A Puerto Rican in the Bronx

Halloween came early this year with La Bruja's appearance as part of the Latino Heritage Month celebrations. Poet, rapper, actress, singer, and dancer Caridad de la Luz (whose alias means "the witch" in Spanish) was invited by the Association of Lating American Students (ALAS).

De la Luz came to share her array of talents with the Tufts community, which she did last Thursday night in Barnum 008. She read poetry and sang and performed parts from her one woman show, Boogie Rican Boulevard, which tells a story about seven characters from a Puerto Rican family from the Bronx who struggle to maintain traditional Puerto Rican values while dealing with modern-day urban influences.

Welcoming the audience, de la Luz acknowledged the importance of embracing and sharing Latino culture, something she gives great importance.

She also emphasized the importance of appreciating one's culture, regardless of race or ethnicity.

La Bruja used a two-way dialogue to create an inclusive atmosphere for her audience. Her give-and-take exchanges, peppered with questions like "Who here is a sexaholic?" or "Who here takes the train?" turned the presentation into something more akin to a group of friends speaking with each other than a formal performance. The relaxed attitude was further exemplified by de la Luz's own laughing reactions to her statements, and by the loud laughter of her three-year-old daughter, who was also in the audience.

Throughout her performance, La Bruja touched upon different aspects of fear, from concerns about the destruction of Mother Nature to fear of the overwhelming negativity all too common in today's hip hop music. La Bruja verbally battled these environmental and social issues with a powerful energy that was reflected in both the laughs and pensive silence of the audience.

De la Luz's performance was made further unique by the way she incorporated singing and acting into her poetry. The themes of most of her poems related to her experiences as a Puerto Rican living in New York City, but many also dealt with political and social issues. In one of her many haikus, La Bruja made reference to the dirty and overcrowded New York subway.

She also told about her attitude towards the current president, saying that while she loved her own "bush" she was less than satisfied with the Bush in the White House. She also read an ode to her mother, talking about how the elder woman was one of her significant sources of inspiration.

Capturing the audience's attention with an impressive stage presence and strong assertive commentary, de la Luz used humorous words or expressions to bring her listeners to hilarity.

Catherine Serrano, a sophomore at Tufts, said that "watching La Bruja's performance is like riding a roller coaster. She made me laugh so hard that my stomach hurt, but in between the laughs, the emotions and ideas expressed through her poetry are so profound that they echoed in my mind for days."

Ending her performance, de la Luz opened up the floor to questions. One student asked where she got the name La Bruja, and she answered by speaking of her ancestors. "In the past," she said, "those who suffered because of their spiritual beliefs were referred to as brujas or brujos." The name "La Bruja" is to her, an homage to her ancestors.

At the end of the show, de la Luz spoke to the audience yet again, saying, "I hope I inspired positivity in you." This theme tied together all the pieces she had presented throughout the evening, from her concerns about fear and negative thoughts to the inspiration provided by her mother.

Judging by the audience's overwhelming response, she succeeded.