At The Puerto Rican Day Parade!
Fifth Avenue Becomes Borican Boulevard!
A Borican Celebration!
Every year near the end of spring, just before the first burst of summer, Puerto Rican New Yorkers turn out on Fifth Avenue for one of the largest and liveliest ethnic parades in the nation. Actually I believe this celebration has only two rivals: When the Irish takes over Fifth Avenue on St. Patrick’s Day and The great West Indian Bacchanal on Eastern Parkway during Labor Day in Brooklyn. Although it is hard to ascertain which parade is actually the largest, it is commonly agreed that all of them attract over a million people -which, of course, is no picayune achievement.
What do these great ethnic celebrations tell us about America, and why do they happen in New York? Well, this phenomenon obviously speaks to the poly-ethnic and multi-racial character of the United States – although the dominant political institutions are Anglo-Saxon and its culture Anglo-African – there are other cultural inventories that are shaping the character of contemporary American society. And among the most influential is the Hispanic community. The Puerto-Ricans along with the Mexicans have the longest tenure in this country. Hence they have well developed American identities: Tex Mex, and California Chicanos out West, and Nuyoricans in the Big Apple.
I cannot imagine New York without the Nuyorican Salsa sound. When I first started coming to the City regularly in the 1960’s one of my favorite things to do was to go out and hear these bands perform. I had a beautiful Puerto Rican girlfriend who was a dancer, and she introduced me to the conga drums, which I had begun to seriously study. And since the roots of Salsa is the Afro-Cuban Son, I eventually fell so much in love with the music I married a Cuban woman. So when I go out on Fifth Avenue to celebrate with my Puerto Rican peeps, it’s straight from the heart. I got nothing but love for these beautiful, soulful, rainbow people.
Representin!
Photo by: Playthell
It Was An Outpouring Of Love!
Photo by: Hakim
A Rainbow People Celebrate Their Heritage
Millions Turned Out
To Represent On El Cinco!
Photo by: Hakim
They Were All Ages
And Colors
Photo by: Hakim
The Politicos Were There
Photo by: Hakim
Adam Clayton Powell III Salutes The Crowd
And Queens Of All Ages
Photo by: Hakim
Waved The Puerto Rican Flag
There Were Spectacular Cars!
Photo by: Hakim
And Fly Bicycles Too!
Photo By: Hakim
Music Filled The Air!
Photo by: Hakim
Zon Del Barrio
The Great Oreste Rocks The Congas
Photo by: Playthell
Set It Off!
Sammy Gets Down
Photo by: Playthell
Partying With A Purpose
Aurora Droppin Science and Enlightening the Crowd
Photo by: Playthell
Children Frolicked About
Photo by: Hakim
And Grownups Danced In The Street!
Photo by: Hakim
The Cat Lady Prowled!
Photo by: Playthell
The Cat Lady In Hindsight!
Photo by: Playthell
A Swirl Of Gold!
Photo by: Playthell
Jubilation!
Photo by: Playthell
A Dance Of Magic!
Photo by: Playthell
Latina Alchemy!
Photo by: Hakim
Seeing Is Believing
Photo by: Hakim
I Believe She Can Fly!
Photo by: Playthell
Up, Up and Away!
Photo by: Hakim
There Were Pretty Little Girls
Photo by: Playthell
And Big Beautiful Women!
Photo by: Playthell
Borican Beauties
Photo by: Hakim
Were Everywhere!
Photo by: Hakim
Salsa Dancing in the Street
Photo by: Hakim
Or Just Struttin Their Stuff!
Photo by: Hakim
In High Heels and Daisy Dukes!
Luscious Gams
Photo by: Hakim
Bouncing Boobs
Photos by: Hakim
And Jaunting Derrieres
Photo by: Hakim
Photo by: Playthell
Were Ubiquitous!
These Beautiful Borican Babes
Photo by: Playthell
Proudly Display Their Assets!
Mui Caliente!
Photo by: Playthell
Well, If you’ve Got It…
A Latin king and his Queen
Photo by: Playthell
Flaunt It!
The Civil Servants Turned Out
Photo by: Hakim
While Jesters And Queens
Photo by: Playthell
And In Spite Of The Rains
Photo by: Hakim
We All Had A Ball!
Singing In The Rain
Photo by: Hakim
Vaya!
Photo by: Hakim
Things Got Mucho Loco!
But Stalwart Men On Spirited Horses
Kept da Thugs In Check!
Photo by: Hakim
****************
Viva La Musica!
One Of My Favorite Things
Playthell “”El Chocolate Caliente” Benjamin
Harlem, New york
June 16, 2010
* It was a great pleasure to collaborate with Hakim Mutlaq, a fabulous photographer, my mentor, and a member of the New Harlem Renissiance photographers.
