Event: Feria del Barrio returns

The time has come for one of the most popular events of the year. On Sunday, September 9 from 12:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Feria del Barrio will take over El Centro de Oro. The events will feature musical performances by local bands, dancing, giveaways and more. The Grand Finale at Feria del Barrio features the unique beat of the renowned latin pop orchestra “ Edgardo Cintron and the Cintron Band.” Percussionist Edgardo Cintron is a second-generation Puerto Rican and a second generation musician, known as much for his affable personality and generous spirit as for his tasty musicianship.

I remember one year Feria del Barrio did not happen and it was devastating. However, the following year it came back with a bang. This is probably one of the biggest, free outdoor festivals in the area. The best part? It's the only festival of this caliber located in the neighborhood. Feria del Barrio is produced thanks to the hard work of  Taller Puertorriqueño, Raices Culturales Latinoamericanas, Congreso de Latinos Unidos and HACE (Hispanic Association of Contractors & Enterprises).

Giving Voice to Immigrant Youth in Philadelphia and Mexico

When you can combine art, culture, immigration and personal stories into one project you have my attention. International mural artist (and Philadelphia native) Michelle Ortiz recently launched the "Aqui y Alla" project. A atransnational public art project, "Aqui y Alla" explores the impact of immigration in the lives of Mexican immigrant youth in South Philadelphia in connection with youth in Chihuahua,Mexico. All four artists working on the project are sharing their stories which are impacted through immigration here in Philadelphia and in Mexico. It takes a lot to share these personal stories and I commend anyone who is able to do this through any art form.

Four artists and communityleaders from the Colectivo Rezizte (Juarez) and Colectivo Madroño (ChihuahuaCity) worked with indigenous youth in Mexico. The youth created transportable murals on fiber cloth panels that traveled with the four artists to Philadelphia. Guided by the artists, the transportable mural panels from Mexico will be permanently installed and combined with the images created by the Mexican immigrant youthin South Philadelphia. The end result will be a permanent mural located on 1515 South 6th Street in South Philadelphia that represents the messages of the youth in both communities.


The "Aqui y Alla" project began August 1st and will run through August 19.

Get involved with the NALAC conference

I currently serve on the host committee for the National Associations of Latino Arts & Cultures' conference (Philadelphia). While registration is now open, there are still many ways to get involved. On Thursday, August 9 the host committee along with NALAC executive director, Maria de Leon, will host two separate meetings for local artists as well as community leaders. These are perfect opportunities to voice your opinion, suggest topics, find out about sponsorship opportunities or just get more information about the conference.

Details as followed:

• ARTISTS: NALAC cordially invites you to participate in a round table discussion with NALAC's Executive Director, Maria de Leon who will be visiting Philadelphia on Thursday August 9, 2012 from 6-8pm at Raices Culturales (1417 North 2nd Street, 1st Floor Annex Philadelphia, PA 19122) to speak with local artists (all disciplines) about the NALAC National Conference, which as you know will be in Philadelphia (the 1st time in the East Coast), October 17-21st 2012. Join the discussion; learn about NALAC; learn about the Conference details; ask questions, meet other artists and cultural workers and share your thoughts with Maria de Leon. Please let us know if we can count on you presence in this important conversation by following this link: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/4060170078 
  
• COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS:   NALAC cordially invites you to participate in a round table discussion with NALAC's Executive Director, Maria de Leon who will be visiting Philadelphia on Thursday August 9, 2012 from 10AM to 12noon at Raices Culturales (1417 North 2nd Street, 1st Floor Annex Philadelphia, PA 19122) to speak with leaders of community organizations that provide arts and cultural programming to their service communities in the Southeastern area of Pennsylvania. The discussion will be about the NALAC National Conference which as you may know will be in Philadelphia (the 1st time in the East Coast), October 17-21st 2012.and about NALAC's support of our community. Join the discussion; learn about NALAC; learn about the Conference details; ask questions, meet other cultural workers and community leaders serving Latino communities in the region and share your thoughts with Maria de Leon. Please let us know if we can count on you presence in this important conversation by following the Eventbrite link: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/4060200168

NCLR's 2012 ALMA Awards

National Council of La Raza's (NCLR) American Latino Media Arts (ALMA)Awards, has promoted fair, accurate, and representative portrayals of Latinos in entertainment. This year will be no different. FOR GREATER GLORY dominated nominations for the 2012 ALMA. The epic action adventure about Mexico’s Cristero War for religious freedom earned five nominations – including Favorite Movie – for ALMA Awards. NBC will air the 2012 ALMA Awards at 8 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. CT Sept. 21.Nuestra gente is able to join in on the action by voting for their favorite Latinos in movies, music and television.  Hurry because voting ends on Friday, September 7. Need another reason to vote? One lucky voter has the chance to win a trip for two to Pasadena, California and join the live taping.

Wilmer Valderrama to star in Voto Latino's PSA

This past weekend, Wilmer Valderrama was joined by an all-star cast for a PSA he directed for Voto Latino, a non-partisan civic engagement organization renowned for engaging youth through media, technology and celebrity voices to promote positive change. Voto Latino’s 2012 PSA entitled “The Enforcers” transforms their own image into that of a covert agency whose sole mission is to register people to vote. Vota Latino has always been at the front of the line when it comes to registering people to vote. Their campaigns are elusive and have always engaged the younger Latino demographic...and it's working!

The PSA is not out yet but you can sign-up online to be the first to preview. 

My articles of interest

I just finished my second graduate school class Multimedia Writing and it feels great. Although it's only been my second class, I feel as though this one was intense. We had four major projects due in four weeks plus an additional daily tumblr photo post. Below you'll find all four interviews I recorded, edited and produced. Enjoy!

• Juntos interview with Erika Almiron and Miguel Esteban - Immigration is clearly a hot topic and with the presidential election right around the corner, there are organizations looking to make change. Erika and her team are doing just that.
  
• A Cortes-Velasquez Family Wedding - My brother and his fiancee are getting married in August 2013. Here's the story of how they met and their future.
  
• The woman behind the tattoos - Tattoos are something I absolutely love. We all get them for various reasons. However, sometimes people with tattoos/piercings do intimidate us. Meet Angie...the woman behind the tattoos.
  
• Rafael Alvarez and the Norris Square Neighborhood Project - Meet the man in charge of the garden programs. 

Local scholarship winner hopes to become role model

Earlier today, the Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce presented Geraldo Oyola, 18, of Eastern North Philadelphia, Dr. José E Lebron Scholarship. The Lebron Scholarship Fund is housed within GPHCC’s Professional Mentoring Network (PMN) program and awards the expenditure of a two-year tuition program at the Community College of Philadelphia. This is a tremendous opportunity for any incoming college student. With the education gap at a low (among Latinos) any help to achieve higher education is a plus for me. Oyola has also been heavily involved with Congreso de Latinos Unidos as well. “My community needs a role model [and] I want to be that role model,” he wrote in his submission essay to GPHCC. “This scholarship won’t just help me, but it will open the doors for others to receive my help.” I hope other high school students will look up to Oyola and realize a high education is just another goal in all our lives.

Saint Louis Cathedral full of emotion

Last weekend I visited New Orleans, LA (NoLa) for the first time. I must say it is always a great experience learning about other parts of the country. I also always forget that since the U.S. is so large, certain parts of the country still have French, English and Spanish influences. One of the locations that had a great impact was the Saint Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square. The Cathedral-Basilica of St. Louis King of France is the oldest Catholic cathedral in continual use in the U.S. So why was there an impact? I am not religious at all. Well maybe a tad bit.

I did grow up Catholic and went through the communion services but after a while my attendance was minimal. This church in NoLa is not just beautiful in sight, but you can feel a presence; whether good or bad it's up to you. I couldn't help but think about my family and those that have passed away. It was such a strong feeling that I was overcome with emotions and I did get tear-eyed. I left feeling a little more spiritual and yearning for more.