516 WORDS
Saturday, February 9, 8pm
516 ARTS presented an evening of poetry, stories and music with established and upand-coming Hispanic artists of the community and the UNM M.F.A. in Creative Writing program. The evening featured readings with Jimmy Santiago Baca, Erika Sanchez, Arturo Sandoval and live music with Cultura Fuerte.
This event took place during the exhibition 20 Years 20 Artists, celebrating twenty years of Working Classroom. The gallery was open Tuesday–Saturday, 12–5pm.
Jimmy Santiago Baca: Born in New Mexico of Indio-Mexican descent, Jimmy Santiago Baca was raised first by his grandmother and later sent to an orphanage. A runaway at age 13, it was after Baca was sentenced to five years in a maximum security prison that he began to turn his life around: he learned to read and write and unearthed a voracious passion for poetry. During a fateful conflict with another inmate, Jimmy was shaken by the voices of Neruda and Lorca, and made a choice that would alter his destiny. Instead of becoming a hardened criminal, he emerged from prison a writer. Baca sent three of his poems to Denise Levertov, the poetry editor of Mother Jones. The poems were published and became part of Immigrants in Our Own Land, published in 1979, the year he was released from prison. He earned his GED later that same year. He is the winner of the Pushcart Prize, the American Book Award, the International Hispanic Heritage Award and for his memoir A Place to Stand the prestigious International Award. In 2006 he won the Cornelius P. Turner Award. The national award recognizes one GED graduate a year that has made outstanding contributions to society in education, justice, health, public service and social welfare. Baca has devoted his post-prison life to writing and teaching others who are overcoming hardship. His themes include American Southwest barrios, addiction, injustice, education, community, love and beyond. He has conducted hundreds of writing workshops in prisons, community centers, libraries, and universities throughout the country.
Erika Sanchez: Erika Sanchez was born and raised in Chicago, and received a B.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Last year she was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study in Madrid, Spain, where she taught English to high school students and worked on a poetry manuscript. To date she has had publications featured in Ghoti, Gumball Poetry, Hanging Loose and Other Voices.
Arturo Sandoval: Arturo Sandoval has long held a passion for promoting and participating in Chicano culture. He has done this as a writer and as a producer and presenter. As a writer, Sandoval has previously worked for nearly 15 years in journalism. Over the years, he has also written several plays, short stories and given lectures on a wide variety of topics. As a producer and presenter, Sandoval founded the Center of Southwest Culture to present Mexican folklore groups, Chicano theater, flamenco and other cultural and educational programs. Sandoval believes that any overt cultural act by nationalized ethnic groups is also a political act, serving to create self and group awareness and propel individuals and communities into social activism.
Cultura Fuerte; Cultura Fuerte combines Latin, Hip-Hop and neo-Flamenco rhythms to create an upbeat and energetic sound sure to make your hips move. The group consists of 6 members, all hailing proudly from Albuquerque: Speed One, Cheops, Bobby Baca, Luis Garcia, Elias Garcia, and Marco Sandoval. Speed One and Cheops are the two emcees of the group, rapping their thoughtful and impassioned lyrics throughout the songs. Bobby Baca is the lead guitarist of the group with his musical background in neo-Flamenco rhythms. Luis García, currently a mariachi, plays the vihuela, an instrument used in mariachi music and the flautín, a piccolo flute. Elias García, son of Luis and also a mariachi, plays the guitarrón, a mariachi bass. Finally, Marco Sandoval plays the cajón, an instrument used mostly in Flamenco but increasingly used in multiple music styles all around the world. The group has chosen to use only acoustic instruments to emphasize its commitment to maintaining the roots of the different musical genres.
This event is organized by Chris Boat, 516 WORDS literary arts series coordinator. For more information, please contact chris@516arts.org.