“E-le-le, le-le-le, A-la-la, la-la-la-a…” Follow the North Star into New York City’s Latin world in March 2025.
Latin Culture This Week
Jews, Hindus, Christians, and Muslims, all have festivals this week.
Purim Celebrates Deliverance as Told in the Book of Esther ✡️
Holi, the Hindu Spring Festival of Colors, is All About Loving 🕉️
Worm Moon is an Algonquin Native American Name for the March Full Moon 🌝
Lent is the Catholic Spiritual Preparation for Easter ✝️
Ramadan is the Muslim Sacred Month of Faith, Family, Community, and Charity ☪️
Nuestros Sonidos ~ Carnegie Hall’s Latin Culture Festival
By naming this season-long festival of Latin culture “Nuestros Sonidos” (Our Sounds), Carnegie Hall is reaching out to Latins and friends, but is also saying that we belong at Carnegie Hall too!
Things to do in NYC This Week March 17-23, 2025
Latin Culture This Week
St Patrick’s Day Celebrates the Patron Saint of Ireland 🇮🇪
Damballa is the Vodou Loa of the Masculine Side of Nature 🇭🇹
Things to do in NYC This Week March 24-30, 2025
How America Got the Blues ~ Over more than a decade, our concept of Latin has grown from Caribbean and Latin American, into the great mix of Indigenous peoples of the Americas plus our so-called “mother countries” in Africa and Europe. We also discovered Arab, Jewish, South Asian, Chinese, Japanese, and Irish influences. Eddie Palmieri defined Latin and its influence on American culture in the most succinct way.
The Spaniard brought the African.
Eddie Palmieri at the 92nd Street Y in 2016 🇵🇷
The African put everyone to dance.
In the States, they took away the drum, and we got the blues“
The blues, with gospel and ragtime, is the root of most American popular music, including: jazz, rhythm and blues, country, rock, soul, funk, disco, house, hip hop, and trap. Yes, even American country music originates in Mother Afrika.
We are far more Indigenous and African than we have been taught. Latin culture brings people together and turns the blues into JOY! Together, the Latin family has created culture that is uniquely American, and loved around the world.
Latin Art
Latin Books
Latin Comedy
Latin Dance
Latin Fashion
Latin Festivals
Latin Film
Latin Food
Latin Music
Latin Parades
Latin Sports
Latin Theatre
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Oye, you are crossing the Kalûnga
La Llamada de los Tambores
(The Call of The Drum)
Bienvenido a el areíto en el batéy del pueblo Latino. Somos uno en el tambor.
Escucha la llamada. La rumba ya se forma en el solar.
Yo prendo una vela.
(Welcome to the community gathering in the sacred circle of the Latin people.
We are one in the drum. Listen to the call. The party is starting in the patio. I lit a candle.)
Bom, bom, bom
ba-ta-ba-ta, ba, ta-ba, ta-ba
Bom-ba, ta-ba, Bom-ba, ta-ba
Bom-ba, ta-ba, Bom-ba, ta-ba
This call of the drum is Bomba Puertorriqueña Sicá.
“E-le-le, le-le-le, A-la-la, le-le-le“
Loíza Aldea, Loíza, Puerto Rico 🇵🇷
La salsa begins with the “Diana,” the call to prayer that asks for spiritual connection before we dance;
because by tradition, dance is how we pray.
“E-le, le-le, le-le-le-le“
La Marina, Matanzas, Cuba 🇨🇺
Rumba is what the first Africans in Cuba did, as soon as their hands were free.
“Diki riki riki riki, Diki riki riki riki, Diki riki riki riki, Di, Diki ri”
Capotillo 42, Santo Domingo, Republica Dominicana 🇩🇴
Dembow is the sound of the streets in La República Dominicana.
“Ay, ay, Ay-ay“
San Juan de Ulúa, Veracruz, México 🇲🇽
“Canta y no llores…”
“Aí aí aí“
San Basilio de Palenque, Bolívar, Colombia 🇨🇴
“Ajai, al son de los tambores…”
“Bim Bom, Bim Bim, Bom Bom“
Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 🇧🇷
“O meu coração pediu assim, só…”
“I like to be in América“
San Juan Hill, New York City 🇺🇸 🇵🇷 🇮🇱
“Okay, buy me in America,
Everything free in America
For a small fee in America…”
¡ A-G-U-A-N-I-L-É !
El Barrio, Loisaida, Bushwick, y El Bronx 🇵🇷
“Aguanilé” is a healing prayer to Ogun.
Who answers the call? The community responds!
¿Oye Cómo Va?
We are Indigenous, African, European, Jewish, Arab, Asian, and everything in between.
“¿Oye cómo va? Mi ritmo, bueno pa’ bailar, mulata.”
Hey, how’s it going? My rhythm is good for dancing, Latina.
“Andando, andando, andando…”
(Walking, walking, walking…)
“Yo me tiro pa’l solar”
(I throw myself into the field)
Dios te bendiga
(God bless you)
¡Ashé!
(Amen)
KíkoKí
“E-le-le, le-le-le…”