Me and spoken word don’t have much of a relationship. When it first appeared on my radar in 2002 via HBO’s Def Poetry Jam, I couldn’t watch it (I was working nights then) and somehow [wrongly] figured it wouldn’t be my thing.
A few years later, while working at a radio station in New Jersey, my boss gave me a a pair of tickets to Def Poetry Jam on Broadway. I figured, why not? I was instantly blown away. It was like rap, which I was a fan of, but at a varied tempo and performance style, and subjects ranged from life in the city to feminism.
Still, I didn’t keep up with it much. Though it was at its height then, venues hosting spoken word were few and far between when I lived in New Jersey (outside of college campuses, that is) and as a journalist working crazy hours in the middle of the Garden State, I wasn’t able to frequent New York City’s Nuyorican Poet’s Cafe. As they say, life gets in the way.
Silly me. I shouldn’t be surprised at all that the Internet is rife with spoken word videos. And it gives me great pleasure to share the latest by one of my frat brothers (yes, I was in a sorority in college), Goya Robles.
If you’re a fan of CBS’s The Mentalist, you’ll be familiar with Robles as he starred in an episode two weeks ago. He’s an actor (watch his reel here) and spoken word artist (and lots, lots more) and “Heart Music” is his latest.
My first trip ever to Europe came in late November, 2013. Destination? Spain. I loved it. Here are ten reasons why:
1) The Metro: Living in New York has made me a little bolder when it comes to doing things on my own. Trust me, just 10 years ago, I would’ve never had the guts to march into the Madrid Metro right after landing in the airport to get to my first hotel. But I did it, and it was quick, clean, safe, and easy to navigate (hint, hint, NYC). Barcelona’s Metro system was just as pleasant. Trains every three minutes, you can set your watch by it!
2) Rioja: Light, not too dry, definitely not sweet, and silky. This made from tempranillo grape wine is simply delicious, even when the bottle cost 3 euros at the supermarket. Rioja is made from grapes grown in the Autonomous Community of La Rioja, and in parts of Navarre and the Basque province of Álava. Read more here.
3) Cava: What woman doesn’t love a bubbly drink? Cava is a Spanish sparkling wine of Denominación de Origen (DO) status, most of which is produced in Catalonia. It may be white (blanco) or rosé (rosado). No more champagne for me on New Year’s Eve. I’m going cava!
4) Salvador Dalí Museum in Figueres: This museum in Dali’s hometown of Figueres in Catalonia is trippy! The heart of the museum was the building that housed the town’s theatre when Dalí was a child, and where one of the first public exhibitions of young Dalí’s art was shown. The old theater was bombed the Spanish Civil War and remained in a state of ruin for decades until Dalí and the mayor of Figueres decided to rebuild it as a museum dedicated to the town’s most famous son in 1960. My favorite piece was the “Mae West Cum Apartment.” Yes, it’s the real name of the artwork!
Mae West’s Cum Apartment by Salvador Dali.
5) Montserrat: This multi-peaked mountain located near Barcelona is one of the most breathtaking things I’ve ever seen. (Keep in mind I’ve not been to countries on the Asian or African continents). The main peaks are Sant Jeroni (1,236 m), Montgrós (1,120 m) and Miranda de les Agulles (903 m). The mountain is the namesake for the Caribbean island of Montserrat. It is well known as the site of the Benedictine abbey, Santa Maria de Montserrat, which hosts the Virgin of Montserrat (the black virgin, or la moreneta) sanctuary. “Montserrat” literally means “saw (serrated, like the common handsaw) mountain” in Catalan.
While there, I rode a funicular rack railway car up to the very top of the mountain. While it looks scary from afar, the ride couldn’t be more secure. It has six independent brake systems. If I ever go back, I’ll stay overnight for part of my stay. They have quite a few hiking trails I’d like to try.
View of Montserrat from the funicular.
6) Spanish style: My friend Doris put it best: Spanish people wear clothes that fits them. She’s right. There’s no oversized, baggy, clothes, or ill-fitting too-tight, or bummy outfits. (No sweatpants as daily wear!) The clothes they, and even their little children, wear is wear-tailored, clean, and sophisticated. Women’s hair is worn mostly long, and scarfs and sleek jackets are a mainstay. Older men dress with style. Sophisticated jackets, hats, and even glasses frames set them apart. Think Zara, perhaps the best-known Spanish retailer around the world.
7) Gaudí: Before I got to Spain, everyone told me I was going to love his work. So who was he? Antoni Gaudí i Cornet (25 June 1852 – 10 June 1926) was an architect from Reus, who was the figurehead of Catalan Modernism. Gaudí’s works reflect his highly individual and distinctive style and are largely concentrated in Barcelona, notably his magnum opus, the Sagrada Família.
The church of la Sagrada Familia is a big tourist draw and rightfully so. I’m a big fan of old churches and stained glass windows. The way the windows create an erethreal rainbow inside the church, from sacristy to nave, is a must-see. Pictures don’t do it justice, and I don’t say that often.
La Sagrada Familia by Gaudi.
8) Manchego cheese and olives: Spanish cuisine in general is great, as it feels like you’re eating “bad” (not really bad, but high in fat, though some would say it’s good fat) food all the time. They eat rich manchego cheese, sinfully delicious stuffed olives, loads of olive oil, hams, eggs, potatos (called patatas), and wine, of course! Yum. Take me back!
Suggestion: DosTrece restaurant in Barcelona is owned by an American expat. It’s got a hip, coffeehouse vibe during the day and a chic, yet casual-cool, ambience at night. (There’s also a bunch of cool images of Frida Kahlo as part of the restaurant’s decor.) The staff come from different parts of the globe and they are not only friendly, but fun, and suggest the best nightlife spots for those looking to go dancing.
DosTrece Restaurant
9) bicing in Barcelona: New York City just got a bike share program this year. It’s highly used, but not without its kinks. Also, there’s a big Citibank logo on every bike, which appears like a heavy, clunky thing to ride. In Barcelona, the bikes in the bicing bikeshare program look light, yet sturdy. They are used plentifully, day and night, as this 2009 piece in the Huffington Post explains, it has transformed the city.
But that’s not all. Spaniards in Madrid and Barcelona use scooters, motorcycles, and the tiny cars I love, such as the Toyota Yaris, the Fiat, and the Smartcar. Driving also seemed much less aggressive than New York City and many of the Latin American countries I’ve visited.
OK, so this is an older model, but tiny modes of transportation were all over this city.
10) The language: My parents hail from Barranquilla, Colombia, so I speak Spanish. But I don’t use that vosotros/vosotras “tense that your Spanish teacher told you to ignore,” as one of my travel partners put it. Well, Spaniards do. It’s Castilian Spanish, and it’s beautiful. Also, they say vale a lot. I’ll let Wikipedia explain more, but let’s just say It was hard not to fall in love with everyone who spoke it. They all sounded like Javier Bardem. Swoon.
“It represents a universal discomfort, it speaks about courage, about what lights the wick, and it manages to cause a chemical distress in your body,” says Residente of Calle 13. “It’s about the actual connection amongst people that exists on a global scale.”
The song features the participation of Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, an activist who is accused of being a hacker and leaking classified information. Also a guest is Tom Morello, who Calle 13 has worked with in the past and RollingStone magazine deems as one of the best guitarists of all time. Palestinian singer-songwriter and musician, Kamilya Jubran, is also on the track.
Bronx, NY –– Nov. 13, 2013 – On Friday, Nov. 15, Deputy Bronx Borough President Aurelia Greene will join officials from the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo and children from PS 205 at Zoo Center to kick-off Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr.’s holiday toy drive to benefit Bronx military families.
In honor of the start of the holiday season, school children from PS 205 will be on hand to donate the first toys of the year.
The partnership between the Bronx Zoo and the Borough President on the toy drive has become an annual tradition. The Bronx Zoo will serve as a collection point for new, unwrapped toys donated by members of the community. Toys will be collected through the end of December and will be distributed by the Borough President’s office to local veterans and active-duty members of the military and their families.
In appreciation for their generosity, those who make a qualifying donation of a new, unwrapped toy at any of WCS’s wildlife parks between Saturday, Nov. 16 and Tuesday, Dec. 31 will receive a free ticket to the Bronx Zoo or New York Aquarium depending on location.
Toys will also be collected at the other WCS wildlife parks. Toys collected at Central Park Zoo and Queens Zoo will be donated to families in need within the communities they serve. Prospect Park Zoo and the New York Aquarium will collect toys to benefit victims of Hurricane Sandy. Toys donated at the Prospect Park Zoo and New York Aquarium will receive a ticket to the New York Aquarium. Visit http://www.wcs.org/toydrive/.
Castillo-Garsow with her mentor and co-author, Mark Naison.
If you’ve ever walked around an urban neighborhood in a major city, you may have noticed them being sold on tables set up on the streets. They are slim novels, and usually depict people in the cover art. They are urban fiction books.
Also found in bodegas, urban fiction (also known as street lit) is one of literature’s fast-growing genres.
Read my interview with Castillo-Garsow, in which she gives her thoughts on the origin of the book, but also about health and fitness (the story appeared on the Latino-centric health and wellness website, Vida Vibrante), here.
But, below, she talks to me about the characters of Pure Bronx, Khalil and Rasheeda, a young couple from the South Bronx, trying to make it out of the ghetto and have a taste of the prosperity middle class Americans take for granted.
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Gina Vergel: Dr. Naison mentioned (in an interview with the student newspaper, The Ram) that the story has a social justice aspect. Why did you two include such an aspect in this story?
Melissa Castillo-Garsow: Social justice for me is something that has always been a major part of my life. I originally did not like English or writing classes- the stories and main characters (mostly white male) never resonated with me and neither did classical language like that of Shakespeare. I was a good student, but I struggled a lot and didn’t enjoy reading very much. I first began to write because I proposed a column for the high school newspaper about human rights. I was a member of Amnesty International (one of two or three at my school) and was deeply concerned that people my age did know about what was happening in the world. Since then, everything I do has must have some sort of social justice aspect – I wouldn’t consider it worthy of my time, otherwise. Art for Arts sake is just not how I function. Art, writing, even academia (in the model of someone like Gloria Anzaldua) should invoke thought and emotion.
What many of the Street Lit books lacked, Dr. Naison and I found, was that aspect of social commentary. They often ended very tragically through the trope of the inevitable result of ghetto life, or overly glamorized monetary aspects of “the Life.” We wanted to provide an alternative narrative – that involvement in illegal or unsavory activities does not define you. Other possibilities are available and fulfilling, especially if you commit to social justice and your community.
GV: What can you tell me about Rasheeda’s character?
MC-G: Rasheeda is definitely a strong female character. Raised in poverty, she is committed to bettering herself through high education, even when every aspect of her life provides her with other models or tells her its not possible. She overcomes many traumatic experiences without the guidance of a father or mother while assuming responsibility for her younger brother. I loved living with Rasheeda for the years we worked on this. She is so determined, strong and confident. But she is also sassy and fun. She is the one the keeps Khalil in check.
GV: Since the story is set in the Bronx, an area teeming with Latinos these days, how much do they come into play in the story?
MC-G: Latinos are an important part of the story because they are a vital part of the Bronx. Like many African Americans, two of Rasheeda’s closest friends are Puerto Rican and there are also Mexican and Honduran characters. Khalil also understands Spanish from having grown up in projects with Puerto Ricans and other Latinos as well. At the same time we don’t glamorize relations in the Bronx – some of the African American – Latino relationships are friendship, others are antagonistic. But you will definitely find español in Pure Bronx!!
GV: You’re a doctoral student. What will your dissertation be on? What do you hope to do with your Ph.D? Teach? Any plans to continue with Street Lit?
MC-G: My dissertation is going to be on Afro-Latinos in 1920s and 1930s New York City. Afro-descended Latinos in this country are a completely understudied and diverse group in this country, especially in this time period. And yet, it was such a vibrant, artistic and important time in African American history. I want to uncover how Latinos (who because of their appearance and segregation were in very close quarters with African Americans) were relating or not relating to black culture and politics.
I do hope to teach, specifically Latino Literature and History, and perhaps some creative writing.
I also have a deep interest in popular culture – particularly Latino/a and Latin American Hip Hop. Currently, for example, I am working on a project about Mexican Hip Hop in New York. (Ed. That sounds interesting to us!)
Maybe more street lit? I’m not sure. We do have a sequel to Pure Bronx in mind. I guess it just depends on if there’s interest!
Read more about Melissa Castillo-Garsow on her website.
Sometimes a hit dance song can become an ally for a cause.
“Wake Me Up” is a song that all of my indoor cycling class instructors at the gym can’t get enough of. Eventually, the song became an earworm and I had to look it up on YouTube. Not surprisingly, it’s a monster club hit by the Swedish electronic dance music giant, Avicii.
The video for it follows a model-like girl who seems to live a not-so-easy life somewhere in rural America, but ends up happy because she rides a horse to an Avicii concert. (It’s as pretty as a fashion magazine spread.)
But the lyrics are deeper than that. And though Avicii made the song a global hit with his EDM production skills, I had to know about the man behind the voice. That’s where the story gets more interesting, as far as I’m concerned.
The vocalist (who is listed as a co-writer the Avicii track) is Aloe Blacc, a singer, songwriter, rapper, and musician from Southern California best known for his single, “I Need A Dollar,” from the short-lived HBO comedy-drama series, “How to Make it in America.”
Turns out Blacc, real name Egbert Nathaniel Dawkins III, was born to Panamanian parents and that may explain why he recorded a video for the alternate version (acoustic country and folk) of “Wake Me Up.”
Directed by Alex Rivera from the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON), an advocacy organization that advocates for day laborers and is staunchly against President Obama’s deportation policies, the video features undocumented immigrants, including DREAMer Hareth Andrade-Ayala, who arrived in America when her father Mario came to the United States in 2004 seeking a brighter future for his family. Mario is now facing deportation.
The song’s poignant lyrics are perfect for what Adrade-Ayala, and millions of other youth affected by the threat of deportation, must be feeling.
They tell me I’m too young to understand They say I’m caught up in a dream Well life will pass me by if I don’t open up my eyes Well that’s fine by me
So wake me up when it’s all over When I’m wiser and I’m older All this time I was finding myself And I didn’t know I was lost
Watch the video below and read more about the director’s thought process behind the video via Buzzfeed.
periMENTAL 