We Have Ire
Iré - the Lucumi condition of being blessed with positive energy
We Have Iré: Afro-Cuban in the United States, conceived by Cuban-American writer-performer Paul S. Flores and co-produced with Puerto Rican filmmaker and photographer
Eli Jacobs-Fantauzzi, is an interactive, multi-disciplinary event that highlights the experiences of Afro-Cuban and Cuban-American artists as they seek to define their voices in the United States, finding success through hard work and “iré”.
Paul S. Flores is particularly excited to share his story of investigating his personal connection to Cuba, the place where his grandmother was raised. This deep dive into themes of trans-nationality and citizenship comes at a crucial time in contemporary history.
The exhibition features the photography and art of Eli Jacobs-Fantauzzi.
Exhibition: December 13, 2018 - March 9, 2019
The exhibition began with a multi-media, bi-lingual theater project produced in partnership with Pregones Theater and directed by Rosalba Rolón. The project depicts the journeys of four artists through their chosen art forms, including Paul S. Flores’ spoken word and theater, Yosvany Terry’s live jazz music, Ramon Ramos Alayo’s modern dance, and DJ Leydis’ hip-hop beats. Throughout the show, video illustrating these stories, produced by Eli Jacobs-Fantauzzi, is projected on the stage.
According to Flores, “This unique piece of docu-theater highlights the complex discourse around Cuban-American political identity and the blessings (iré) as well as curses (osogbo) found in individual immigration stories, plus the triumph of establishing one’s voice in a new country.”
In March, the artists will present an abbreviated version of the theater project at Casita Maria, along with a special storytelling workshop titled Tradiciones del Bronx/Bronx
Traditions. The workshop asks people to reflect on these questions:
- What is it like to be from the Bronx?
- What important lessons did you learn growing up or living in the Bronx?
- Whom did you learn from?
Flores and Jacobs-Fantauzzi and other artists from We Have Iré will lead the workshop for adults and children aged 8 and up. Participants will learn to tell a fun and important
first-person story about Bronx traditions, and to integrate live or recorded music, dance, or video to create a multimedia story about traditions in the Bronx. Paul S. Flores will direct all performances culminating in an exciting experience of immersive and interactive storytelling about the Bronx.
About the artists
Paul S. Flores’ deep dive into themes of transnationality and citizenship comes at a crucial time in contemporary history. Flores creates plays and oral narratives that spur and support societal movements that lead to change. Flores last play “On The Hill: I Am Alex Nieto” brought San Francisco communities together divided by gentrification and police violence. Flores’ ability to paint a vivid picture of bi-cultural Latino experience is shaped by his personal background and experience growing up near the Mexican border. He began presenting spoken word as a founding member of Youth Speaks and Los Delicados in 1996. He performed for the first time in Cuba in 2001 while working at La Peña Cultural Center, and has since presented multiple times in Havana, Mexico and El Salvador. His comprehensive body of work touches on the immigrant story in all its complexities: from the violent—forced migration, gang life, war, incarceration and
separated families—to zooming in on intergenerational relationships and the struggle of preserving important cultural values. Paul Flores newest play “Pilgrim Street” premieres September 13-16, 2018 at Z Space Theater in San Francisco. His next play “We Have Iré” about Afro-Cuban traditions, immigration and artists in the United States premieres in 2019. He is an adjunct professor of theater at the University of San Francisco.
Learn more
Eli Jacobs-Fantauzzi is graduate of UC Berkeley, he received his MA degree from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Eli is an award-winning filmmaker and currently directs FistUp TV a
production company that documents people’s stories from around the world as a way to expand community awareness around issues of social responsibility, and cultural identity. His work has circulated through the National Broadcast: Free Speech TV, Teaching Channel and PBS. He is the co-founder of Defend Puerto Rico a multimedia project designed to document and celebrate Puerto Rican creativity, resilience, and resistance. Eli is curating his ninth Annual Fist Up Film Festival in the Bay Area, California. His dedication to his craft is deeply connected to his commitment to social justice and the belief in the trans-formative power of film. Learn more
