The Capicu Playas promised to take us away in a whirlwind of swirling verbal dominos when they came back to Brooklyn, and that promise was well delivered with the Capicu Poetry showcase last Friday night. As you walk in, you'll be greeted by co-founder George "Urban Jibaro" Torres and resident first lady Lisa "Boricua Goddess" Centeno who will greet you with the Taino spirit of community.
At 9:00PM, with the number of guests surpassing 70, an open mic list
of 12 poets and the young talented Poeta Guerrera with a 20-minute
Feature set lined up, there must have been a crack in the time-space
continuum that took us around the world and back home to Brooklyn, all
in 2 hours!
Our host for the poetry stage show is myself, the "urban legend" known as PaPoSwiggity. This night, I was light-hearted and happy to entertain our guests with my antics, but I made a point to explain the true goal of Capicu Poetry to the audience, which is to educate and instill pride in Brooklyn through performance arts and the power of the pen and mic. Honoring a tradition set by Capicu of opening with urban poetry greats, the night opens up with a wonderful surprise, the fiery political Puerto Rican poet Prisionera takes the stage and offers up poetry to inspire the many aspiring artists in attendance.
There were actually 20 artists signed to the open mic, but there was only time allowed for 12 to perform, prompting PaPo and George to discuss beginning the show at 8:30pm in future events and speaking with some poets about getting in earlier.
On the Open Mic, some of our regulars:
Bushwicks own Conan aka Mr. VIP, Yubelky Rodriguez, Bella Trastorna, Chilo, OL SoUL, Franchesca and newcomers: Tina G, Ponce, Vee, Kevin Hotep, Taino Brigs, and Enrique Vasquez.
Our featured artist Poeta Guerrera had an amazing set.. she gave us a wide range of topics as grand as love and religion. When she spoke of her pain, it felt so deep and her newfound understanding came off as profound. there was a buzz afterwards for quite some time for her piece "Las Madres de la Revolucion", honoring the women warriors who are seldom mentioned in times of revolution. As the night drew to a close, it seems as though Brooklyn itself will remain open at all hours for the community labors of the Capicu Playas.
Notice Lounge itself is handsome, trendy, newly redesigned and committed to serving the urban latino community in Williamsburg that has been it's champion patrons for the last 8 years. Capicu Poetry is proud of it's nuyorican origins, but is a multicultural talent showcase that represents the diversity of Kings County.
Also note: Capicu Poetry Showcase now has two components.
1. RadioCapicu Online Talk Show:
Wed. August 15th: 6:30PM
Radio Capicu presents: 5 Principles to releasing your Inner Loca.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/radiocapicu (Please bookmark us!)
Hosted by the Urban Jibaro featuring open mic poetry. Special guest is
Comadre, Nancy Marmolejo who will guide you thru an empowering
celebration of creativity, community, and culture.
2. Next Stage Show Tentative Date: (*Subject to change*)
Capicu Poetry Open Mic
Friday, September 14th @ 8PM
Notice Lounge
198 Union Ave ( between Broadway & Montrose)
Williamsburg Brooklyn
New York, NY 11211
Hosted By: PaPoSwiggity & The Capicu Playas
J, M train to Lorimer Street
G train to Broadway
Tune in, and see you there!
Papo Swiggity
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About Capicu Poetry
First things first.. what does Capicu mean? In the game of Dominos, el Capicu is a very special winning piece that covers all ends, it is the ultimate finishing move. Any piece can become the Capicu, with the right mixture of skill and fate. The Fichas (as dominos are sometimes called) is often slammed down on the table for emphasis, in celebration!
The Capicu Poetry Series is a collaboration between the creators of EspacioLatino (on MySpace) and SofritoForYourSoul.com, also supported by some of NYC's most powerful poetry artists, including some of the elders from Nuyorican Poets Cafe. We welcome all styles and poets, though it is themed around our Nuyorican origins.
Ultimately, our goal is to develop the event to the point where it is a place where all kind of urban artists can play, paint, or otherwise express themselves.
Currently on hiatus, The Capicu Poetry Series is currently being developed to encompass different forms of cultural expression and to expand the reach of our mission nationwide. The Poetry Series is a smaller piece of a bigger puzzle, which will include charity work and community events, as our network grows and people welcome the idea of solidarity.
About BlogTalkRadio
The explosion of niche, social media is a massive cultural phenomenon. Blogging, social networking and video sharing are changing the face of the print and television industries. Similarly, the most fundamental impact on the $40b radio industry may arise from the social radio movement, which allows anyone, anywhere to broadcast or listen to radio.
MEDIA CONTACT:
George Torres
phone: 718.371.0671
email: CapicuPoetry@gmail.com
web: www.CapicuPoetry.com
