Conga Blues

By Victor M. Vélez

Conga Blues, is a collection of poetry that explores cultural identity, personal identity and social identity. Migrating to the United States and growing up in New York City, I often questioned my cultural identity as a Puerto Rican. I struggled to find my own personal identity, my purpose in life. My social identity was intertwined with the social uproars of the late 60s and the early 70s. Conga Blues, is a collection of this search.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Apr 23, 2008
• ISBN: 9781469114347

Victor M. Vélez

Victor M. Vélez, a native of Puerto Rico, grew-up in New York, relocated to Cincinnati in 1994. Velez, is a Cincinnati-based percussionist. He has played with “Latin X-posure,” “Fiesta del Soul,” and is currently a “conguero” for “Son del Caribe,” playing classical salsa. His poetic work includes: “6 Silver Poets & the Bullets Proof Chapbook, 1999; “A Quest for Answers: A Personal Journey,” Xlibris, 2003; “Poems and Drawings on Peace and Justice,” Cincinnati local poet’s collection, November 2005 and 2007. He directed, “Escandalo Poetico I and II,” February 2005 and 2006, performed at the Playhouse in the Park in Cincinnati, Ohio.

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Copyright © 2008 by Victor M. Vélez.

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Contents

Acknowledgments

Conga Blues

Conga Blues

An Empty Crib

An Empty Crib . . . 

Eulogy to El Hombre Taino

Cultural Gifts

Whispering Voices

Guayabera for a Sunday Walk

His Panic from Hispanic

Canto 51: Si Puerto Rico Se Hace Estado

Mi Pueblo Vive

Ka-pi-Q, La Jugada de Domino

December 31, 1972

Spanglish

Speak English You’re In America

De-Javú

Un Día Regresaré

The Mist

The Mist

In Oneness

Seeking Dream

Sandcastle

La Ave

For Dry and Damaged Hair

Reading Aloud

The Final Frontier

My-O-Pia

White Irish Rose

I Dream of Genie

The Altar

Che Che’s Bar

The Last of My Chump Change

Que Viva Chango

El Río

Playboy of the Year

Barren Land

El Pañuelo Blanco

Conscious Awakening

Conscious Awakening

Humanity

Rapunzel in Brooklyn

Our First Color TV

It’s Not Only About Black and White

The Great Northeast Blackout: Part I

The New York City Blackout of 1977:

Part II—The Sequel

The Windowsill

The Windowsill

About the Author

Other Artistic Works by

Victor M. Vélez

About the Cover Illustrator

Photo Gallery

Dedicación / Dedication

para mis padres, my parents Maria y Victor

a special dedication to my first conga teacher

my father / mi padre

Victor M. Vélez Pizarro

image%202.jpg

and to my daughters:

to my proud Puerto Rican, Anjelica

and my beautiful photographer, Ivylisse.

Acknowledgments

The author acknowledges the following organization in which poems from this collection have appeared or have been performed: It’s Not Only About Black and White, The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, feature video, Freedom Heroes, 2005.

Eulogy to El Hombre Taino, It’s Not Only About Black and White, Our First Color TV, appeared in For a Better World: Poems and Drawings on Peace and Justice, by Greater Cincinnati Artist, May 2007, Editor Saad Ghosn.

Marcelina Robledo, Mike Haney, and Ed Stern for the Alteractive Series, at Playhouse in the Park in Cincinnati, Ohio for the opportunity for the following poems to be performed in Escandalo Poetico I and II, His Panic from Hispanic, For Dry and Damaged Hair, Speak English You’re in America, Conga Blues, It’s Not Only About Black and White, and