Velacion y Ceremonia de Nuestro Señor de Chalma 2013

On May 17th and 18th El Santuario de Chimayo will be the site of a velacion y ceremonia that comes from Chalma, Estado de Mexico, Mexico. Danzantes from many parts of New Mexico and other parts of the Southwest will come together to honor El Cristo Negro de Chalma. I have been participating with this ceremonia for about 6 or seven years and I have been celebrating with my family for the fourth year. Amanda and I are the pardrinos of the Cendal, which is a cloth decorated with flowers that dresses the cross. This is our second year as padrinos. It has been one of the greatest honors bestowed on my family. As the days come closure to Friday we prepare the Cendal for the velacion y ceremonia. This time of year has similar spiritual gifts as the ones I gain during Cuaresma and Semana Santa. It is a time for spiritual healing, reflection, growth and re-energizing me for one more year of working with the ills that affect my community.

The Danzantes we have met in the past few years have become more they just friends. We have become familia. We have connected with a common spirituality that is difficult to describe with words. It can only be described in that prayer we share and offer for each other. I am also honored that the Danzantes have entrusted me to document this ceremony for them with my photography and I am thankful for the opportunity to learn about it as well. In respecting the sacredness of the ceremonia I don’t share the images I capture except for a couple which are at the end of this text. I believe that it is my obligation and duty as a photographer to respect the sacredness of ceremonia.

Many blessing have come to my little family of four. We have been given the opportunity to participate in a ceremony that has been here since pre-colonialization by Europeans. I am honored to be a part of this wonderful group of people whose heart and soul as huge as the universe. This weekend will be filed with prayer, blessings and great gente coming together in honor El Señor de Chalma y El Señor de Esquipula. Please come and join us in prayer.

Photos used with permission by the Danzantes. Always keeping in mind that Danza is a sacred ceremony and a prayer. Please respect the photos by not downloading if you are not a danzante or do not have there permission. Thank you for understanding and respecting this sacred tradition.

Española Poetry Explosion at the Library: May 23, 2013

On May 23 Española Poetry Explosion will be featuring from Alburquerque Cathy Arellano and Maneul Gonzalez two great poets. Lets meet Cathy and Manuel.

Cathy Arellano writes poems and stories about growing up brown, coming out queer, and living as true as she can which is kinda crooked. Her poetry and prose collection Salvation on 24th Street will be published by Korima Press in Fall of 2013.

Also in 2013, three of her poems will be published in Feminist Formations out of the University of Arizona’s Women’s Studies Program. Cathy has had other work published in various publications, including Huizache (Literary Arts Journal of University of Houston-Victoria), The Malpaís Review, The Más Tequila Review, Turtle Island to Abya Yala: A Love Anthology of Art and Poetry by Native American and Latina Women, Chicana Lesbians: The Girls Our Mothers Warned Us About, Days I Moved Through Ordinary Sounds: The Teachers of WritersCorps in Poetry and Prose, El Tecolote (San Francisco Mission District neighborhood newspaper), Cipactli (San Francisco State University’s La Raza Studies Program Journal), Fourteen Hills (San Francisco State University’s Creative Writing Program Journal), San Antonio’s Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center’s La Voz, La Bloga, and Duke City Fix. She was awarded the Hispanic Writer Award for the Taos Summer Writers’ Conference and a Literary Arts Grant from the San Francisco Arts Commission.

Cathy teaches Developmental English at Central New Mexico Community College in Albuquerque. Occasionally, she teaches Creative Writing in the Chicana and Chicano Studies Program at the University of New Mexico. As much as she loves teaching in the classroom, she’s very happy to facilitate groups in the community, such as “Fact, Fiction, and Funk: A Writing Workshop for Women of Color” which she led at the National Hispanic Cultural Center.

She looks forward to raising her and her partner’s son Amado and is curious to see how he finishes raising them. Cathy can be reached at carellanopoet@yahoo.com.

Manuel is a performance poet who began his career in the poetry slam. He has represented Albuquerque many times on a national level as a member of the Albuquerque poetry slam team. Manuel has appeared on the PBS show, Colores, in “my word is my power.” He was one of the founding members of the poetry troupe The Angry Brown Poets. Manuel Teaches workshops on self expression and poetry in high schools and youth detention centers. He also works with an art therapist to help incarcerated young men express themselves. He is one of the coaches and mentors for the Santa Fe High Poetry Slam team. Manuel is from Albuquerque, New Mexico. His mother’s family is from Barelas. His father’s family is from a small town in Northern New Mexico called Anton Chico, and his father was the lead singer of the band Manny and the Casanovas. He identifies himself as being Chicano.The history, culture, and spirituality of his people are among his inspirations. “I’m proud to be from New Mexico, and to me it’s more than just green chile and desert. It’s seeing the value of famila and respect. It’s the rio grande valley and Santuario de Chimayo. It is feasts, dance, poetry and prayer.” His connection to his culture helps him connect to his students. Manuel Teaches poetry as a means for self expression. Looking within oneself and examining ones roots is the essence of the type of poetry he works with. Emotions, feelings, experiences, and prose in an historical and cultural context is the goal of his workshops. Self esteem, finding something to say, figuring out how to say it eloquently, and letting your voice be heard are just some of the benchmarks in Manuel’s workshop.

Poem & Images: Pow Wow

Pow Wow
(c) Angelo J. Sandoval
       4-28-13

The beat of the drum
sounds on the streets
of Burque
Indiginous people gather
drum groups create the heart beat
a heart beat
a resilient heart beat
that has continued to beat
though times of
oppression
suppression
genocide attempts
with diseased blankets
cut of feet
trail of tears
battles in Santa Fe
Wonded Knee
reclaiming Alcatraz Island

Today, descendents
of warrior ancestors
gather and dance
colourful regalia
powerful feathers
the sound of chimes
together as one

The heart beat of
Turtle Island
strong as
drum groups
created prayer songs
as dancers offered
prayes with movement
ancestors of these land
honored by descendents,
of enduring Nations

Please keep in mind that Native American Dance is a prayer. I respectful ask that the images in this post not be downloaded for any purpose. Lets remember to respect the sacredness of the dancers prayers.

Poem and images: Tragedy on 76

Tragedy can hit at any moment and any place. A few days ago this tragedy happened on the Chimayo Highway

Tragedy on 76

(c) Angelo J. Sandoval
      4-21-2013

Highways, freeways, roads
commuters, drivers, passangers
traveling in one direction
or on the other

speed drugs alcohol
lack of attention
to surroundings
split second
crash
two cars headone
cars become flimsy
like aluminum cans
speed the great equalizer
sudden impact
life changing experience
the delicacy of life makes
it self known
human body trapped in crushed cars
child screaming in pain
in fear
fear of what happened to her daddy
man screaming
blood running on streets
unsustecting third car
driver in shock
worried about small child victim

community comes together
in form of volunteer firefighters
emts and off duty nurses
the smell of oil and blood
permiate the air
cries of victims
and there family members
are carried by the wind

organized chaos
injuried transported to hospitals
family following right behind
lights and sirens of ambulances
fire crew to clean up the metal carnage
I fade away to be with my children and girlfriend
Detour takes me by the capillita
al Santo Niño
y oraciones le mando por
todos
all those involved in the crash
victims and family members
may God Bless you
and God bless those who
put there life on hold to save lives.

Poem & image: April Freeze

National Poetry Month poem 17/30. Keeping up with the poem a day challenge.

April Freeze

(c) Angelo J Sandoval
4-17-2013

Mid April snow showers
es el dicho
Snow blankets my field
flowering fruit trees
have a white blanket
over them
color flowers
exposed to freezing temperatures
the hope of a fruitful harvest
freezes away tonight
pinkpurplewhite flowers
changing turning
brown
symbol of freezen
fruit flowers
who will not survive
early Spring
late winter
snow blanket freeze.
hopeless harvest
in the fall.
April showers won’t bring
May fruit flowers.

One Year Anniversary: THANK YOU

On April 17th, 2012 I was driving home and came up with a crazy idea to start a blog. I told Amanda that I was going to start a blog. She was very supportive of the idea. She was also surprised that I had already started the process and signed up for an account. For several days before hand I had been checking out different apps on my cell phone that allowed me to write my poems on the go without having to carry a notebook or paper. I came across the WordPress app. I downloaded it once thinking I could use it as a notepad, but then realize it was a blogging app. That afternoon of April 17th the idea of having a blog to share my photography just hit me. I was waiting to meet with some people for work and while I was waiting I set up my account. I named my blog Razafotografista’s Blog. The name was inspired by two individuals who have been subject to my camera when they are reading their poetry. The new alias were born and so was the blog.

Since that afternoon in Cordova when I posted my first post with an image of the beautiful southern view from my porch my blog has exploded. I have posted a number of my poems along with my photos, I have posted photos alone. I am proud that I am able to promote some of the greatest poets from New Mexico. In my blog you will find many autobiographies of the greatest poets in the world, in my opinion. I have worked diligently to capture these poets doing what they do best, share their truths with poetry. Within those posts with biographies I also promote two poetry events, Española Poetry Explosion at the Española Library and Speak, Poet: Voz, Palabra y Sonido. I have tried my best to capture every poet that has read at either event. I have photographed many poets and it has been an honor.

As of today, April 17, 2013 there have been 2079 visitors to my blog. I want to THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT by visiting and sharing my blog. I hope that the next year will be as rewarding as the first. New things are in the works for my blog. This month I started a poetry prompt post in honor of National Poetry Month. I want my photography to inspire poets and writers to create great stories and poems. Once again Thank you from Campana de Esperanza Fotography and El Razafotografista for supporting our blog and the work we are doing.

Remember none of this was or is possible without your support. Come by and visit us anytime, share what you see, be inspired to create and lets change the world one photo, one poem and one blog post at a time.

Middle School Poetry Jam at NNMC 2013

Hosted by Loretta Trujillo:

This is last minute, but let’s get out and support local poet and teacher Loretta Trujillo from Santa Fe. She is bringing a group of students from Santa Fe to visit Northern New Mexico Collage. During their visit to the college Loretta has set up a one hour Poetry Jam with a few local artists. Please come by the Collage and support Loretta and share some of your poetry with the youth. The event will be at the Admin area of the college at 11:30 am.
I will be posting photos on to this post after the event. Please stay tuned for photos of the event.

Reflection after the Middle School Poetry Jam Session.

Wow that was an amazing experience. The poets did an awesome job sharing some powerful words of truth.

Loretta Trujillo, host and poet.

Adán Baca, poet.

Adán Trujillo, poet.

Matthew Martinez, PhD talking to the students about NNMC and his work as a professor.

Dr. Patricia Trujillo talking with students and giving them some information and NNMC. Dr. Trujillo said that NNMC is the only college in the United States that has an acequia running through its campus. The name of the acequia is La Acequia de Los Vigiles.

Tony Gallegos speaking with the students and introducing NNMC President Nancy “Rusty” Barceló.

Nancy “Rusty” Barceló encouraging the students to learn their history and talked about the importance of Chicano Literature and how the Poem “Yo Soy Joaquin” encouraged her to learn her history and continue with her education.