The XX Communicator acts locally, broadcasts globally. Find out the latest ongoing/goings-on in realms such as: literary spoken word; (r)evolutionary culture and politics; community activism via performance, publishing, direct action, and education. In 2007,
a special feature was the DAILY POEM project.
The word is spreading like word-fire! From Dallas to Houston, folks are making plans to attend our FIRST ANNUAL (yes, there'll be more like this) PALABRAZOS FESTIVAL of literary performance. Save your Friday night for us!
Palabrazos 08 will be the first in a series of annual festivals organized for the purpose of unveiling, promoting, and celebrating the most exciting achievements in performance poetry and spoken word.
For this inaugural event--to happen Friday, May 9th, 2008 at Embargo Bar (210 E. 8th) in downtown Fort Worth, Texas-- an explosive bill of touring and local performers will be presented. Verbobala, based in Cuernavaca, Mexico and Arizona, will travel to Texas to headline Palabrazos 08.
“The idea is to sample everyday life like a DJ samples a record. Our pieces are basically big remixes, putting together voices and images from where ever we’ve traveled,” says Verbobala frontman Logan Phillips. “The audience should come expecting something really unique. Digital storytelling in Spanglish isn’t nearly as common as it should be.”
In addition to Verbobala, local performing writers Gabo Montemayor, Priscilla Rice, Rodrigo Pessoa, Tammy Gomez, Mi Lengua Nopal, and Cesar Hernandez will present new multimedia works in literature.
Post a comment w/ your questions, etc., about PALABRAZOS 08, coming to your senses on Friday!!
7:30pm - Latino Cultural Center - 2600 Live Oak St., just east of downtown Dallas - sponsored by Writer's Garret, Latino Writers Having Their Say, and Las Comadres, among other groups.
This will be a feast of Chicano/Tejano/a words and music. Also, Cesar Hernandez (of Cara Mia Theatre Company will be providing excerpted footage of an El Paso performance by raulrsalinas (qepd) for the ofrenda (tribute altar) that I will be erecting in the lobby at the Latino Cultural Center. raul, after all, is with us in spirit and, as one of the contributors to the HECHO EN TEJAS anthology, deserves to be remembered and included in our public performance events.
My set list for the night: "Mexicano Antonio" and "On Language" (both from the HECHO EN TEJAS anthology) and a very new piece never-before performed: "Work Out in a Huipil".
Blurb from the press release:
"The Dallas performance will feature master accordion player Santiago Jimenez Jr. with his conjunto and critically acclaimed alternative musician David Garza with Joel Garza, as well as award-winning authors, such as Dagoberto Gilb and Rolando Hinojosa-Smith. Gilb and Hinojosa-Smith, who were honored for their contributions to Texas Literature at the Texas Book Festival in 2007, will read their prose and share meaningful stories about Tejano history and map a view of the future for Mexican Americans in Texas. Authors on stage will be: Tony Díaz, Tammy Gomez, Christine Granados, Macarena Hernández and Diana López..
Hecho en Tejas contributors have already traveled statewide, promoting the book to the general public and to teachers and students in San Marcos, Houston, Ft. Worth, San Antonio, El Paso and the Rio Grande Valley. Writers in the anthology will descend upon Dallas to read from the book and celebrate its historical success with the public.
Tickets for the show are $15, $10 and $8 and can be purchased at the Latino Cultural Center. (NOTE: THE SHOW IS EXPECTED TO SELL-OUT.)
The Latino Cultural Center is a division of the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs. The mission of the Latino Cultural Center is to serve as a catalyst for the preservation, development and promotion of Latino and Hispanic arts and culture in Dallas. The Center is located at 2600 Live Oak, Dallas, Texas 75204 and is open Tuesday – Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For additional information please call 214-671-0045 or visit THE LCC web site at, www.dallasculture.org/latinocc."
