Year: 2011

Elizabeth Baez – Puerto Rican Artist

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Puerto Rico its sites and the culture are my greatest influence. I was born in Brooklyn, New York, the great city of many tall grey buildings that cast cool shades and shadows. When I was 12 years old, we moved to Puerto Rico. This was a total contrast! It was like someone turned on the light switch of the sun. Sun and light everywhere, I saw what seemed to be 100 different kinds of greens; as in the inspired paintingPalmas del Rio. Bold rich colors everywhere! Even the soil has…

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Vejigante Masks – Vejigante de Ponce

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Carnivals and festivals are very important traditions in Puerto. Such festivals are religious in nature and represent the fight between what is good and what is evil. It is a blending of Caribbean, Spanish and African customs. Rich in culture and heritage, vejigante masks, St. James the Apostle and the cities of Loiza and Ponce play very important roles in the vejigantes of Puerto Rico. There are three major festivals in Puerto Rico. They are the Carnival of Ponce, St James Festival, and the Hatillo Mask Festival of the Holy…

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Who is Coqui The Chef?

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Coqui the Chef

by: Tania Lopez (owner and creator) I am the proud Latina mother of three; a boy, a girl and a frog. My son and daughter are the light of my life and the frog…well that is an interesting story. Growing up Puerto Rican, I grew to appreciate our love affair with food. The way we were raised in my family and community, meant that the first thing you would ask someone coming over to visit was, “What would you like to eat?” or “Did you eat something?” Somehow we knew…

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Exploring Old San Juan

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When you’ve got a city that’s over 400 years old, it’s a shame not to revisit the rich history and grandeur of its colorful past. San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico, offers a generous taste of the Old World, from its cobbled streets to its impressive architecture. The overwhelming Spanish influence seen in San Juan can be traced back to 1521, when it was established as a settlement of the Spanish empire. Over centuries, the city has seen ships of mercantilism and military dominance docking and departing on its…

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Puerto Ricans in the US and the 2010 Census: 100 years and still counting … A reflection

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By Victor Vázquez-Hernández In the closing days of 2010, the U.S. Census Bureau began to release the data collected earlier this year. For Puerto Ricans in the Diaspora (US-based), the 2010 census has a particular historical meaning — it marks the 100th anniversary since the first US Census, back in 1910, started counting Puerto Ricans as a separate group. It would be a good time for our community to take stock of where we are and how far we have come in one century. For the National Congress for Puerto…

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Puerto Rico aims to protect newly discovered reefs

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — As the ocean floor plunges off southwestern Puerto Rico, it reveals coral reefs dotted with bright-blue sea squirts and a multitude of other organisms whose existence has given hope to scientists who strive to save the island’s threatened ecosystems. The organisms are an integral part of a group of reefs discovered to be thriving near an area where most shallow coral reefs and the fish that depend on them are in poor health overall. The reefs — at a depth of up to 500…

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Mambo Diablo My Journey with Tito Puente

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Mambo Diablo My Journey with Tito Puente Book Signing with Author, Joe Conzo February 14, 2011 @ 7:00 pm El Barrio/East Harlem – Harbor Conservatory and the Raices Latin Music Museum are pleased to host a book signing on February 14th a 7:00 pm celebrating the historic release of “Mambo Diablo My Journey with Tito Puente, written by Joe Conzo with David A. Perez.  The event will be held at the Harbor, the “Home of Latin Music” located at One East 104th Street and Fifth Avenue in Fifth Avenue, Third Floor…

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Three Kings Day – Festival de los Magos Reyes

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Three Kings Day The Magi were then warned in dreams that revealed Herod’s deadly intentions for the child and decided to return home by a different route in order to thwart them. This prompted Herod to resort to killing all the young children in Bethlehem, an act called the Massacre of the Innocents, in an attempt to eliminate a rival heir to his throne. Jesus and his family had, however, escaped to Egypt beforehand. El Día de los Tres Reyes, occurs on January the sixth. Depending on where you are,…

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