by Mar°a Del R°o
Daily Lobo
Poetry can grab you right out of your seat, take your imagination farther than it has been before and talk to your soul and your ancestors, and that's exactly what a poetry benefit audience got on Saturday.
Enrique Cardiel, a representative of Partido Nacional de la Raza Unida, also known as La Raza Unida Party, kicked off the Rape Crisis Center event with a musical set. Cardiel and Rudy Mierra played traditional corridos. The crowd enjoyed such songs as "Volver, Volver," in which they erupted into traditional gritos, claps and warm cheer.
Jasmine Sena, an Albuquerque slam poet who performed at the benefit, finds poetry to be a vital act of communication.
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"It involves so many senses and gets into your heart," Sena said. "To reach so many people with your words is great. I love it."
Andrea Serrano Garcia, an organizer of the poetry event and community educator for the Rape Crisis Center, said that New Mexico is ranked third in the nation for reported cases of sexual assault and that 552 cases of sexual assault were reported to the Rape Crisis Center in 2002.
"Sexual assault is a problem for everyone," Garcia said. "It isn't just a woman's issue or a survivor issue. It's important that people support us through poetry or volunteer work."
Monica Trujillo, a senior at UNM, said she attended previous poetry events put together by the Raza Unida Party and the Rape Crisis Center. This one was different since it was in the community, she said.
Mezcla Latina also played a musical set. The audience became very involved in dancing and singing when the band played the time honored song "La Mucura." Mezcla Latina set the stage once more for poets to perform.
Poets Danny Solis and Elena Avila, with Jerry Mondragon, performed pieces dealing with female ancestors and confronted issues such as advertising for Latinos. Avila, a curandera and one-time director of the Rape Crisis Center for four years, read poetry dealing with how she felt when she encountered an institution interested in learning how to market to Latinos instead of learning about the culture.
Solis captivated the audience with poetry dealing with female Mexican icons.
The crowd held its breath when Adan Baca, member of La Raza Unida Party and a MEChA sponsor at Rio Grande High School, apologized for the language he would use in his poem, but the crowd did not hold back when they applauded loudly for the poem called "I Love My Raza, But I Hate You," which focuses on issues of domestic violence within the Latino community.
The Rape Crisis Center has a 24-hour hotline that operates seven days a week. The center also provides on-site advocacy, free counseling and community education. The Raza Unida Party and the Rape Crisis Center put on various poetry readings throughout the year.
If you are interested in a night of Chicano poetry, entertaining music and lending your support, these readings are a good place to start. For more local poetry information, visit www.abqpoetryslam.com.
