2008 Parade Highlight - Cava En Concierto

The 10th Annual Latino Heritage Parade and Jamaica will feature a performance by the local musical artist CAVA!

Cava describes itself as "a combination of sounds unique to a Mexican-American upbringing". With music that melds traditional son, cumbia, salsa, and ska, Cava has received rave reviews from Tu Ciudad magazine as well as the Calendar Music Review section of the Los Angeles times. Cava has toured the country with such notable artists as Lila Downs, Charanga Cakewalk, and Ozomatli.

We anticipate that Cava will perform a great set as part of the Jamaica following the Parade. Don't just take our word for it, though: check out the Cava webpage at www.myspace.com/cavaliscious AND, of course, see them for yourself, EN VIVO/LIVE, on Saturday in La Pintoresca Park!!

Docent Dream Becomes Reality

By the time we arrived at La Pintoresca Library yesterday morning at 9:53 a.m., there were already a few students waiting on the steps. The dream of having Pasadena-student docents for the Latino Heritage Parade and Jamaica became more and more real as the morning progressed. Roberta Martínez led an engaging docent training for 17 Pasadena Unified School District students in the Community Room of La Pintoresca Library on Raymond and Washington in Pasadena. October 4, 2008 will forever be remembered as the foundation of the inaugural docent class. Though the skies outside were dark with clouds, the Community Room was lit up with the warm laughter of students and the electric energy that comes with gaining greater insight into who you and your community are.

We are extremely proud of the young ladies and men who attended the Docent Training. They include Verónica López; Marco Arándia; Scarlett Hernández; Hector García; Eddie García; Michelle Jimenez; Dalia Gómez; Iztla Dominguez; Anthony Castillo; Ariana Hernández; Sergio Merido; Christian Rodrí guez; Ruben Payes; Nancy Valdez; Ernesto Valdez; and Angel Pérez. They are all Puentistas at John Marshall Fundamental Secondary School in Pasadena. We can't wait to see them in action on October 11th!!

Students Sharing and Making History - Docent Training

On Saturday, October 4th from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., there will be a Docent Training for the historic images of Pasadena Latinas/os that are on display during the jamaica. But this won't be just any training ~ here are some reasons why October 4th will be a very exciting day:

• A docent is someone who leads tours (often in a museum). S/he is a guide who shares knowledge with others. The purpose of this training is to make Pasadena students the ones who will share their knowledge with others in our community.
  


• Students will lead folks who come to the jamaica on Saturday, October 11th, through a display of historic images of Latinas/os in Pasadena. These life-size photos are not seen in history books, but help tell the story of our community's roots in our city. Seeing and learning about them make us understand more about our important role in Pasadena's past, present, and future.

• Saturday will be the inaugural class of docents - they will be the first students to be specially trained in what each image signifies, and how to lead a tour of them. To put it simply, these students will not only be sharing history, but making it themselves!

Student Docent Training

Saturday, October 4, 2008

10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

La Pintoresca Library

1355 N. Raymond Avenue

Pasadena, CA 91103

What an important, beautiful day.... =)

2008 Parade and Jamaica ~ "Our History, Our Heritage"

The 10th Annual Latino Heritage Parade and Jamaica is just around the corner!!! Here are some of the things you can look forward to on Saturday, October 11th:

The 10th Annual Latino Heritage Parade and Jamaica will showcase the strong cultural and historical roots of Latinos, surrounded by a day of Living History. The parade route begins at Los Robles Ave. (north of Washington Blvd.) and ends at La Pintoresca Park. The Jamaica [community fair] features free arts and crafts, music, dance, exhibitors, and Latino foods. The site includes La Pintoresca Library and opens a new chapter related to literacy with story telling, an author’s panel, and discovery of culture through books and computers!

Leading the parade is Pasadena resident Suzanna Guzmán, Mezzo Soprano. She is the well-known radio host of L.A. Opera Notes; producer, writer and host of Sunday Evening Opera; and featured in "Latinas: the Spirit of California" at The California Museum for Women, History and the Arts in Sacramento. Manuel Contreras of the Pasadena Mexican American History Association will be our inaugural Community Grand Marshal.

There will be more than 30 entries in the parade this year, making it the largest to date!

CAVA will be in concert sharing her Afro-Cuban beats and some Taiko drumming, too. There will be a belly-dancing lesson; Old Fashioned games for children; arts and crafts for the whole family; Ofrendas remembering our Loved Ones; and a Historical Fashion Show.

The Latino Heritage Parade and Jamaica is an event coordinated by Latino Heritage – an organization founded to promote cultural events and educational opportunities - bridging communities and generations while sharing the arts, culture, heritage and history of the Latino community of Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley. The Latino Heritage Parade and Jamaica is coordinated by a volunteer team and underwritten by private donations and sponsors.

See you October 11th!!