Tuesday, Aug 10: Bachata Heightz concert @ Highbridge Park

Time: August 10, 2010 from 7pm to 9pm
Location: Highbridge Park
Website or Map: http://www.summerstage.org/

"Born and raised in Washington Heights, the five members of Bachata Heightz first got together to stay off the streets and experiment with their musical passions. In the years since, they have become one of most influential groups in the Latin music scene, and are considered to be one of the first pioneers of urban bachata, a style of tropical music first originating in the Dominican Republic and mixed with rock, R&B, hip-hop, mambo, and a little playfulness from this group."

Sundays in Central Park: Harlem Meer Performance Festival

Harlem Meer Performance Festival

Sundays, 2:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
Charles A. Dana Discovery Center
Inside the Park on 110th Street between Fifth and Lenox Avenues.

This event repeats every week on Sunday between 6/20/2010 and 9/5/2010.

This summer, join the Central Park Conservancy each Sunday afternoon from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm for lakeside music at the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center in Central Park's beautiful northern end.

"The Conservancy's Harlem Meer Performance Festival features the best in local established and emerging artists in the genres of jazz, Latin, gospel and world music. Some chairs are provided, or bring a blanket and picnic lunch to enjoy the music from one of the Park's nearby lawns. No advance registration. In the case of inclement weather, concerts will be canceled."

July 11: Retumba (Pan-Caribbean)
July 18: Harlem Blues & Jazz Band (Blues and Jazz)
July 25: Vanderlei Pereira and Blindfold Test (Brazilian Jazz) In the Conservatory Garden
August 1: Susan Pereira and Sabor Brasil (Brazilian Jazz)
August 8: Something Positive (Afro-Caribbean Dance and Music) Includes dance performance
August 15: Sumba Swing (Latin Jazz)
August 22: Dja Rara (Afro-Haitian)
August 29: Cocomama (Cuban Salsa)
September 5: Sounds of Deliverance (Gospel)

Info: New York City Department of Parks & Recreation

Fri July 2 and Wed July 7: The Garden film @ BAM

The Garden
Part of the BAMcinématek series Contraband Cinema


Fri, Jul 2 at 4:30pm*
Wed, Jul 7 at 9:30pm
*Intro by and discussion with Jonathan Wilson of Active Citizen Project

Directed by Scott Hamilton Kennedy
(2008) 80min

"Scott Hamilton Kennedy records the backroom politics and shady courtroom machinations that ensue when a thriving community garden operated by Mexican-American immigrants in LA is suddenly and inexplicably condemned to make way for warehouse development. The farmers' refusal to relinquish the land results in a David vs. Goliath battle that exposes a mess of bureaucratic corruption extending all the way to City Hall."

BAM Rose Cinemas
General Admission: $12
BAM Cinema Club members: $8

Info: BAM

Thursday, July 1: Karla Lara concert @ El Museo del Barrio

Summer Nights at El Museo del Barrio
ft. Karla Lara

"Karla Lara, one of the most famous Honduran activists and musicians, combines a majestic voice with a leadership role in the fight for human rights, justice, and democracy in her homeland. This past April, she performed her songs, ranging from social messages to reflections on life and love, at the first ever Amnesty International Human Rights Art Festival in Washington, DC."

Thursday, July 1, 2010
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
El Teatro
Admission: Free
RSVP required. A printed RSVP confirmation is required to check-in

Info: El Museo del Barrio

Monday June 14: 1st Annual NYC Revolutionary Latino Film Festival @ MAYSLES INSTITUTE

Opening Night: '1st Annual NYC Revolutionary Latino Film Festival'
In Celebration Of The 82nd Birthday Of Dr. Ernesto 'Che' Guevara

"Featuring The Internationally Award Winning Film Written & Directed By Vagabond, El Machetero.

6:00:PM El Che
Dir. Aníbal Di Salvo & Maurice Dugowson, 1997, 83 min.
Documentary that retraces Guevara's life and political career, beginning with his youth in 1950's Argentina, when he set out on the road, writing travel diaries, poetry, and stories. His wanderings through the Andes, Patagonia, Peru, and the Chilean desert informed his identity not as a citizen of one nation but as a Latin American. Following his medical studies, he left Argentina forever, dedicating his life to fighting imperialism, poverty, and social injustice throughout the continent

7:30PM El Machetero
Dir. Vagabond, 2010
Post 9/11 definitions, ideas and notions of terrorism are challenged in this controversial film. French journalist Jean Dumont (Isaach de Bankolé) interviews Pedro Taino (Not4Prophet) a “Puerto Rican Terrorist" in prison. Pedro is a self-described Machetero fighting to free a colonized Puerto Rico from the United States. Jean questions Pedro about his decision to use violence to achieve that freedom. As they speak, a ghetto youth (Kelvin Fernandez) trapped in a cycle of violence, is encouraged by Pedro and a mentor (Dylcia Pagan) from his childhood in Puerto Rico to become the next generation of Machetero. The film is structured around songs from the album, “Liberation Day” by RICANSTRUCTION and interwoven into the film as a narrative voice. RICANSTRUCTION also provides an original improvised score."

Info: MAYSLES INSTITUTE

Sunday, June 13: National Puerto Rican Day Parade

Sunday, June 13th @ 11:00 AM
Fifth Avenue (44th Street to 86th Street)

"The National Puerto Rican Day Parade represents the largest expression of culture and pride for stateside Boricuas. With almost 2 million attendees, the event is recognized as the largest parade in the United States."

Info: East Harlem Preservation

Tonight!: "Mi Quierdo El Barrio" Recording the Stories that Trace the History of Our Community

"Mi Quierdo El Barrio" Recording the Stories that Trace the History of Our Community
Friday, June 11th, 6-8pm



Info: East Harlem Preservation

Now through August: Rafael Ferrer exhibit at El Museo del Barrio

Retro/Active: The Works of Rafael Ferrer

"Curated by Deborah Cullen, Director of Curatorial Programs, El Museo del Barrio. In the late 1960s, Puerto Rican-born Rafael Ferrer became internationally renowned for his guerilla art actions in New York and Philadelphia. In the 1970s, he was known for assemblage sculptures, kayaks, and tents. Since the 1980s Ferrer’s intensely colored paintings, prints, drawings and public sculptures have reflected his intelligence, sense of humor, and Caribbean perspective. The exhibition is part of El Museo’s FOCOS series, highlighting the achievements of mature, under recognized artists."

Tuesday, June 8th Through Sunday, August 22nd
Las Galerias de El Museo del Barrio -
1230 Fifth Avenue / 104th Street (Free)
Admission: Fees Vary

Thursday May 20th: Fear of a Brown Planet | The Brecht Forum

Thursday May 20th, 2010 7:30 PM to 10:00 PM
Third Thursdays

Fear of a Brown Planet
Borders, Barriers, Breakthroughs?
Roberto Lovato, Monami Maulik, Luz Schreiber & Others TBA

This past May Day thousands of immigrants and their allies rallied against the signing of 1070sb by Arizona Governor Brewer. The law gives Arizona law enforcement the right to stop and detain people for being 'suspected of being 'illegal aliens.

Has 'fear of a Black president' given way to 'fear of a brown planet', particularly as statistics indicate that whites will be a minority in the US in 2050?

Join Monami Maulik (Desis Rising Up and Moving), acclaimed journalist Roberto Lovato, and community organizer Luz Schreiber as they analyze the burgeoning immigrant rights movement, Arizona boycotts and what are the future implications of immigration laws in the United States.
Sliding scale: $6/$10/$15

Info: The Brecht Forum

May 7-9th : Entre Nos film premeire in Queens, then Manhattan

Opening in New York May 14

Special Screening in Queens May 7th- 9th
Natives Theater/Restaurant
822-22 Northern Blvd, Queens, NY

Manhattan
QUAD CINEMAS
34 W13th Street, New York, NY

Queens
CENTER CINEMAS
42-17 Queens Blvd, Sunnyside, Queens

Tickets: $10


Synopsis:
Mariana (Paola Mendoza) is determined to keep her family together. Her children, Gabriel (Sebastian Villada Lopez), 10, and Andrea (Laura Montana Cortez), 6, have grown up in Colombia without their father. He immigrated to the United States years earlier in order to make a better life for his family. Finally after many years of separation the family is reunited in New York City.

After coming home late from work one night Antonio announces he has found work in Miami and will be moving there…alone. He will send for the family when he is settled.

Days go by and Mariana does not hear from him. Worried and desperate, she goes to her only friend’s home only to find out Antonio is not coming back. The rent is due, there is no food on the table and Mariana has fifty dollars to her name. With no one to turn to, she must find a way, in a strange city where she barely speaks the language, to provide for her family, financially and emotionally.

Mariana makes homemade empanadas (meat patties), which she tries to sell on the streets, however this quickly fails. With all options closing in on her, Mariana turns to the city’s trash, collecting cans in order to put food on the table. With Gabriel and Andrea working beside her, the family finds the most stability they have known since their arrival, and it is during these challenging moments that the family triumphs.

In entre nos, Mariana, Gabriel and Andrea take us on a remarkable journey where we bear witness to a family’s commitment to survival and their unrelenting hope for the American dream...one soda can at a time.

Info andTickets: Entre Nos

Friday, May 7: Hija de Mi Madre: A Celebration of Womanhood & Book Release Party @ Nuyorican Poets Cafe

"Hija de Mi Madre: A Celebration of Womanhood & Book Release Party"

LatinosNYC presents Hija de Mi Madre: A Celebration of Womanhood & Book Release Party featuring Carmen Mojica, Alicia Anabel Santos, Vanessa Martir, Caroline Rothstein, & Peggy Robles-Alvarado.

* May 7 @ 7:00pm
* Featuring Carmen Mojica, Alicia Anabel Santos, Vanessa Martir, Caroline Rothstein, & Peggy Robles-Alvarado
* Presented by LatinosNYC
* $10



Info: Nuyorican Poets Cafe

Today: Cinco de Mayo and Opening of New Beer Garden + Happy Hour Specials at South Street Seaport

Even though Cinco de Mayo now means "awesome happy hours" in the US, here's a little background info on it...followed by an awesome happy hour special at the South Street Seaport.

"Many people believe that May 5 is the anniversary of the Mexican independence. But they're mistaken, for the Mexican Independence Day is September 16.

To understand the origins of the celebration, you need to go back to the middle of the 19th century. After the Mexican-American War of 1846-48, Mexico was in a fiscal crisis. In 1861 Mexican President Benito Juárez declared that Mexico was suspending payment on all its foreign debt for two years. Even though Juárez had said payments would resume in 1863, Great Britain, France and Spain were not satisfied.

Although the British and Spanish backed off, France insisted on using force to secure its debt payments. French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte named a relative of his, Archduke Maximillian of Austria, as ruler of Mexico. As it was marching toward Mexico City, the French Army encountered stiff resistance. On May 5, 1862, General Ignacio Zaragoza defeated the French Army in the Battle of Puebla. The Mexican victory was a surprise, for the French Army was and larger and better equipped.

There is a saying that it's possible to win the battle and lose the war. The French won other battles, and Maximillian became the ruler in 1864. But facing Mexican resistance and American pressure, the French withdrew its troops in 1867. Cinco de Mayo is a time to recognize the bravery of those who fight against oppression. Perhaps that is why this holiday is popular wherever there are people of Mexican descent."

Info: About.com

"Dos Equis presents... CINCO DE MAYO On the Beach

Grand Opening of the new Beer Garden!

$3 Dos Equis drafts
$3 Margaritas
$2 Quesadillas & Burritos

4pm-10pm

Info: Water Taxi Beach - South Street Seaport

Wednesday, May 5: Film Screening @ Museo del Barrio

FILM SCREENING:
The Blue Herd /Aquel Rebaño Azul

Wednesday, May 5th from 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
en El Café de El Museo del Barrio -
1230 Fifth Avenue / 104th Street
Admission: Free (RSVP Required)

Co-presented with the Puerto Rico Film Society, Aquel Rebaño Azul is a historical account of the complex plot surrounding police brutality in Puerto Rico, by means of vivid videos intertwined with eyewitness accounts. Director Guillermo Gómez Álvarez will be present for Q&A following the screening. (Dir. Guillermo Gómez Álvarez, Puerto Rico, 2009, 99min, Documentary, Spanish with English subtitles)."

Info: East Harlem Preservation

Today is Super Sábado! | El Museo del Barrio New York

Events all day! Below are some highlights from this evening's calender:

Exhibition On-View / En Exhibición

RaIces: The Roots of Latin Music in New York City

1:00pm - 6:00pm, Raíces Latin Music Museum Gallery, 5th Floor

Explore the history and evolution of Salsa dating back centuries to its contemporary ties to New York.

Film Screening SHH – Silent Short Films From Around the World 4:00pm – 5:30 pm, El Teatro Bring your whole family and share this entertaining program of silent short films from all around the world, which speak … the global language of art!

Spoken Word Workshop OH, SNAP! Young Powerful Voices at Work 4:30pm - 6:30pm, El Taller Local arts collective The Peace Poets hosts a two-hour spoken word workshop for teens.

Spoken Word Speak Up! Speak Out! Shout Outs for Paz 6:30pm – 8:30pm, El Café Join the phenomenal women of MAHINA MOVEMENT—Las Gallas, Ollin Imagination, RedNex, and Poetry Squad—for a fabulous evening of poetry, activism, music, and multimedia presentations. Info: El Museo del Barrio

April 16: Album Release Party at Bowery Poetry Club

Say Word Entertainment presents: Skillz to take Brazil Album release -featuring Zajazza +Hired Gun and Rabbi Darkside of 3rd Party

An unparalleled international Hip Hop album, STTB is a collaboration between 2 Brooklyn MCs, a French DJ/Producer and 2 Brazilian supercrews. This project was conceived and written during Say Words 2009 Skillz to Take Brazil Tour. It features beats by Frenchman ZAJAZZA, the socially conscious and lyrically dexterous rhymes of HIRED GUN (URB Next 100) & RABBI DARKSIDE (MTVs MADE), and the contributions of 2 powerhouse groups from Southern Brazil: UR$ FUNDAO (Passo Fundo) and NEGO PREGO & A LA DOS PRETOS DUCORRE (Porto Alegre).

While on a 2-week tour of Brazil, Zajazza, Hired Gun and Rabbi D rocked some serious shows and build some very significant relationships across the table of Hip Hop culture. They were invited into the barrios and homes of the members of the pre-eminent groups in Rio Grande Do Sul, sharing stages, meals, rides and studio time. This cultural exchange was documented by blog, journal, video and photo, but the most riveting product is the album itself. From the UR$ Fundao studio (built on 5 years of collective crew savings) to the middle of Bom Jesus favela (the largest favela in Rio Grande Do Sul) to a beachside makeshift studio in Florinapolis, Hired G, Rabbi D and Zajazza were furiously crafting the musical compositions that would tell the story of this trip.

Info: http://www.bowerypoetry.com/#Event/86201 and www.saywordentertainment.com

Tonight @ Nuyorican: Brownsville Bred: Growing Up Elaine!

"Brownsvile Bred: Growing Up Elaine!"

15/$10 at the door for students, seniors, or with a flyer

"Written and performed by Elaine Del Valle, this autobiographical one-woman show depicts life in 1980s Brownsville, Brooklyn amidst the swirl of salsa and the birth of hip-hop. Creator Elaine Del Valle has won almost every solo show award available for this memorable play."

Wednesday, April 7: Tres Leyendas, Tres Historias: La Re-Evolucion del Hip Hop Latino @ Webster Hall

"Three legends, three stories, one night; check out the info below:

This gathering of artists from across the Latin American diaspora represents some of the best the genre has to offer. These artists embody the independent spirit, thriving in their respective countries and in sister cities across the United States. The leaders of this rap genre bring their own brand of swagga to the Studio stage for the first time.

International beats brought to you by DJ Laylo and Sucio Smash will make this a rare night at the Studio at Webster Hall not to be missed!"

HHTF & ASHO PRODUCTIONS presents:

Tres leyendas, Tres historias:
La Re-Evolución del Hip Hop Latino

Wednesday April 7th

Doors @ 8pm
Show @ 9pm Sharp!

Featuring: Siete Nueve (Puerto Rico), El Meswy (Spain), Bocafloja (México), Hosted by Calle Cardona from La Conekta

Music by DJ Laylo & Sucio Smash

Special Guests:
Eli Efi (Brasil), Mikki Flow (Cuba), Delaceiba (Honduras), Division X (DR), Reph Star & Patty Dukes (DR/PR)

The Studio @ Webster Hall
125 East 11th Street
New York, NY 10003

Info and Tickets: Burden Clothing