April 2019 - Page 2 of 4 - CALIRICANS.COM

7 Things to Know About Guaynaa, the Puerto Rican Rapper Whose Song “Rebota” is Everywhere

It seems every year has at least one meteoric rise in the urbano universe, and 2019’s has arrived early in the form of Guaynaa.

Born Jean Carlos Santiago, the 26-year-old became an internet sensation in late 2017. In the aftermath of Hurricane María’s battering of Puerto Rico, the Carolina native released a freestyle titled “María” in which, tongue planted firmly in cheek, he lampooned the adversity and misfortune he went through during the months of blackouts and criticized President Trump’s maligned visit to the island.

Posted on April 23, 2019 by Caliricans. 0 comments

La Vida Voices: Maria Torres of the LA Times

This past winter Maria Torres moved from the Kansas City Star to the Los Angeles Times, leaving the Midwest for the West Coast. Moving is nothing new to Torres, however. The Puerto Rico native grew up mostly in south Florida before moving to Georgia as a teenager.

The moves provided Torres an opportunity to develop bilingual skills. Just as important, as someone who experienced multiple moves, it helped her become empathetic. Personal experience and empathy have thus served as basis for reporting on baseball and, more specifically, Latino players.

La Vida Baseball caught up with Maria Torres recently and she shared how her journey influenced her ability to cover baseball, engage Latino players, and write.

Posted on April 22, 2019 by Caliricans. 0 comments

For Many Latino Players, Roberto Clemente’s Number Is Off Limits, Too

Eddie Rosario, the Minnesota Twins left fielder, can’t remember the exact year, but he was a youth baseball player in his native Puerto Rico when he was given the choice of two jerseys: No. 21 or another number.

“I’m not Roberto Clemente,” said Rosario, 27, who now wears one of the next-closest options, No. 20. “I can’t wear that.”

No. 21 is sacred in baseball, particularly to Puerto Ricans, because it was the longtime number of Clemente, the iconic player who hailed from the island. Even as a youngster in Guayama, Rosario knew of Clemente’s importance, which led him to join the majority of Puerto Rican major leaguers in doing something that Major League Baseball hasn’t: decline the use of No. 21 in an effort to essentially retire it.

Posted on April 22, 2019 by Caliricans. 0 comments

In Puerto Rico, A New Generation of Women’s Plena Groups Are Raising Their Voices

“Que cosa brava, que cosa bella, estar rodeada de mujeres pleneras,” sing the women of Plena Combativa, one of the few all-woman groups performing the Puerto Rican folk musical tradition on the island, outside a tiny wooden house in the rural northeastern town of Ceiba.

They’re playing the pandereta plenera and güiro under the searing Caribbean sun while standing on the porch of the late Isabel Rosado, a leader of Puerto Rico’s independence movement. A small crowd has gathered to remember the life of a woman who was imprisoned for her commitment to the liberation of their shared tierra.

Posted on April 19, 2019 by Caliricans. 0 comments

Puerto-Rican alum Orlando Bravo gives Brown $25M to study economic disparities

A Brown University alumnus and manager of one of the largest private equity firms in the world has donated $25 million to Brown, which will use it to establish an economics research center and hire more faculty.

Orlando Bravo, managing partner of Thoma Bravo, which buys and develops technology companies, said Brown opened up new worlds to him and encouraged his passion for social justice. Bravo, 48, is married with three children and lives in the San Francisco Bay area. He graduated in 1992.

Bravo grew up in Puerto Rico, the son of a successful shipping magnate. He and his brother attended Brown, and he was the first person in his family to go to college outside of Puerto Rico.

“Brown gave me not only the foundation but the confidence to pursue what has been an exciting career for me,” he said.

Posted on April 19, 2019 by Caliricans. 0 comments

Prosecutors Determine Ozuna & Manager Aren’t Persons of Interest in Kevin Fret’s Murder

Three months after Puerto Rican trap artist Kevin Fret was murdered in San Juan, Puerto Rico, investigators are still working to determine who was involved in his death. According to a new report from Billboard, Ozuna and his manager, Vicente Saavedra, have not been named as persons of interest. The announcement comes after Fret’s mother, Hilda Rodriguez, accused Ozuna and Saavedra of ordering the murder during an interview posted online on April 4.

Posted on April 19, 2019 by Caliricans. 0 comments

Puerto Rico Churches Reinvent Themselves

As has been the case with the government of Puerto Rico, the island’s churches have been struggling financially to make ends meet for more than a decade because of the economic recession, a stagnant economy and repercussions from a government in bankruptcy.

Some churches, however, have been hit by financial woes more than others. Nonetheless, those churches that are more economically stable have had to reinvent themselves to keep operations running.

Posted on April 19, 2019 by Caliricans. 0 comments

Jurakan: Finding the True History of Puerto Rico

What does it mean to be a colony? It’s a question filmmakers Rosa Emmanuelli Gutiérrez and Gonzalo Mazzini have wrestled with since 2014. The fruit of that struggle was their debut documentary film, Jurakan: Nation in Resistance. The film explores the complicated circumstances of Puerto Rico’s history, and celebrates the island’s culture, people and struggle for a place in the world.

The origins of the project date back to when both Mazzini and Gutiérrez were at university. One summer, Gutiérrez invited Mazzini to visit her in Puerto Rico. While taking in the food, culture and natural beauty of the island, Mazzini noticed Puerto Rican and U.S. flags flying alongside each other. He asked Gutiérrez why that was.

“I answered very quickly that the reason that there is the Puerto Rican flag next to the U.S. flag in all governmental buildings in Puerto Rico is that Puerto Rico is a colony of the United States,” she said.

Posted on April 16, 2019 by Caliricans. 0 comments

J Balvin Schools Coachella on Latin Music With Astonishing Set

With performances from rising Spanish star Rosalía, Chilean singer Mon Laferte, regional Mexican titans Tucanes de Tijuana and one later today from Puerto Rican trap star Bad Bunny, Latin music has had its biggest-ever presence on the Coachella stages this year.

But Colombian superstar J Balvin — who joined Beyoncé onstage last year during her iconic headlining Coachella set for a remix of his smash “Mi Gente” — led the way Saturday with one of the most eye-popping and elaborate sets ever to be immortalized on festival’s stage.

Posted on April 15, 2019 by Caliricans. 0 comments

So cute! Roselyn Sanchez’s rescue pup pals will make your day 🐶

Roselyn Sanchez’s sweet personality is evident in her smile, her mirada and her loving relationship with her children Sebella and Dylan. The Puerto Rican beauty, however, does not stop there – her love and passion for animals is also one that also melts our hearts.

In fact, the actress will be making her directional debut with her upcoming film Satos, a feature film about an animal shelter’s destruction after Hurricane Maria hit the island of Puerto Rico. The film, set in the La Gloria shelter, was written by Roselyn herself and “is dedicated to all animal lovers, shelters and rescue volunteers” according to the film’s Instagram page, @satosfilm.

Posted on April 15, 2019 by Caliricans. 0 comments