Francisco’s Writing
Congreso de Salsa Puertorriqueno/Puerto Rican Salsa Congress 2009
Text & Photos: Francisco Collazo Translation: Julie Schwietert Collazo [vease abajo para la version en espanol] ** Girls get together in groups to practice their routines, to adjust their costumes and get made up for this night. Their dresses and the men’s suits evoke another era: tiny buttons, Spanish-style dresses, cowboy boots and hats, and … Continue reading
Graffiti
Text & Photos: Francisco Collazo Translation: Julie Schwietert Collazo ** Spanish Harlem, New York City Graffiti is like a place: each “tag” has its own language. One of the characteristics of graffiti is that it reflects the social and mental state of the society in which it’s made to a certain extent. “DEMOCRACY does not … Continue reading
Dragon Boat Festival/La Carrera del Dragon
Text: Francisco Collazo Photos: Francisco & Julie Schwietert Collazo Translation: Julie Schwietert Collazo [vease abajo para la version en espanol] ** New York’s annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival took place August 8 and 9 in Flushing Meadows Park. Dragon boat racing originated in China more than 2,000 years ago, but only began to surge … Continue reading
The Coffee War/La Guerra del Cafe
Text & Photos: Francisco Collazo Translation: Julie Schwietert Collazo ** Coffee and its products are a kind of precious gold: perfumes, desserts, ice creams, drinks. Medicine so you won’t sleep while you’re working or a drink to kick-start the senses. A morning without coffee in my family is like a day without sun or a … Continue reading
Down Yonder: A Trip to the South/Viaje al Sur
Text & Photos: Francisco Collazo Translation: Julie Schwietert Collazo * What impresses me most about the South is its vast tracts of open land and the relative isolation of its people. Peaches, corn, and tomatoes form a cornucopia of colors and smells in the farms on both sides of the interstate that criss-cross South Carolina. … Continue reading