AMERICA BEFORE AMERICA (1400)

My Land without name, without America,
Equinoctial stamen, purple lance,
Your Aroma climbed my roots up to the glass
Raised to my lips, up to the slenderest
World as yet unborn in my mouth.

Poem: Amor América

SPAIN AT FIRST (1492)

Guanahani was first in the story of martyrdom
Dancing in the palms, the green salon was empty…

Poem: They Come Through the Islands

AFRICA TO THE NEW WORLD (1508)

Day and night I see the enchained…White, Blacks, Indians…
Writing on the night’s interminable
Walls with bruised phosphoric hands

Poem: Castro Alves from Brasil

RISE WITH ME, AMERICAN LOVE (1811)

Goodbye kisses, kisses of wheat
Love-bound kisses
And war singing along
The roads with its guitar.

Poem: Rise with Me, American Love

THE FREEDOM (1811-1825)

Hoist it with all the hands that fell,
Defend it with all the hands that are joined:
And let the unity of your invisible faces
Advance to the final struggle with the star.

"The Freedom" represents not only the independence from Spain and England but the freedom of the people,
The dream of democracy and the hope for an end of discrimination against all races in the Americas.

Poems: The Flags | How Flags are Born | America, I do not Invoke your Name in Vain

Reencuentro - The Earth's Name is Juan

EL SUEÑO AMERICANO - THE AMERICAN DREAM - (1480-1890)

"The American Dream," the promise of land, free expression and religion, democratic living and the illusions of finding riches in America, moved the hearts of European immigrants to the New World. From 1840-1860, the largest immigration to North America was by the Irish, having endured the Potato famine. The largest immigration to South America, mainly to Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela, was by the Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese from 1890-1900.

"Sueño Americano," represents the largest immigration to the Americas and celebrates the rhythms that influenced the music, dance and culture of the Americas.

Poem: Let Woodcutter Awaken

THE NEW AMERICA

RUMBA Y SALSA: 1880-1990. (African and European influences). Rhythms based on Afro-Cuban dances such as the danzon, cha cha cha, guaguanco, guaracha, mambo and son montuno. During the 1940s an 1950s salsa musicians moved to USA, particularly New York, where the style partly mixed with jazz, and "Latin Jazz" developed as a combination of jazz structures and salsa rhythms.

BOLERO: 1880-1940 (African and European influence, created by Afro-Cuban culture). During the first part of the 20th century, the "montuno" influenced the bolero creating forms such as the bolero-son and bolero-mambo.

TANGO: 1890-1955 (European and African influence). The tango is the most important popular music genre that originated in Argentina and Uruguay. It symbolizes the hopes, successes and failures of the millions of immigrants who were concentrated in the big cities since the late 19th century. The internationalization of the tango took place during 1920s with Carlos Gardel.

PEACE IN THE AMERICAS

"The stars of America are your Nation, and your home without doors is the Earth"

Poem: Rain of Peace