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 

A Día de Los Muertos Flor y Canto y Calenda: Santa Barbara

 Melinda Palacio

*This column was first published in the Santa Barbara Independent on Thursday, October 26, 2023

During a day-long celebration of the Day of the dead, Santa Barbara came to life. The community celebration and Calenda was something the city of Santa Barbara had never experienced before. I am very grateful to have participated in the procession and in the Santa Barbara Museum of Art’s pre-Calenda activities. The Santa Barbara Museum of Art outdid itself with altars and activities for the whole family. Many people sported their flower crowns and decorated skull necklaces. The Día de los Muertos activities made for a colorful audience. While people waited in costume for the calenda, some dropped by to hear poetry and song in the galleries. 

 

I prepared a small altar in honor of my muertitos. The museum suggested three fifteen-minute sets of poetry and music. In hindsight this format would work better in longer sets. I was also dressed for the occasion and my flower and twig headdress made managing my microphone headset a challenge. 

 

The first set focused on poems from How Fire Is a Story, Waiting and the companion song I had written for the book. The first audience was made up in large part by a tour group. A few friends attended and it was so nice having familiar faces in the audience. The museum’s tall ceilings meant that sound became dispersed. I made a mental note to purchase a proper microphone and stand for situations where one was not available. 

 An hour later, I presented my second set, which consisted of poems from Bird Forgiveness and the theme song, written for guitar. The Bird Forgiveness theme song was based on a poem, “What the Birds Know,” about my time taking care of my grandmother during her last month of life. I have many poems and songs that honor my deceased loved ones. I also presented a tune that was born a song, Love Always Wins. This was a big breakthrough for me because I am fairly new to playing music and writing songs. I wrote my first song four years ago. I wrote Love Always Wins this past summer after a friend suddenly passed away. 

 

Some of my favorite poems have been assignments or requests. Many people ask me what is it I do as Poet Laureate and a large part of the Poet Laureate duties is to write poems for various occasions or institutions. I wrote an inaugural poem when I was installed as Poet Laureate at City Hall, a poem for the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, and, recently a poem for Perla Batalla, who asked if I wanted to read poetry during the musical interlude of her La Llorona set at the Margorie Luke Theater. I was thrilled because I’ve been a longtime fan of Perla Batalla and her music. She has gorgeous voice. Her version of the song La Llorona is a favorite. Reading the poem on stage with her and her band and daughter was a dream. 

 

My third set for the Día de los Muertos celebration was my La Lllorona set. I read the poem that I had written for Perla and played the companion song that composed. In the mythology of La Llorona, she is a woman who wanders and hollers in search of her children. There are different stories, in one of the more popular stories, La Llorona (she who cries) drowns her children because her lover does not want them. In my poem, La Llorona is tasked with helping the children who have crossed the border and who are alone. She is redeemed. I was humbled to be able to share this poem and song as part of the Santa Barbra Museum of Art’s Día de los Muertos celebration. By the third set, the audience was filled with people in costume, faces painted, everyone was ready for the Calenda procession to paseo nuevo and the Museum of Contemporary Art for the final stop with tamales and aguas frescas. 

 

 

 

Last Words to La Llorona

Melinda Palacio

 

 

 

The poet’s coffin is made of books.

She said, bury me with my books, 

Send me down the Rio Grande.

Even La Llorona needs to read. 

Llorona, I dedicate this poem to you.

Read these pages before my coffin sinks into mud.

 

If the ink should bleed onto pebbles at the bottom

of the river, do not worry.

I have memorized them all. I will sing to you.

But please, cover me, for I grow colder.

 

I know where you went wrong, Llorona. 

You are here and this is my last flor y canto.

On the river we will float on a song. 

My last dying wish: Protect the Children at the Border.

 

Children have left their homes with nothing

But a name and a flower embroidered on their sleeves.

Llorona, redeem yourself, redeem them, redeem me.

Aye de mi Llorona, ayudales. Save the children. 

 

 

La Respuesta / La Llorona’s Response

Melinda Palacio

 

 

 

I have come to take your hand, child.

Don’t think you’re in a stranger’s land.

Don’t you know I’ve always been here

You belong here too.

 

First, they came for the children

Then they came for the land

Built a wall so high, crushed butterflies

To a fine pulp, their royal wings discarded.

 

When I met the Devil, 

his cloven hooves wanted to dance.

I knew better. I will not lose again.

My children died in this river.

I will escort you out of this hell. 

What they say is a lie.

He alone has jailed the children.

All at the border.

 

Book Event in Ventura for Arty's Amazing Accordion

Melinda Palacio 

Arty's Amazing Accordion/El Acordéon Assombroso de Arty
by Amada Irma Perez 

Award-winning author Amada Irma Perez has worked with traditional and non-traditional publishers. Lately, she has been self-publishing and owning all of the laborious creative process. You wouldn't know the books were self-published, based on the professional quality of her new book, Arty's Amazing Accordion/El Acordéon Assombroso, illustrated by Lili Sosa. 

Ever since her college days, Amada knew that she would write the story about her husband's journey as an accordion player. Dating a a college student and musician, who played in several bands meant little time for their romance. However, 50 years later, their children and grandchildren are often regaled with Arty's world class playing. In college, he was in a Norteño band but played music from all over the world and was sought after for celebrations. 

Gifted from the start, his farm working parents picked lemons in Upland and grapes further north. Music classes were a luxury that his parents struggled to afford, but they didn't spare their son. Amada says his mother saved to buy the best accordion money could buy. "They sacrificed for him to play music. His mother would rush home from the packing house to get him to his lesson. If she was late, she would get a taxi." The sacrifice paid off, in Junior High and High School, Arty won talent shows and he became a much sought after accordion player for his ability to play musical styles from all over the world.

Although a back injury caused him to trade the accordion for the piano for ten years, his students appreciated his piano playing. Several on facebook have thanked him for playing Happy Birthday for them. And much to his relief, he was able to return to his beloved accordion after the long decade of healing.  

Amada surprised him with the book for his 78th birthday. The delightful bilingual children's book tells the story of his love for music. The gorgeous book is endorsed by Sandra Cisneros who writes: "Arty reminds us that we all need art to feed our hungry hearts, especially if we are amazing children."

Everyone is invited to Amada's book signing, Saturday, February 4 at 2pm at Timbre Books in Ventura, 1924 E. Main Street. You can meet the real life Arty who will play some songs, along with their son. 

Christmas in Hawaii via Santa Barbara

Melinda Palacio

At La Arcada, downtown Santa Barbara

This year, I've added a new Christmas tradition. Covid lockdown and the threat of new viruses and respiratory illnesses still loom, but I've had the chance to enjoy the Christmas in Hawaii show by Jake Shimabukuro. If you've never heard of Jake, you probably don't hang around ukulele players or guitarists. He's considered the Jimi Hendrix of ukulele because of his virtuosity on the ukulele. Over the lockdown years, I've had a chance to pick up the little instrument that means jumping flea in Hawaiian. While I don't play as good as Jake, I understand how his trajectory has led to his worldwide fame. 

He learned his first chords from his mother at age four, with two chords under his belt, he could play "Love Me Do," by the Beatles. He then went on to learn from Hawaiian masters, honing his craft, writing songs, producing albums and touring. He's now 46 and loves performing and connecting with his audience, has dozens of albums under his belt and is a true master of his craft. What's fun about watching Jake is how humble he appears while producing mind blowing sounds out of a little instrument with four strings. His musical set showed how he well versed he is in a variety of genres. He's not playing songs you'd expect to hear such as Tiny Bubbles or Melekamikimaka. He's playing Schubert's "Ave Maria," Queen's "Bohemaian Rhapsody," Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," to name a few. Christmas songs included "What Child Is This" and the more contemporary, "This Christmas." There was the obligatory homage to Iz and the Hawaiian version of "Over the Rainbow." Jake played flamenco songs and rock songs. He said he even found inspiration from Bruce Lee films. His original composition, "Dragon," is a tribute to Bruce Lee. 

His latest album, Jake & Friends, is a collaborative work with his musical heroes including Willie Nelson, Bette Midler, and Sonny Landreth to name a few of the collaborators. While he couldn't bring all of the collaborators on tour with him, he brought three friends from Hawaii to play some of the songs from the new album, Herb Ohta, Jr., longtime touring pal and bass player Jackson Waldhoff, and guitarist Justin Kawika Young, who also shared some of his original songs. The show ended with Jake playing "Get Together" by The Youngbloods, also the last song on his new album feat Jesse Colin Young. Not exactly a Christmas song, but the theme was just right and after the show there was a meet and great, a chance to connect in person with the humble and good-natured virtuoso. 

For anyone feeling depressed or experiencing low energy during the holiday, I can recommend learning how to play the ukulele. In my experience, compared to learning guitar or piano, the ukulele is accessible, especially if you've tried to learn an instrument in the past. Learning music lights up the pleasure zone in your brain and it's almost impossible to be unhappy while playing the ukulele. I can't say enough positive things about my experience learning the instrument. Meeting Jake, a ukulele master, was thrilling to see his infectious joy. If you're looking for a last minute Christmas gift, I would recommend a ukulele. 

with Jake Shimabukuro 

 

Chicanonautica: Español y Más en el Radio Garden

by Ernest Hogan

A pocho like me needs to practice his Spanish and stay hip to the exploding galaxy of La Cultura. I like to play music while slaving away at the computer. It makes my days brighter.

 It's one of my secrets as a Latinoid writer/artist--my ethnicity hooks me up with all kinds of stuff that keep people complimenting me about my originality. "Where do you get those ideas?" I was born into it, unlike those poor culturally deprived denizens of this planet's Anglo ghetto.

I've written before about Radio Campesina, TexanosBest.com, and KUVO's Sunday programming. I have their apps on my phone, and often listen to them while thrashing away at weeds in my wife's garden. Now I am happy to say that I've added another, and it's something different. It's not just a station, and it embraces the world.

I'm talking about Radio Garden. When you get on the website you see an interactive globe, and sprinkled about the continents are green dots. Click on one of the dots and you hear a radio station. Lots and lots of radio stations, all over the Earth.

Whenever I feel like it, radio stations from all over the globe--the entire Global Barrio!--are mine to listen to. The entire Latin Hemisphere, Spain, the Philippines, parts of Africa . . . Worlds of music to explore. And the talk!

Not to mention the access to other cultures and languages, and if something interesting happens in a part of the world that you don’t know much about, just tune in to their radio stations, and eavesdrop.

Imagine, the internet making the world better . . .

Ernest Hogan is also known as the Father of Chicano Science Fiction.

Chicanonautica: Going Postmodern at the Canción Cannibal Cabaret

by Ernest Hogan

I was impressed with a couple of videos by Canción Cannibal Cabaret back in 2019. I put them on Facebook and Twitter. Then I forgot about them. The world blew up, you know, 2020.

Therefore, I was happy to hear about the book The Canción Cannibal Cabaret & Other Songs by Amalia L. Ortiz. According to the back cover it’s “Set in a not-so-distant dystopian future . . . a Xicana punk rock musical—part concept album, part radio play.” Sounded like just the sort of thing for me to review here. And it seemed like a good thing to follow my José Torres-Tama trilogy.

Talk about a strange little book! There’s a lot going on between its covers.

Here’s what I said on Goodreads: “A helluvalot more than meets the eye here. The guerrilla woman with guitar, lace-gloves, and guitar is more than a mere cover girl. What we have here aren't just poems, song lyrics, performance texts . . . There's some world building that ain't just a backdrop for commercial melodrama. I see the influences of Guillermo Gómez-Peña/La Poca Nostra, José Torre-Tama, Gloria Anzaladúa, and believe it or not, Weird Al Yankovic. And the now ancient tradition of punk, with footnotes to keep track of the cultural references in a post-apocalyptic scenario that holds up a shattered mirror to our current reality and evokes a goddess while declaring the death of gender. Plus cannibalism, cabaret, canciónes . ..”

Along with other things. A lot of other things. 

There’s science/speculative fiction, some futuristic world building centered around La Madre Valiente, an iconic goddess-figure, a new Virgin of Guadalupe (who was an updating of older goddesses) has emerged from the wreckage of  the world to bring about a feminist revolution against the repressive State and lead the Fugees (the refugees, including all of the downtrodden, similar to Oscar Zeta Acosta’s cockroach people.) to a utopia that not only defeats the patriarchy, but declares that “Gender is Dead.”

It’s told in a series of narratives that provide the origin story for La Madre Valiente, and songs that act as manifestos.

At this point, I must remind you that the book was published back in 2019 (seems like at least a decade ago, doesn’t it?), before the protests that have El Presidente sending unmarked, unidentified, undocumented troops into our cities in name of “law and order.”

Could we see a real-life Madre Valiente soon? Is Portland’s Naked Athena a manifestation?

The sensibility is postmodern and punk. But then punk was postmodern, and now it seems to have become a venerable tradition—a “Punkera Scholar” with a Phd is quoted on the cover. The author/bandleader Amalia L. Ortiz sounds like an academic in her introduction. Would this make it postpostmodern? Postpostpostmodern?

Maybe it’s just cultural cannibalization.

I remember the original punk movement back in the last Seventies. How just about everybody—especially the academics and intellectuals were offended. My own generation, who just a few years earlier were offending their parents with long hair and acid rock, were disgusted by someone else’s rebellion.

Now punk, like the songs/poems printed in the book, has cultural references up the yingyang. I remember a lot of the original songs when they were first played on KROQ in L.A. If you're just reading the book without the music, you miss something.

I recommend seeing the music videos on YouTube; there’s also an hour-long concert that was livestreamed as a book launch event. While watching it, I found myself opening the book and following along, as if it were the prayer book for the mass of a new religion.

And who knows? That just may be what all this cultural cannibalization is leading to.

Ernest Hogan has always been proud of his cannibal heritage.