Poetry

CULTURE

COMMUNITY

COMMERCE

Poemas del Barrio

Journeying to El Barrio on a Thursday night, a lucky explorer could venture into Jake's Saloon on 103rd Street between Lexington and Park. Here, on the first Thursday of every month, La Bruja, a rough and rugged lyricist/poet, hosts a lively open mike. Performers include the young and old, from near and far, reciting poetry and raps in both English and Spanish. While many of the poems performed here are of the modern Slam poet persuasion, there is the occasional magically real poem or beat piece that reminds the listener of the Nuyorican poetic roots entrenched here.

Often the self-proclaimed "poet-laureate of El Barrio," Papoleto Melendez, will speak on the mike of the history about these styles in the neighborhood. El Barrio helped give birth to the Nuyorican poetry movement of the late 1960s and early 70s. Its streets brought forth many poets including Pedro Pietri and Papoleto himself. Meanwhile downtown on the lower east side, Miguel Algarin founded the well-known Nuyorican Poet's Café.

But with gentrification hitting its crowds and style changes, it could no longer remain a legitimate cultural representative of the Nuyorican community. However, back uptown in El Barrio, Aurora Flores assures everyone that "This won't be like the Lower East Side's Nuyorican Poet's Café, where the only Latino is Julio at the door, and the rest are young blanquitos." While El Barrio does face increasing gentrification, its artists and poets generally attempt to keep up the good fight and not sacrifice culture and people on the altar of profit.

Pictured is Papoleto Maledez Chuckling as he performs a poem at Jake's.

 

 

 

For The Love of Money

by Papoleto Melendez

Today, money went
                        from here to there.
Money went today
from here to the east
where it spent a good part
of the morning,
hurting other options elsewhere
where it was not and lacking.

Later, some money traveled north
to the European theatre
& played in the Riviera
till mid-afternoon
After Martinis,
the poor are fed
            just enough
to stay from death
because they are so poorly needed.

From there, money then went west
like a young man
And got caught up
            with some scandalous girls,
And lost a few of his earnings,
            but not his yearnings.

So money set out war in the south
to make a killing
And fortune & fame
came as a prize,
But it was not a surprise,
upon the vacant eyes
of disenfranchised youth
                                    of the world
                        who fought the war
                        for money's sake,
            thought they weren't paid
And who had not
            a penny to their names,
Thus,
their lives weren't worth a dime

  
A "disenfranchised youth" acting against the love of money
 
 

Political artwork in the interior of Jake's Saloon

 

 

Reference:
Information from Jake's Saloon

 

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