece of fiction. It is a factual report of how the British people dealt with their government when it attempted to do what ours has done to us. I simply deleted all the British references from my "story."

The next time you hear an Anglo American brag about how superior "Americans" are to others, you might mention the NY Review piece. If you want to get him mad, ask him which people showed more guts and had the ganas to protect their civil rights better.

The next time you hear a latino brag about how little he knows or worries about Snowden, the leaks and the surveillance, you might mention this posting by Latino POV: The Enemies of Civil Rights and Progress Never Rest

And to the super-patriotic who call Snowden et al traitors or say the leaks only help our "enemies," you might mention that Americans--latinos too--learned about the list below ONLY BECAUSE OF LEAKS. The list includes what happened from such leaks:

• Much about the Vietnam War
• About the Watergate scandal
• About surveillance of phone calls and email
• The rebellion that ejected the Tunisian dictator
• The indirect expediting of our military exit from Iraq
• U.S. atrocities in Iraq
• The end of domestic legal immunity for America troops in Iraq

Without Manning’s leaks, the U.S. might still be in Iraq.

And to those who think we need to lose more civil rights to be kept safe, tell them some of what the increased NSA, CIA, FBI, etc. surveillance didn't know about and couldn't keep us safe from:

The 1993 attack on the World Trade Center

The attack on the USS Cole in 2000

The 1998 bombing of two of our East African embassies

And the NSA first learned of the September 11 attacks from watching CNN.

You can read more here.

I focused on this topic today, not because it's about Chicano literature. But because, without freedom of the Chicano press, freedom for Chicano journalists, investigators and nonfiction authors to research their topics, freedom of latino fiction writers to compose their art without fear of Big Brother Surveillance, AND freedom of our readership to use our blog without worrying about the spying--without all that, the Bloguist@as might find themselves on a list or in a courtroom and there would be no La Bloga.

I highly recommend checking out all of the impassioned piece by Charles B. Pierce to his gov't.:

Tell me what is being done in my name.

And I'll decide if it should continue or not.

Tell me what is being done in my name.

And I'll tell you if you should keep doing it or not.

I will govern and not be governed.

Tell me. Just tell me.

Before someone else does, with a leak, or a bomb, or an airplane into a building.

Tell me what is being done in my name.

So I can be ready, when the time comes.

If you're concerned about these questions, check the links here and elsewhere. Become literate about safeguarding your civil rights. Then do what you heart and conscience tell you.

Es todo, hoy. But I don't know how surveillanced tomorrow will be.

RudyG