Chicago Mayor and former chief of staff Rahm Emanuel just won approval from the Chicago City Council for a Draconian set of anti protesting ordinances to prepare the city for international protesters who will flood the city for the G8 and NATOs summits scheduled to take place this spring in Chicago. Just like many other cities that use big events as a pretense for concentrating power, Emanuel is drumming up fear to make a grab for power.

Festival del Encanto: The 18th annual Fiesta Boricua

The 18th annual Fiesta Boricua end of summer festival was a celebration of Puerto Rican culture, heritage, and political activism. This annual event unfolded in its usual location on Division Avenue in Chicago between the iconic Puerto Rican Flag gateways to Humboldt Park.
A beautiful mix of food, music, dance, art, solidarity and crisp sunshine made this year’s event a beautiful one. The people of the island as well as many others gathered to celebrate Puerto Rico’s culture, her food, and her people. A well rounded serving of all these things provided for good times despite the overwhelming police presidents and fears of violence in the changing neighborhood of Humboldt Park.

There was music in the air during the festival as stages featured salsa and hip hop and the sidewalks provided for some grassroots musical performances like that of Las BomPleneras.
Artist and political activist, an musician Maya Zazhil Fernandez sang and danced with her group BomPleneras, she is a performer rooted in Latino music whether it’s with her traditional Mexican folk style jarocho band Son del Viento, or the Caribbean born bomba plena group was performing with during the festival. The bomba was earthy and proudly displayed the Caribbean afro inspired music of the people of Puerto Rico. It’s the kind of music that makes you have a spiritual dancing experience. There was also a trio of Puerto Rican gentleman play the congas, with maraca and a DJ that was jamming all afternoon. The best thing about this was not only the music, but the awesome feeling you get when you see two good friends making music together.

The campaign to free Oscar Lopez Rivera also made an appearance, a symbol of the long struggle top free long incarcerated Puerto Rican Freedom Fighters. A cause that is significant for all those who fight for freedom and liberation. Café Teatro Batey Urbano also made their presence know in their efforts to fundraise for their space. Batey’s mission in the Humboldt Park community is to provide a safe place for Puerto Rican and Latino youth to creatively express themselves through words, hip hop, and other creative, educational, cultural and political action. Jose Iasel Gonzalez poet and political activist of “Nothin Less Open Mic” opened the fundraising efforts on the Batey stage during the festival.

These cultural events that celebrate culture and help foster community interconnection are some of the most important festivals that occur in Chicago, these are the venues where people can come together through music, art, food, and common pasts.  The events that create true community movements.

Que viva Puerto Rico, la cultura, la musica, la libertad, y la fuerza del pueblo!

Relive the event, or see it for the first time through our photo gallery.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNqIm9ZOsx0

Bomba is the music from northern Puerto Rico, around San Juan. Bomba music and dance were performed by the slave population and resound with the rhythms of Africa, much like Cuba’s rumba. Bomba is also the name of the drum traditionally used to perform this music. Originally, the only instruments used for bomba were the drum by the same name and maracas; the melodies were sung in a dialogue with the percussion, while the women raised their skirts as they danced to mimic the plantation “ladies”.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPtcBuYnvKs

From the roots of Veracruz, Mexico and the influence of Chicano activism in California, Son Mudanza was created to disseminate culture as a form of resistance. Deeply influenced and trained by Son del Centro, a Chicano son group, dedicating its efforts to activism through Son Jarocho music. Likewise, Son Mudanza uses poetry, dance and music to empower and resist against ideology that is set to suppress differences. The poetry we sing expresses current realities in the form of love, liberation, social change, identity, and resistance on both sides of the border, and globally. We believe in solidarity and support for other social movements that believe in the power of difference, as the Zapatistas say: “A world where many worlds fit”.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AtT5v-t3Lc

Lantern on the mic, Weapon X on the drums, J Thunda on bass, Shannon on guitar, Il Subliminal hosting, rapping and playing keys. Visithttp://www.snapsandhooks.com/ for more info on upcoming events.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGteqgzsZGo

I Paint My Mind presents NYE ’09 Chicago.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKtmfwGMLfI

Joe Price and Bailiff tear through Joe’s “Hornet’s Nest.” Recorded live at Chicago’s fantastic Q4 Gallery, August of 2009.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=56UNHvPiRN4

Bailiff covers Freddie King’s “Someday, After a While” at Chicago’s fantastic Q4 Gallery.