Report: The Irish Mexican Alliance

IAW&A President T.J. ENGLISH reports on THE IRISH MEXICAN ALLIANCE event, which last week took El Paso, TX by storm and raised money for Amor por Juarez, a charity dealing with the devastation of the narco war in the U.S.-Mexico borderland.

About one hour into The Irish Mexican Alliance benefit concert, held last April 28 in El Paso, Texas, I knew we were on to something special.

Celtic songstress ASHLEY DAVIS had taken the stage and begun to play the familiar opening strains of the song “On Raglan Road” on her guitar, accompanied by fiddler MEGAN HURT. Quietly, without much introduction, Ashley was joined on stage by VELIA CHRISTINA, a beautiful and talented Chicana singer based in El Paso.

Like most Irish Americans, I’ve heard “On Raglan Road” hundreds of times in my life, but never before had I heard a version like this.

Ashley and Velia sang alternating verses, Ashley’s in English and Velia’s in Spanish. It was stunningly beautiful, and at that moment, with these two lovely and talented women exchanging verses of a song in two different languages, the entire emotional impact of The Irish Mexican Alliance was captured in this simple musical duet.

The Irish Mexican Alliance began in 2010 as a way to call attention to the horrendous toll the U.S.-Mexico narco war has taken on Mexico and, by extension, the Southwest borderland region of the U.S. Our first event was in New York City in October 2010. It set the standard for what we hope will be a recurring barnstorming tour of benefit concert events around the U.S.

From the beginning, the idea was to draw on what we felt was a special spiritual and historical connection between people of Irish and Mexican descent. Specifically, the inspiration for the Alliance is to be found in the story of the San Patricio Battalion, a group of mostly Irish American soldiers who, in the war between the U.S. and Mexico in 1845-48, deserted the U.S. army to fight on behalf of the Mexican people. Many of these soldiers were captured, put on trial for treason, and executed in the largest mass execution by hanging in the history of the North American continent.

For those who know this history, the sacrifices made by the San Patricios is a call not to battle, or a call to war, it is a call to do what is right. Today, in the early decades of the 21^st Century, the human rights tragedy of the narco war has become an assault on democracy. The goal of the Irish Mexican Alliance is to raise awareness about this ongoing tragedy, particularly as it relates to the issue of journalists in Mexico who are being murdered, threatened and forced to seek political asylum in the U.S. for doing their job i.e. covering the narco war in Mexico.

 It was no accident that after the success of our initial event in Manhattan we decided to take this initiative to El Paso, in the heart of the borderland. There is not a huge Irish American presence in El Paso, but the issues that the Alliance is attempting to address – human rights violations, the assault on journalists, the staggering death toll and emotional devastation of the narco war – is front-and-center in El Paso as it is in few other cities in the U.S. Butted up against Ciudad Juárez, the Mexican border city that has for years now been one of the most volatile battlegrounds in the narco war, the people of El Paso are living these issues on a daily basis. They are especially well positioned to hear the call of the Irish Mexican Alliance.

IN THE SHADOW OF THE SAN PATRICIOS

The public relations and awareness aspects of the Alliance began even before the event was underway. The media in El Paso was intrigued by this event; we received advance coverage in the El Paso Times, the city’s main daily newspaper, and in What’s Up, a weekly news and entertainment paper and website. Our event producer in El Paso, VALENTIN SANDOVAL, a poet and activist, had set up interviews for us with three of the biggest radio talk shows in the borderland.

One of those shows, in particular, was instructive. I had been warned in advance that although the Buzz Adams Radio Show had huge ratings that made it well-worth doing, I should be prepared that Adams tended towards scatological humor and irreverence, and that he aspired to be a kind of Howard Stern of the borderland. When we did the interview, however, I was surprised to find out that Buzz was, in fact, a man of conscience. He knew the history of the San Patricios and took the event seriously. It was an expertly conducted half-hour interview during the popular 7:30 a.m. drive-time slot on the most highly rated show in the region, and it set the tone for how the event would be received by the local populace.

Graphic artist ADOLFO ALVARADO created a spectacular logo design and poster for the event that became an instant collector’s item. T-shirts were created by SABA, a printer and old-school Native American (Navajo) craftsman based in Las Cruses, NM, a one-hour drive from El Paso.

One afternoon, when Valentin and I drove to Las Cruses to check on the t-shirts, something occurred that we took as a good omen. In Las Cruces, we stopped at a bar called Dublin’s to put up posters and have a beer. A man at the bar spotted our poster and asked if he could look it over. He told us he was a local criminal defense attorney originally born in the northern Mexico state of Chihuahua that encompasses Ciudad Juárez. Upon looking over the poster, he was noticeably moved. “The San Patricios, “ he said. “I know all about this history. This is an important thing you are doing.” He pledged to attend the event and bring as many friends and associates as he could. Then he said to the barmaid, “I insist on paying for their drinks. These guys are doing God’s work.”

ON WITH THE SHOW!!

On an outdoor patio stage at the historic San Carlos Building, the show kicked off with a set by the San Patricios, a local traditional Irish music band. In keeping with the theme of the Alliance, which mixes local acts with visiting musicians, Ashley Davis from NYC joined the band for a song or two. The San Patricios then gave way to Velia Christina, who gave way to BOBBY BYRD, who, along with being an accomplished poet, is co-founder of Cinco Punto Press, a small book publisher that is an important cultural institution in El Paso.

The show began at 6 pm, in daylight, with people trickling in from dinner, home, or other events taking place elsewhere in the city. As the sun set, the beautiful sky over downtown took on an amber hue, and the event transitioned from a coffee house atmosphere, with informational asides and instrumentalists and vocalists, into an outright celebration. The band that led the charge was RADIO LA CHUSMA, a rousing reggae-Mex band with a world beat consciousness that captured the spirit of the crowd. From then on, it was a night of dancing, some hot spoken word, and some of the best music the borderland region has to offer.

There were so many highlights it is hard to mention them all: GRISELDA “LA RANA” MUÑOZ, a dynamic local poet, read “No Apologies,” a riveting feminist statement of principle; LAWRENCE WELSH, a highly accomplished Irish American poet, expertly represented the El Paso Irish with poems from his recently published collection “Begging for Vultures”;  MYRLIN HEPWORTH, a rising spoken word artist from Phoenix – half Chicano, half Irish – so wanted to be a part of the event that he drove through the night to arrive in El Paso at 1 a.m. on the day of the show. Standing under a glorious desert sky, complete with half moon and stars, Myrlin dazzled the audience with his presentation of “Columbus,” a poem that is equal parts street rap and history lesson.

AN IRISH MEX CELEBRATION

Musically, the evening offered almost more talent than any one event could contain. Along with the San Patricios, Ashley Davis, Velia Christina, and Radio La Chusma, there was MEXKLAN, a hot Mexican rock band based across the border in Juárez, and FRONTERA BUGALU.

Having played at the very first Irish Mexican Alliance event in New York, Frontera Bugalu is now virtually the house band of the Alliance. With accordion player and front man KIKO RODRÍGUEZ setting the tone, and RAMÓN VILLA-HERNÁNDEZ on base guitar, Bugalu plays an infectious mix of cumbia, norteno and salsa that had everyone there dancing under the stars. Accompanied by guiro player and vocalist GRISEL RODRIGUEZ – a classic Mexican American beauty – the band presented an original mix of  traditional and contemporary sounds that moved the audience from celebration to meditation and back again. It was the perfect way to wrap up a spectacular evening of entertainment.

Of course, the evening wasn’t only about music and good times. Midway through the night, a spokesperson from AMOR POR JUÁREZ, the charitable organization this event was designed to benefit, spoke about the situation in Mexico. Ciudad Juárez and El Paso form a cross-national border culture that is unique to the U.S.. They are, in a way, flip sides of the same city, equal parts Mexican and American. The devastation of the narco war has cast a shadow over El Paso; there is hardly a local family that hasn’t been affected in some way. Amor por Juárez, through events, fund raising and a campaign of awareness-raising, has been trying to focus attention on the crisis, and, on this night, the Irish Mexican Alliance was honored to have them at our side.

NO BORDERS, NO DIVISIONS

If you ever wondered how or why we believe there is a spiritual connection between people of Irish and Mexican descent, all you have to do is attend a gathering of the Irish Mexican Alliance. To look out over a crowd of people – brown and white – in a state of mutual celebration through conversation, dancing, drinking, music and poetry, across lines of language and culture, it would hit you in the head like a corned beef and cabbage burrito. The Alliance is real. And it continues to grow every day.

The San Patricios died for the Mexican people, because they believed it was the right thing to do. We honor their sacrifice by attempting to harness this history and bring it into the present day, to use this history as a means to focus on a contemporary crisis that should be of concern to everyone.

It is our hope to do future events in other cities, bringing people together under the banner of the Irish Mexican Alliance. Although we choose to call attention to what we believe is a special connection between Irish and Mexican people, the Alliance is, in truth, a symbolic alliance meant to represent the coming together of all people across cultures, continents, borders and racial divides. If you are down with that, you are down with the Irish Mexican Alliance.

(Special thanks to the following people for contributions beyond the call of duty on behalf of the El Paso Irish Mexican Alliance: NORMA CHAVEZ, activist and popular radio host of “Border Talk,” who allowed myself and Valentin to come on her show and promote the event; ADAM MARSHALL, highly skilled event organizer who has his own wildly popular event in El Paso called “La Parada”; FRANCISCO MARTINEZ, senor suave, who designed Facebook and web pages for us; LEO DE FRANK, activist and web magazine creator whose new site, Orbis Forum News (OBN), has created a documentary about the event; LETICIA “LETTY” GURROLA, the chula of all chulas, who graced us with her presence and expertly handled raffle duties for the event.)

PHOTOS: Erick “Chuco” Chavez

IAW&A Honor Pete Hamill at New York New Belfast Conference

Discount to IAW&A members to festive event

The Irish American Writers and Artists are co-sponsors of opening reception and first night program of the New York New Belfast Conference on June 13 at Fordham University’s Lincoln Center campus.

The great Pete Hamill will be honored as Irish American of the Year in a program organized by the IAW&A.

Hamill started his career as a reporter for The New York Post in 1960. He is the only person to be editor of both New York tabloid newspapers, The Post and The Daily News. He also worked as a columnist, has written articles for numerous magazines and has even written screenplays. Hamill is the author of 20 books, including the novel SNOW IN AUGUST and his bestselling memoir A DRINKING LIFE. He lives in New York City.

IAW&A members can sign up to attend for a discounted members price of just $20, down from the usual price of $50.

Get all the details, by following this LINK

Writers Night Indeed!

The Irish Mexican Alliance Rides Again!

On April 28 in El Paso, Texas, The Irish Mexican Alliance rides again with a raucous night of entertainment and cross cultural solidarity, all to bring awareness to and raise money for organizations dealing with the trauma of the U.S.-Mexico narco war.

Some of the most popular bands in the Borderland, along with an impressive collection of poets and other artists, are coming together under that banner of THE IRISH MEXICAN ALLIANCE to stage a major fundraising event in downtown El Paso, TX on Sat., April 28. The event will raise money for the El Paso-based charity, Amor por Juárez, an organization that helps fund non-governmental organizations dealing with the trauma caused by the narco war in the U.S.-Mexico borderland.

Along with its serious intent, THE IRISH MEXICAN ALLIANCE event promises to be a raucous night of entertainment, as well as a formidable display of cross-cultural solidarity. There will be Celtic and Mexican music, Chicano and Irish poets, Mexican and Irish beer. Books, CDs, posters, and t-shirts created especially for the event will be raffled off for charity. The event will be held at the historic San Carlos Building at 501 Texas Avenue, in downtown El Paso, from 6-12 pm. The suggested donation for the event is $12.

“There is nothing quite like The Irish Mexican Alliance,” said best-selling author T.J. English, who founded the initiative and will be hosting the event. “We believe there is a spiritual connection between Mexican and Irish people that can be harnessed as a powerful force. In this case, along with staging one of the best concert events to hit El Paso in some time, we will raise money for organizations dealing with the ongoing emotional and human carnage of the narco war.”

Among the entertainers performing at the event are Frontera Bugalú and Radio La Chusma, two of the most popular bands in El Paso; singer Velia Christina, a rising star who will perform songs from her upcoming debut CD; the San Patricios, an El Paso-based traditional Irish music group; and Ashley Davis, a Celtic singer who is being flown in from New York City. On the literary side, renowned Chicano poet and author Jimmy Santiago Baca will read, along with local poets Valentin Sandoval and Terrence Welsh, and Myrlin Hepworth, a dynamic young Chicano poet based in Phoenix.

THE IRISH MEXICAN ALLIANCE began in 2010 in NYC with the staging of a similar event in Manhattan. At that event, money was raised for the Committee to Protect Journalists, who established a fund to provide legal assistant to journalists forced to flee Mexico and seek asylum in the U.S. due to threats and the murder of fellow journalists in Mexico.

“Anything that brings attention to what is happening across the border in Juárez is important,” says Valentin Sandoval, a local poet, filmmaker and activist who is a co-producer of the event. “There is a danger people will get tired of hearing about what’s happening there, or simply forget. We want to help make sure that doesn’t happen, and also, at the same, create a special night showcasing some of the most talented artists in El Paso.”

In addition to calling attention to the devastating consequences of the narco war, THE IRISH MEXICAN ALLIANCE draws its impetus from the historical spirit of the San Patricio Battalion, a group of mostly Irish American soldiers who, during the U.S.-Mexico War of 1845-48, deserted the U.S. army to fight on behalf of the Mexican people. Although the San Patricios are thought of as traitors by some (many were executed as traitors by the U.S. military), THE IRISH MEXICAN ALLIANCE celebrates the sacrifice of the San Patricios as an example of men and women following their conscience and standing up to what they saw as injustice and imperialist aggression.

For more information about THE IRISH MEXICAN ALLIANCE and the upcoming event in El Paso, visit the Facebook page and/or website at www.irishmexicanalliance.org.

Media

Benefit for Committee to Protect Journalists

THE IRISH-MEXICAN ALLIANCE event turned out to be everything we hoped it would be. A crowd of close to 300 people turned out to support the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), who are seeking to call attention to and provide support for journalists who are being killed, intimidated and forced to seek asylum in the U.S. for reporting on the Narco War in Mexico. It was a night of cross-cultural solidarity, great music, and some truly memorable speeches.

The evening was hosted by author and journalist T.J. English, who set the tone early when he referred to what is happening with the narco war in Mexico as “an obscenity.” English read a statement from a reporter for the Dallas Morning News who described what it’s like to report on the Narco War, which was best summed up with the phrase, “trust no one.” The seriousness of the evening was never lost, even though the festivities would expand to encompass some great Irish American and Mexican entertainment. It was a lively and innovative event.

MUSIC FOR AN IMPORTANT CAUSE

The musical portion of the evening was kicked off by a full mariachi band called Mariachi Aguila y Plata, who hardly needed a microphone to fill Klub 45, upstairs at Connolly’s Pub near Times Square, with their traditional guitar and brass ensemble. Throughout the evening, some truly inspired musical acts took the stage, including Larry Kirwan of Black 47 fame, and Celtic singer/songwriter Ashley Davis, who both also happen to be co-directors of Irish American Writers & Artists, Inc. (IAW&A), who sponsored the event. Joe Hurley and Friends rocked the stage, and also Celtic Cross, who are quickly establishing themselves as one of the most popular Celtic bands in the NYC area.

The musical highlight of the show was Frontera Bugalú, a Tex-Mex cumbia band that was flown in from El Paso, TX especially for the event. Among other things, cumbia is great dance music, and the dance floor was hopping with a brown and white mix of Latinos and Irish Americans shaking their booties into the night.

The speakers on the bill were interspersed throughout the evening. Joel Simon, executive director of CPJ, expained how money raised at the event would be earmarked for a special fund used for legal expenses and family support for journalists in Mexico who have been forced to flee to the U.S. because their lives have been threatened by narco gangsters or corrupt members of the Mexican military.

An unexpected highlight of the night was the reading of a poem by Jimmy Santiago Baca, the poet laureate of Chicano America, written exclusively for the Irish-Mexican Alliance event. Read by Guillermo Jimenez, a Mexico City-born writer who now lives in Brooklyn, the poem was a cry of outrage at the killing of journalists, and Jimenez’ interpretation of the poem riveted the audience.

Here, in its entirety, is the poem written by Jimmy Santiago Baca…..

THE SCENT OF GUNSMOKE AT DAWN

I sing this requiem for all the journalists who have been murdered by narco killers
I allow my body to swing like a Yuruba witchdoctor
a Yaqui medicine man
allow my blood to run fast and swirl in magic humming
as I grieve for the writers whose silence now drowns the world
whose words scratch into the bone walls of my skeleton
their howls of regret
I move my feet slowly and I turn my body in a dance of death
I breathe their breath I move their hands
my heart drums their heart beats
and I swirl in my tribal remorse dance for their absence
and I open my mouth and I cry out at the morning sun
their names, the names of hundreds,
names brimming with my tears, with my agony for their agony
with my blood clenching at the dust, with thorns of the nopal cactus
piercing my soul
as I hurl stones at the church, at the police, at the narcos
why why why you muthafuckers
kill the singer, murder the carrier of news,
O, let us all mourn and turn our bodies in circles
move our feet forward and backward
and dance their beauty, dance their bravery,
and trample as we do the cowards whose bullets
left them bleeding in the streets,
turn I yell, turn and turn and turn
until we invoke their spirits to say we are sorry
that we will remember them…
that we do remember them
that we will always remember them….

IRISH AMERICANS AND LATINOS TOGETHER

Midway through the event, New York journalism icon Pete Hamill took the stage and told of his deep affection for the Mexican people, which began when, as a young man studying in Mexico on the G.I. Bill, he got into a drunken altercation and wound up in a jail in Mexico City. The way he was treated by the Mexicans he encountered in jail, with compassion and respect, set him off on a life-long exploration of Mexico and its people that has resulted in books and magazine articles and even a stint as the editor of an English-language newspaper based in Mexico City.

The final speaker of the night was Ruben Blades, the legendary salsa singer who is also an actor, former Minister of Tourism of his home country of Panama, Harvard Law School graduate, and former candidate for President of Panama. Blades is an internationally revered figure in Latino circles; the crowd hushed to complete silence as he explained that, knowing he would never be able to function as an artist under a military dictatorship in Panama, he came to NYC and began working in the mail room at Fania Records, the renowned birthplace for the explosion of Latin music in the early-1970s. Blades talked movingly about the issue of journalists being killed and said, “This room is not big enough — in fact, there is no room big enough — to truly represent how important this issue is.”

Along with music and speakers, the night was punctuated by the raffling off of such items as t-shirts, CDs and books signed by English, Hamill and other authors on the program. There was also a lively “passing of the hat” designed to raise every last penny available in support of the cause.

A UNIQUE AND IMPORTANT EVENT

After nearly four hours of edification and entertinment, the dance-weary crowd spilled out into the chilly New York night knowing they had experienced something important and unusual: one culture reaching out to another culture in a time of need. The multi-cultural tenor of the evening was inspiring, with Irish Americans and Latinos discovering points of solidarity around issues of artist freedom and freedom of the press to do their job without being threatened or murdered.

After the event was over, Pete Hamill noted in an email correspondence with organizer and host T.J. English that he’d left the event that night to go to a memorial for John Lennon, with whom he had a close friendship. “I couldn’t help thinking that Lennon would have understood our event, and he would have been there.”

This weeks, IAW&A will present CPJ executive director Joel Simon with a check for $7,000, money raised at the event. Along with the money, the event was a big success in terms of coalescing awareness and understanding on an issue of utmost importance to all artists.

SPOTLIGHT ON: Pete Hamill

Very few writers have had the kind of career PETE HAMILL has had. He was born in Brooklyn of immigrant Irish parents from Belfast. In the mid 1960s, he began his journalism career as a reporter with the NY Post, and over the following decades he would establish himself as one of the most powerful journalistic voices in the city. As a columnist for the NY Post, the NY Daily News, the Village Voice, and Esquire magazine, Pete wrote about everything — politics, crime, music, cultural affairs. His point of view has always been that of a humanist and a poet, and he never lost touch with the rhythm of the streets and the soul of the common man. Pete served as an editor for both the Post and the News. He has published over 20 books: memoirs (A DRINKING LIFE) non-fiction books (WHY SINATRA MATTERS) and best-selling novels (FOREVER). As a writer, Pete is a true Renaissance Man, and as a human being, he is, as they say in the Old Country, a real mensch.

Of Hamill’s many interests, one of his most enduring subjects is his affection for Mexico. As a young man, he studied art in Mexico, and for a time in the early-1990′s he was editor of an English-language newspaper in Mexico City. He continues to live in Mexico for extended periods of time and has written often in travel magazines and other publications about his bond with the place.

Which is partly why we at IAW&A are so excited to have Pete Hamill as one of the featured speakers at THE IRISH-MEXICAN ALLIANCE, an evening of Celtic & Mexican music, Chicano & Irish poets, all to raise money for THE COMMITTEE TO PROTECT JOURNALISTS. To learn more about this event please check out previous posts on this blog page….

We hope that you and your friends will turn out to hear Pete Hamill speak, to experience some great Irish and Tex-Mex music, and contribute to a worthy and important cause.

WHEN: December 8, 2010, Weds., 7-11 pm.

WHERE: Connolly’s Pub, 121 W. 45th St., Manhattan

PRICE: $30 (suggested donation)

Multi-cultural solidarity in action

THE IRISH-MEXICAN ALLIANCE is for real. Here, founders of the Alliance, T.J. ENGLISH (left) and BRENDAN FAY (2nd from right) present a check on behalf of IAW&A to NYC city council members Julissa Ferreras and Danny Dromm, to go to the Victor Mejia Fund. Victor Mejia is a Mexican immigrant who was beaten nearly to death while delivering pizza in Jackson Hts, Queens, currently in a coma, with no medical insurance. His immigrant wife and family need help with the bills…

History in action

THE IRISH-MEXICAN ALLIANCE: Robert Kennedy and César Chávez break bread.

The Irish-Mexican Alliance is not a slogan; it really exists. It’s roots can be traced to the San Patricio Brigade, a battalion of mostly Irish American immigrants who fought on behalf of the Mexican people in the U.S.-Mexico war of 1845-48. More than 100 years later, the Irish-Mexican Alliance was present in the work of the late Robert F. Kennedy, who, together with labor organizer César Chávez, stood tall with Chicano migrant workers in California. It is this spirit we are attempting to harness with THE IRISH-MEXICAN ALLIANCE, an evening of Celtic & Irish music, Chicano & Irish poets, Irish & Mexican beer. Sponsored by IAW&A, the event is a fundraiser for THE COMMITTEE TO PROTECT JOURNALISTS, who are trying to bring attention to and provide legal support for Mexican journalists who are being killed, intimidated and forced to seek asylum in the U.S. for DOING THEIR JOB i.e. reporting on the Narco War in Mexico. We urge you to support this important cause by spreading the word and coming out for what promises to be a historic night of multi-cultural solidarity in NYC.

RELIEF FOR HAITI

Now that the earthquake disaster in Haiti is no longer a lead item in the media, there is a danger that people will forget. But the need is greater than ever. Please join us, IRISH AMERICAN WRITERS & ARTISTS, INC, as we stage a benefit to raise funds for Haiti. The theme of the evening is ISLAND PEOPLE SUPPORTING ISLAND PEOPLE. The show will be hosted by Terry George, the Academy Award nominated director/writer of the film “Hotel Rwanda.” Musical guests will include Ashley Davis, Seanachi and Unity Squad, a reunion appearance by Black 47, as well as a Haitian band and an African drumming group. Readers will include National Book Award winner Colum McCann, Malachy McCourt, T.J. English, Michael Patrick MacDonald and others. Proceeds from the event will go to CONCERN, an Ireland-based relief orgaination that had boots on the ground in Haiti even before the earthquake struck.

WHEN: February 24, 2010, Wednesday, 7 pm – 11 pm.
WHERE: Connolly Pub, 121 W. 45th St. (btwn Ave of the Americas and 7th Ave.), Midtown Manhattan.
HOW MUCH: $30 suggested donation (more if you can).

Please join us for what promises to be a fun eveing to raise money for an important cause. If you would like to prepay, or are unable to make the event and still want to make a tax deductible donation, write your check to CONCERN and mail to:

Irish American Writers & Artists, Inc.
511 Avenue of the Americas #304
New York, NY 10011

WE HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!!!