QUETZAL, POETS LAUREATE, MARCH ON WASHINGTON, BORDER AUTHOR BEN SÁENZ AND MORE!

Well Happy Labor Day to you all! Your Tia Tenopia here welcoming you to another week of Latinopia with new videos and new blogs. Our videos this week are musical and poetic.

Quetzal is a Grammy winning music group from East Los Angeles whose music is distinguished by thoughtful lyrics and driving rhythms.  Latinopia caught up with the group when they performed at the Levitt Pavilion in Pasadena’s Memorial Park. We present here one of their original songs, “Migra,” about the plight of immigrants crossing into the United States to seek a better life.

Author and filmmaker Ricardo Lira Acuña offers another of his filmic poems, this time the Ricky Luv Video is titled “Tiempo Para Amar,” (Time to Love).

Latinos are making their mark throughout the world and this week we want to acknowledge and congratulate four Latino poets who have the distinction of being named “Poet Laureate.” Hey, what is a poet laureate anyway, you may ask? Pues, according our friends at Wikipedia,  a poet laureate “is a poet officially appointed by a government or conferring institution, who is often expected to compose poems for special events and occasions.  It is a very ancient tradition, dating back to the first days of classical civilization.”

You Tia is so excited, get this:  earlier this year Carmen Tafolla was named poet laureate of the city of San Antonio, Texas.  And last year Alejandro Murguía was named poet laureate of the city of San Francisco, California and Juan Felípe Herrera was named poet laureate of the state of California. And just  a few weeks ago,  Alberto “Tito” Ríos was named poet Laureate for the state of Arizona. Wow, four poets laureate (plural) presiding in the states of Texas, California and Arizona.  No más nos queda New Mexico and Colorado for an Aztlan five-pack.  Latinopia salutes and congratulates these inspiring and talented authors. And for those of you who don’t know who these folks are, we’re posting a video each of Alejandro, Alberto and Carmen on Latinopia this week–check them out! We’ll have a video of Juan Felípe Herrera in the next few weeks.  Adelante Raza!

We have a guest book review this week to celebrate yet another literary victory we can all be proud of.  El Paso author Benjamin Sáenz has won the prestigious PEN/Faulkner Literary prize. Check out our guest book review by Cecilia Ballí, The Passsion of Benjamin Sáenz  about this talented poet and author.

This week Luis Torres returned with Tales of Torres,. He gives some thoughtful reflections on why we celebrate and commemorate landmark events such as  Labor Day, the 1963 March on Washington D.C. and the 1970 Chicano Moratorium. Check it out!

Also returning with new blogs this week we have Angela’s Photo of the Week amd A new cartoon by Sergio Hernández.  great stuff this week on Latinopia.

Enjoy!

Tia Tenopia