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 City Lore                                                                           citylore.org July 24, 2012  
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City Lore Picks • Last Chance for Puerto Rican Exhibit Movement and Memory
Little Necks and Cherry Stones Heritage SundaySteel Band Panyards
Faith in the Boroughs From Mambo to Hip Hop screening
Upcoming Festivals and Parades

Dear Citylorists,

We trust you’ve all found, as John Sebastian sang, "summer in the city, back of my neck getting dirty and gritty." Hope you can take refuge "up on the roof," thinking back on the days when so many New Yorkers slept on the fire escapes to beat the heat. But if you need more than just "tar beach" to enjoy the summer, here’s some suggestions.

Please enjoy our Tours and Tales July-August 2012 e-letter!

I'd Still Be Puerto Rican Even If Born on the Moon - Puerto Rican Migration Exhibit, artwork by Miguel Trelles
Artwork by Miguel Trelles

Last chance to see City Lore’s "I’d Still Be Puerto Rican Even if Born on the Moon" – Puerto Rican Migration Through the Arts Exhibit This exhibit, curated by City Lore’s own Elena Martínez tells the story of the Puerto Rican diaspora to New York City during the 20th century and into the 21st through the lens of expressive culture. Nuyoricans may celebrate Three Kings’ Day differently and wear vejigante masks for the Puerto Rican Parade instead of Carnival, but they are still Puerto Rican—and would be—"even if born on the moon." This exhibit features the work of both traditional and contemporary Puerto Rican artists, many of whom are long-time City Lore collaborators. It ends July 25th, so don’t miss it!

For more information please visit this event listing on our calendar!

Max Blagg
Max Blagg

Poetry: Movement and Memory with Max Blagg and Wickham Boyle Sponsored by our friends at Poets House, this event will bring two writers together to discuss memory's role in the creation of a poem and the ways in which memorizing poems can give our daily life meaning. Following their discussion, the two will lead a walk during which each audience member will be given a poem to memorize. For poetry lovers, this event is a MUST!

For more information please visit this event on our calendar!

 

 

Little Necks and Cherry Stones: A Conversation about the Past, Present, and Future of Clamming in New York While you may not know it, clams have been an important part of New York City culture since the 19th century, when they became a staple of the New Yorkers’ diets. The resurgence of clam shacks and bars is keeping the clam alive in present-day New York. Unfortunately, amongst all of this popularity, the livelihood of Long Island clammers is increasingly endangered. Join culinary historians, folklorists and working baymen for a discussion of clam culture, then and now.

For more information please visit this event on our calendar!

Heritage Sunday: Ayiti Rasanble! Lincoln Center Out of Doors’ Hearst Plaza will be featuring some of the U.S.’s leading Haitian performers, many of whom City Lore has long-running connections with: Feet of Rhythm, Kongo featuring Peniel Guerrier, La Troupe Makandal, and the rara ensemble Raram. Come enjoy the cultural spirit of Haitian dance and music!

For more information please visit this event, sponsored by the Center for Traditional Music and Dance, on our calendar!

Photo by Martha Cooper

Visit the Steel Band Panyards right here in New York City! The steel pan, one of the few instruments to emerge in the 20th century, was created by generations of calypsonians refining the sounds they could get from banging on the tops of oil drums, plentiful in the Trinidadian ports during World War II. Steel bands are a musical tradition born out of the Caribbean and carried across the waters to inject us New Yorkers with a breath of fresh ocean breeze and island life. Panyards are practice areas where you can dance to the rhythms of the large pan ensembles, enjoy Caribbean street food, and bliss out. Here are some of the highlights this summer.

Check out these events in our calendar — Steel bands: Annual Band Launch; Sonotas Steel Orchestra: 3rd Annual Sports Day; Pantonic Steel Orchestra: Annual Band Launch; Carribean Steel Band Jamboree; The Pan Loco Steel Drum Band Performance

Faith in the BoroughsFaith in the Five Boroughs documents the role that faith and religious communities play in the lives of immigrants and their children. In keeping with City Lore’s approach, these videos, produced by Julia Elliott and Matt Ozug, shot and edited by Scott Elliot, take you inside New York’s churches, synagogues, mosques, temples and spaces for private prayer. They examine how the city shapes these religious communities and how, in turn, faith shapes the city. Experience the worldview inside the Muslim American, Coptic Orthodox, Russian Jewish, and Haitian Christian communities at Faith in the Five Boroughs website. The project was made possible by a Knight Foundation grant for reporting on religion and American public life.

From Mambo to Hip Hop DVD

From Mambo to Hip Hop Kick-Off Screening Join other salsa lovers as they gather at Pregones Theatre for a screening of From Mambo to Hip Hop: A South Bronx Tale, a documentary produced by City Lore and edited by Benh Zeitlin and Crockett Doob, the award-winning director and co-editor of the current feature film, Beasts of the Southern Wild. Immediately following the screening will be a panel discussion with some musicians featured in the film. They include: Benny Bonilla, percussionist who was part of Pete Rodriguez’s group on their hit, I Like It Like That; Orlando Marín, bandleader and timbalero; Jorge "Popmaster Fabel" Pabon, dancer and member of the Rock Steady Crew. The discussion will be moderated by the film’s co-producer and City Lore folklorist, Elena Martínez. Hosted by Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr and Pregones Theater. Produced by the Bronx Tourism Council.

For more information please visit this event on our calendar!

Check out more upcoming events! You can find more information about these festivals and parades at our August event listings.

•Harlem Week , Sunday, Jul. 29 – Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2012, various locations in Harlem, Manhattan
•Hip Hop Generation Next 2012 , Saturday, Aug. 4, 2012, 2:00pm–9:00pmm, Simpson St. (between 163rd St. and Barretto St.), Bronx
•A Tribute to the Queen of Salsa, Celia Cruz , Saturday, Aug. 4, 2012, 3:00pm–6:00pm, Woodlawn Cemetery, E 233rd St, Bronx
• Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival, Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 4–5, 2012, Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens
• Ecuadorian Parade, Sunday, Aug. 5, 2012, 11:30am, Northern Blvd from 69th to 86th St, Queens
• Peruvian Cultural Fair of New York, Sunday, Aug. 5, 2012, 1:00pm–10:00pm, Central Park
• Dominican Day Parade, Sunday, Aug. 12, 2012, 12:00pm, Avenue of the Americas (Sixth Ave) from 36th to 52nd St., Manhattan
• India Day Parade, Sunday, Aug. 19, 2012, 12:00pm–3:00pm, Madison Ave from 38th to 28th St., Manhattan
• Ecuadorian Music Festival, Sunday, Aug. 19, 2012, 1:00pm–6:00pm, Corona Plaza, 104th St & Roosevelt Ave, Queens

Please forward this email to your friends and encourage them to join City Lore’s email list! You can read Steve’s new essay "Poetry on the Porch" from Voices right here.

Enjoy the City! And if you engage in social media, please like us on Facebook, subscribe to our YouTube Channel and follow us on Twitter!

Steve and Abby

 

City Lore is part of a cultural coalition called CATCH, to promote the City’s cultural heritage. Check out the web sites of our wonderful partners, the Center for Traditional Music and Dance, the Latino Children’s Theater, SEA, and the World Music Institute.

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