1998. It’s a beautiful spring day. New York has just gone through a long winter and I am sitting on Ludlow Street waiting for a friend. We are planning to go for a brunch in some nearby café and talk. The sun is warm and the air is full of nice bloomy smells. It’s Saturday and I am still hung-over from the parties last night. Once again we were moving from apartment to apartment. It’s always the same procedure. Someone in your network calls and tells you about a party. You call some friends and you meet in a nearby deli to pick up a six pack of cheap beer before you have a look. If it’s a good party you stay, talk, meet new people, dance. All until the phone rings again, and then you move on to the next party. It’s rare that a party is so special that we stay all night, so we move between 3 to 5 different locations across Manhattan throughout a night.
Butcher in Spanish HarlemThe record holder in our group is the Italian Cristiana. She is one of these persons full of energy. Like a bouncing gummy ball, or as I say: Naturally on coke (although she doesn’t take any drugs). She knows everybody in the city and if you want to know where the next party is, then just call her. “Criâ€? is never staying longer than 20-30 min. and we cannot keep up with her. She is our scout, telling us which party is worth going and which we should skip. I once asked Cristiana how many parties she visits in a typical night out and she said up to 15. I am impressed, but also think that its impossible to meet many new people in such a short time. Still Cristiana is a great networker.
Three Kings Day Parade in Harlem
Yes, that’s how we do it. On weekdays we go to bars and clubs. On weekends, when the Bridge & Tunnel people come from Jersey and Long Island, we prefer to visit house parties. Man, I have seen so many apartments. Some rich ones with terraces and Jacuzzi’s, many many lofts, but also little private ones.
Along other locations we have been in some nice So-Ho loft last night. The party host was Swiss and lived there with some friends. We met at the fridge and talked a little, when I went to get a beer. The loft had a rather strange layout. It was long, but not very wide. In the living room they had a live band, which was playing Latin Jazz. It was just a great party and we stayed long. The band caught almost everybody with their Latin spirit. Most of the people were dancing and especially the girls moving very sexual, no matter which nationality they were from. The band just made them move and unless you were dead you needed to move as well. Some danced Salsa, some just like they felt like dancing. Even the people who still tried to have a conversation were jumping from one foot to the other. I only remember one passed out drunken guy on the couch. I guess he was the only one not moving that night.
Singing Traffic cop at the Three Kings Day Parade
Damn, where is Lazaro? These Cuban guys are always late. You can just add 45-60 minutes to your appointment and you’ll be there in time, but then again, they are pissed at you if you are late for once. Well, it’s a nice day. I like sitting outside looking at the people. The fresh air is good against my heavy head. Ludlow Street is nice, one of my favourites down here. Last night we called it a night in Ludlow bar, just nearby in the basement. They played Acid and Latin Jazz until early morning. Until the many beers took over and made me tired. Today its just normal street life here. People are walking by. Behind me a Puerto Rican deli. I hear some Meringue coming out of there.
Three Kings Day Parade in Harlem
New York is full of different tribes and cultures. Latin people have a great share of the population, but other than the Cubans, Colombians, Mexicans and other Middle and South Americans, the Puerto Ricans are here for so much longer. Most of the Cubans just came in the 60s after the revolution and many like Lazaro were even still born in Cuba. Puerto Ricans are here for generations. The United States have won the Spanish war in 1898 and ever since Puerto Rico is a protectorate of the USA. In 1941 it even got a status that puts them on the same level as the other 51 states. Many Puerto Ricans have left their island and moved to New York. Today you have a 3rd or 4th generation of Puerto Ricans living in Manhattan and they own the city like no other. Puerto Ricans are proud and they call themselves Nuyoricans (Newyoricans). You’ll find them in the East Village anywhere past Ave B to the East River and most of the Lower East Side is theirs, especially the projects. Also Brooklyn holds a great Nuyorican population and of course Spanish Harlem above the luxurious Upper East Side.
Viva Puerto Rico!When I first came to New York, I was very much influenced by the media and the Americans. Puerto Ricans don’t have a good stand in the American society, because they are from an island down South, where its hot and living (and enjoying life) is more important than work or becoming rich. I am an open minded person, walking around with open eyes and trying to understand cultures and backgrounds. That is, why I love New York so much, because in one city you can find so many different cultures. People like Mike (Miguel) or John introduced me to the Puerto Rican. Because of them, I started to like rice and beans with chicken and hot-sauce. I started to like Latin jazz and it became a part if my life experience.
Ray Barretto Album CoverLast week one of the great Nuyoricans died in the age of 76. Ray Barretto was called Mr. Hard Hands and he was one of the best percussionists, not only in Jazz. Ray Barretto was very diverse and played with the Bee Gees, the Rolling Stones, but also made Salsa famous playing with Tito Puente. You can even hear him on some modern DJ’s lounge compilations. I guess his heart was with the Latin flavoured Jazz. He recorded more than 40 records and even won a Grammy in 1999. Many of his records were released on the legendary Blue Note jazz label. Ray Barretto wrote my Lower East soundtrack. I don’t need an IPOD when I walk through the streets. I hear Salsa and Latin Jazz at many street corners and if not Ray Barretto is playing the congas in my mind.
Alike other parts of the city, many of the Puerto Ricans have left since the end of the 90’s. In LES (Lower East Side) the typical Nuyorican deli has been replaced with a stylish boutique or fancy cafe now and the formerly dirty Ludlow or Orchard Streets with their smokey bars have been cleaned up and look like it has never been filthy and dirty down here. Still, if you move East from there you can hear it, the Latin flavour. Salsa comes out of the windows and car radios. There you’ll find Nuyorico with open speech nights and jam sessions in little dirty clubs. That’s where the spirit of Ray Barretto lives on and where especially today you’ll hear his hard hands hitting the congas.
Mayor Bloomberg at the Three Kings Day Parade
Every year for the catholic Three Kings Day, the Latin population is organizing the traditional Three Kings Day Parade. Its yet another opportunity for many Puerto Ricans to clean up their bikes and take these polished lowriders for a spin around the city. Yes, I mean bikes not motorcylcles. Many of the older Puerto Ricans have a passion for their bicycles. They spend ours to tune them up, put some nice chrome and a Puerto Rican flag. These bikes are only taken out on the street for some special occasion. Of course every bike needs a radio, blasting Salsa and Latin Jazz.
A Puerto Rican Lowrider came uptown from LES
My friend Francois Portmann has been up in Harlem to take some shots of this years Three Kings Day Parade and you can find more of these photos on his site. Francois is originally Swiss, but living in NYC for the past 20 years. Have a look at some of his photos. He is a professional photographer working for various magazines in the US and Europe. Thanks for the photos man. This is the real New York.
All Photos by: Francois Portmann
Links
Ray Barretto
http://www.npr.org/programs/jazzprofiles/archive/barretto.html
Lower East Side
http://www.lowereastsideny.com/
Three Kings Parade
http://www.elmuseo.org/3kings.html
Francois Portmann
http://www.fotoportmann.com
By the way, a real Nuyorican is living in Moscow now and you can go pay a visit to some of his cafe’s & restaurants. Meet Isaac Correas: http://www.correas.ru/engaisek.html - Great food and nice people.
Ray Barretto Platten auf Amazon.de
