The Afro-Latino Festival at MOLAA

After writing my review this morning, I decided to go attend the Afro-Latino Festival that was being held at the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach. It was a cold day, but not rainy, and I very much wanted to see some cultural performances. Anything instead of having to grade tests today. (Yes, I know, I am procrastinating like a college freshman.)

It was an uneventful drive, but I still arrived late. Part of this was due to inadequate Mapquest instructions that had me driving along residential streets, and part of this was due to the fact that I was delayed because I had to stop to purchase batteries. It was all for naught. The batteries weren't used, and when I arrived, I also had to spend time finding parking in the residential area. I missed most of the performance by the Afro-Peruvian group, Matalache, and I could hear them from the street as I tried to find a spot. When I finally entered the building and made my way to the Sculpture Garden I was pleased to find a large and very hushed and what I would term a "devout" crowd.

Matalache had already been performing for some time, and at that moment they had a group playing the Peruvian cajones. These are wooden boxes upon which they sit and perform percussion movements. They are very rthymic, and having attended other Peruvian events, I was pleased to see that they were highlighted.

Interspersed with the music there were various dancing ensembles made up of groups of differing age who came out and performed dances. I suspect that many of them are the sons and daughters of Peruvian immigrants, and I am always happy to see that they are making an effort to preserve the customs of their unique heritage.

Afterward came a group called "Las Cafeteras", a joyful but also seriously commited group of Chicanos from East Los Angeles who play jarocho music. They call themselves "Pochos Jarochos", and I love the fact that they would claim that label of "Pocho" proudly.

I first saw them at the SAESL Tardeada in Lincoln Heights last summer, and I had been relishing the chance to see them again at a festival. They perform in many venues, and they combine a mission of revitalizing and preserving native musical traditions, especially the sones jarochos, with a passion for social activism. They opened up their performance with a denunciation of the divisive Arizona bill, SB1070, that was the target of so much condemnation, and justly so.

They played, they sang, they danced and they delivered a political message. All with humor and grace.

In the end, there were various performances from a Cuban musical and dance group that was listed as "Katy Hernandez and Company". Although it was only about 4 p.m. by then, it was very cold. We've had showers for the past few days, and a chill air that was blowing in. In addition, this museum is located close to the coast, and the cold comes in directly from the ocean.

Nonetheless the Cuban group performed with passion and grace. The performers, I noticed, were older than the other groups, and very diverse. They stalked on stage, then ventured out into the crowds, and they combined graceful moves with hystrionics, all this meant in a positive sense that they took care to express themselves.

They were also very good with crowd involvement because, in truth, many of the little kids were running up on stage and trying to interact with the dancers. I loved the fact that they tried to encourage them. At one moment I was struck by the fact that one of the dancers finished her dance and seemed to salute each of the drums. The instrument, that is, and not so much the player. I found that very curious.

And soon it was time to leave. As I was driving home on the 91 freeway I couldn't help notice a final element of excitement. There was a huge plume of smoke, and I was afraid there had been an accident up ahead. There was, but it was on an intersecting highway. All I could see was a fire by the side of the road. I hope there were no injuries.

And that was it. I'm so tired I feel as if I can't write anything cogent. I'll correct and expand this entry tomorrow.