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La Menta Collective Inaugural JUNTANew York, NY |
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Event Details
La Menta Collective presents an evening of art, dance,
music, literature and poetry.
MONDAY, AUGUST 17th 2009
6:30PM - 8:30PM
Come and be entertained and inspired by performances by:
Majestik Originality
-Majestik
Originality is an emcee and poet who has been writing since he was
twelve years old. Music became an escape from rough circumstances and a
life-long passion after hearing the likes of Run DMC, Rakim, and the
Beastie Boys. He has performed at Blackbetty's, Nuyorican Poet's Cafe,
the Bowery Poetry Club, Roseland and Webster Hall.
http://www.majestikoriginality.com
StarPower
-StarPower
paints with more colors than any other rapper. Energetic, funny, smart,
uncommonly good hip-hop made for listening and dancing. Through his
music, StarPower sets out to prove that real life is infinitely more
interesting than make-believe. Who's really this honest when everyone's
listening?
http://www.ithinkiluvmylife.blogspot.com/
Mercury the Maroon
-Not
many dedicated hip-hoppers could also devote their hours to educating
full-time. Mercury, founder and executive producer of The Dugout, takes
exception to most convention. Merc balances being a classic beat-miner
and producer extraordinaire but can transfer his keyboardist tendencies
to a husky, New York-drawled flow that has captured the attention of
heads all over the city and beyond.
http://mercury.bandcamp.com
Jerry Oulds (J. Lee)
-Jerry
Oulds (J. Lee) is a singer/songwriter blending styles and seeking to
unite like-minded artists in the digital space. Please check out him
and other Indie Rock and Neo Soul artists at:
http://www.soulrocklove.com
Bonafide Rojas
-Bonafide
Rojas is the author of "Pelo Bueno: A Day in the Life of a Nuyorican
Poet" and is the bandleader/vocalist/guitarist for the poetic rock and
roll art experiment The Mona Passage. He is the 2002 "Slam This!"
Champion and was featured in Russell Simmons' "Def Poetry Jam" Season 4.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkRAVsWhnFE
Collective founders Alta Berri and Glendaliz Camacho will also be presenting new work.
Glendaliz
Camacho was born and raised in NYC where she studied English at Fordham
University. She writes regularly for DTM Magazine and her writing has
appeared in Miami New Times, Whistling Shade Literary Journal and
Valley Scene Magazine. She is currently at work on a short story
collection and as usual, the great Dominican-American novel.
http://unainamillion.blogspot.com
Alta
Berri was born in New York City where she currently lives and works.
She holds a BA in Studio Art from NYU and a Masters in Media Studies
from the New School. A multi-disciplinary artist, Alta conveys her
ideas through painting, drawing, illustration and collage (both
hand-drawn and computer generated). Recently, she dove into motion
graphics and animation.
http://www.altaberri.com/
Where
La Pregunta Arts Cafe
1528 Amsterdam Avenue
New York,
NY 10031
Hosted By
La Menta Collective
Mission Statement
Created in 2006 by Alta Berri and Glendaliz
Camacho, La Menta Collective provides an avenue for artistic growth. Through regular exhibitions, readings and performances
that we call juntas, an online presence, and involvement in various
events in all the arts, we strive to provide ourselves and other
artists with a salon to network, collaborate, publicize and share
opportunities.
Why La Menta?
La Menta means "the mint." In particular, we are referring to the ubiquitous green mint candy from the Dominican
Republic.
It's given as a humble gift and brought back as a small piece of
"home." That is what La Menta Collective is - a gift and a reminder
that within the Collective, talent has a home. Although the founders
are of Dominican heritage, La Menta Collective is for all.
Juntas
Juntas
are gatherings where the Collective exhibits art, holds readings,
presents musical performances mingle and whatever else strikes our
creative fancy. It keeps us connected and motivated.
La Menta Collective Manifesto
We
are living in a time when the arts are plagued by the talentless but
marketable and the avante-garde masquerades for lack of ability. We
seek to put artists with legitimate skill back on top of the food
chain. There are many true artists out there but how can we be seen
amongst the masses? The Collective is a response to that question. As a
unit, it's possible to accomplish what as individuals may be much more
difficult to attain. La Menta Collective hereby declares the following
principles and course of action:
-Becoming successful is largely
due to who you know but this is no excuse for not honing or respecting
your craft. We will excel as artists as well as networkers but our
style of networking is to build relationships upon genuine interest and
respect for others - not solely what can be gained.
-While
some use the media to be known for doing absolutely nothing worthy of
the attention, we do not detest the media, pop culture or social
networking for that matter. We embrace media for its ability to spread
valuable content and we participate fully in order to find our audience.
-We must push to reach the next level of our careers not only through the collective but in our individual tracks.
-Artists
should be supportive of fellow member's careers by attending each
others performances, spreading word-of-mouth and sharing information on
opportunities.