Wednesday, May 19th , 2021
Greetings!

Tomorrow, Thursday May 20 at 7:00 pm via LoisaidaTV we are thrilled to present the first of a series of conversations on the work and life of composer, musician, Afro-Caribbean, Puerto Rican icon, Rafael Cortijo Verdejo.

The series will start with three outstanding individuals; the writer, professor and author; Yolanda Arroyo Pizarro, the anthropologist; Ivette Chiclana Miranda and the actor Modesto Lacén Cepeda. They will be discussing the latest project De coco y anís. Un proyecto de amor para Rafael Cortijo Verdejo.

This project is led by the professor Marissel Hernández Romero and the ethnomusicologist, journalist and documentarist Cesár Colón Montijo. Through their research project they aim to publish a book documenting the important contributions to Puerto Rican music and culture of the musician and composer Rafael Cortijo Verdejo, while at the same time opening a space for black Puerto Rican academics, artists, journalists, writers and activists to lead the narrative.

"Y es que reconocemos que Rafael Cortijo es de gran importancia en la historia de Puerto Rico y la música latinoamericana y caribeña. [...] También, Rafael Cortijo, el ícono, representa la lucha de los puertorriqueños negros por tener representación en el imaginario del archipiélago."

More information on these conversations please click here. To watch the program tonight please check-in via loisaida.org/tv or via facebook or youtube.
Photo of Linda Díaz by Lærke Rose Møllegaard

To make sure we celebrate the occasion as we have always done so we highlight the contributions of our Puerto Rican community, both historical and contemporary. Pictured above is Linda Diaz; a singer, songwriter and performer from the Lower East Side of Manhattan. She is the winner of the 2020 NPR Tiny Desk Contest and co-host of the PBS musical education series Sound Field. The gentle yet soulful artist is easily recognizable by her lush vocal arrangements and powerful lyricism that accompany a jazzy r&b sound. 

Please join us in celebrating this outstanding Loisaida artist and the Lower East Side History Month, as we always do, by tuning in to the first part of our 34th Annual Loisaida Festival this upcoming Sunday, May 23rd at 2:00 pm.

For more information and to see the festival program on Sunday, please visit loisaidafest.nyc
The 34th Annual Loisaida Festival
Sunday, May 23rd & May 30th at 2:00pm
live via Facebook and YouTube
¡Viva Loisaida!
The 34th Annual [Virtual] Loisaida Festival's first part is this Sunday, May 23rd an it will feature world-renowned Mexican singer & actor Fernando Allende; Puerto Rican folk singer Chabela Rodríguez; Afro-Brazilian Samba Reggae All-Female Band Batalá, and acclaimed local singer, songwriter Linda Díaz. It will also feature a short film by the Puerto Rican theater troupe Y No Había Luz, a cooking demo by María Bido part of La Cocina de Loisaida, and much more!
We are way overdue in announcing our current Artistic Residency Recipient: Ebony Sojourner and her project D/SRUPT.

Loisaida, Inc. Center is very excited to support Ebony as she produces; Tied Together; an in-depth documentary film featuring five New York City youth of color as they unpack the attraction of sneaker culture in their communities and address the urgency of foundational financial literacy.

The documentary will be accompanied with a podcast that goes into the making of the film and how the youth learn about the different stages of filmmaking such as the editing process.

Guided workshops are provided every Saturday at the Loisaida, Inc. Center - 710 East Ninth Street, Lower East Side, NY 10009

Sign-up to participate! Contact Ebony at ebcawthorne@gmail.com or Loisaida, Inc. at info@loisaida.org for any further questions.
Gay Center + Haus of Dust lead a Shrine Workshop hosted at Loisaida, Inc.
As part of the Loisaida Artistic Residency Program; 2020 recipient Gabriel Torres and Haus of Dust have created a campaign about substance abuse in queer, Latinx communities. Haus of Dust explores the themes of spirituality and god-like forces, their influence and guidance through a Shrine Making Workshop in collaboration with the Gay Center.

Participants will create shrines in collaboration with artist Julia Justo, that are the size of the characters written into the production, engaging their presence beyond their physical role in the project. The goal is to directly involve the community in creating elements of the production that call for collaboration and whose creation can act as a means of healing, whether it be spiritual, mental, or emotional.

All are welcome. Facilitated by Julia Justo, the workshop will take place June 7th to June 11th at the Loisaida Inc., Center. The workshop will be limited to 10 participants total, divided into two groups of five to be safe and adhere to social distancing guidelines.

Each group will attend the workshops in shifts, with the first group of five attending a session from 1:30 - 3:00 pm, and the second group attending the afternoon session from 3:30 - 5:00 pm.

Loisaida Inc. | 646-726-4715 | info@loisaida.org | loisaida.org
710 E. 9th Street New York, NY 10009
Loisaida Inc. programs are supported in part by public funds from the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) in partnership with the City Council, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, City Councilwoman Carlina Rivera, NYS Assembly Member Harvey Epstein, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, Hispanic Federation, Promesa Foundation, Stonewall Foundation, Ford Foundation, MOSAIC Foundation of the New York Community Trust, the Howard Gilman Foundation and the Shelley and Donald Rubin Foundation. Thank you!
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Loisaida Inc. is an affiliate of Acacia Network