La Peña Cultural Center

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Word Becomes Flesh in the News

Word Becomes Flesh

“Stereotype-defying piece”  Ed Malin for the NYTheater.com

“Wow! Just wow. That’s a pretty mundane comment, but I’m literally speechless over Marc Bamuthi Joseph’s Word Becomes Flesh.” Michael Pulliam for the Maui News.

Erik Piepenburg has 5 Questions to Marc Bamuthi Joseph about the “Word Becomes Flesh” in the New York Times Arts Beat, The Culture at Large. Here is the link.

“What we witnessed was enlightening, entertaining and quite moving.” Tiffany Bacon from RNBPhilly.com

““Word Becomes Flesh” pushes hot button issues in the African American community”   Celia Ipiotis from Eye on Dance.

La Peña would like to thank our sponsors that made this event possible: National Performance Network (NPN) Re-Creation Fund Project, the James Irvine Foundation and the Clorox Foundation. Additionally we would like to recognize our partners efforts: Painted Bride (Philadelphia, PA), Dance Place (Washington, DC), Youth Speaks (San Francisco, CA).

photo credit: J.Osato

Dancing at La Peña in January

If you feel like dancing, check-out this events at La Peña Cultural Center

Jan 20: With a free lesson in Afro- Peruvian zapateo. Follow this link for more information.

Jan 22 Noche de Cumbia and more!!  find out more about the event here.

Also, check out La Pelanga in the Lounge of  La Peña, every 3rd Saturday of the month.

End of the Year Appeal Letter

We are writing to ask you for your support. In these tough times for the 99 percent, the gap between rich and poor in the United States has not been this extreme since the Great Depression. With unprecedented concentration of income, wealth, and political power in the top 1 percent, the emerging Occupy Movement has been pushing grievances that continue to grow daily. No wonder the clamor in the streets for economic and social justice is getting louder and heard throughout the world. Since its inception over 36 years ago, La Peña has always supported efforts to raise the issue of social and economic justice.

Cuts in government and foundation funding have deeply hurt grass roots organizations that use arts to advance social justice issues. State funding to arts has been cut by 40 percent and, according to the Foundation Center, only 4 percent of private foundations’ grant dollars are classified as advancing social justice.

Your donation will help further our mission
of promoting peace, cultural diversity
and social justice through the arts.

The importance of our cultural work goes far beyond the presentation of diverse performance and visual arts. La Peña connects artists and people actively engaged in social movements with a broader audience.

Some recent examples are:

La Peña’s Second Generation Collective organized a public video-conference with the Chilean student movement, a protest of thousands of students angered by higher tuition and fewer jobs.

Oakland’s based Chiapas Support Committee hosted speakers and performers from Mexico, giving a Bay Area audience direct contact to the Zapatista movement.

A delegation of Mapuche indigenous people from Chile came to La Peña to meet the community and further the discussion around permaculture, food security and how to best support indigenous peoples’ movements.

Consider the many ways you can contribute:

  • You can donate securely online through Network for Good or PayPal, were do a one time donation or set a monthly contribution.
  • You can send a check payable to La Peña Cultural Center.
  • Additionally, your contribution can be multiplied with employers’ matching donation programs (check if your employer has one).

For information, please contact
Nicolás Cabrera at nico[at]lapena.org
(510.849-2568 ext.12).

On behalf of all La Peña’s Staff

Thank you for your support!

Beloved: A Requiem for Our Dead

As the final night to the Hecho en Califas Festival, the queer and trans people of color performance crew, Mangos with Chili, presented the work Beloved. It was a night  to honor and remember those that were lost and a celebration of survival and healing.

The night featured many different performers in a wide range of acts from dancing to story telling and spoken word, to cabaret and music and singing.

Video also played a key part in the performance both as a backdrop and as a featured medium to tell their story. It was a powerful night filled with deep emotions and performers who held nothing back.

Celtic Flamenco Concert

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As soon as this show appeared on the calendar I was very intrigued. Celtic flamenco? How is this going to work out? Actually surprisingly well as I’m sure the packed room would agree! It was cool to see such an unexpected fusion come together.

The night saw many performers playing separately and together in various combinations. Fanny Ara brought on some fiery flamenco dancing accompanied by, yes, Celtic music. Daniel Torres was featured on flamenco guitar and the Puerto Rican cuatro.

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