On Sunday April 26th, 2009, Capicu Cultural Showcase teamed up with Taino Soleil Restaurant, one of Downtown Brooklyn's newest Latino hot spots to host the first Taino Brunch Art Exhibit.
This event- the first of its kind- combined Sunday brunch, the Latino concept of Familia and the artistic talent of groundbreaking visual and spoken word artists. These elements came together and created a cultural Huracan of ethnic expression. The storm was felt by an excited crowd (we had newborn children, an 82 year old woman, and everything in between), the most amazing range we have ever seen at a Capicu Cultural Showcase.
The event opened with words about Taino history from Story Teller/Taino historian Bobby Gonzalez, featured the artwork of great NY based artists such as Taino Spirit, Hecho a Mano artist Olga Ayala and proprietor Ramon Martinez. The event also featured spoken word by Capicu host PaPo Swiggity, Aguilar Marrero and Reina Miranda. Children were fascinated by Bobby Gonzalez as he introduced his little friend, Matu the Manatee and told his story. We closed the brunch with the unveiling of a beautiful new Taino Spirit painting titled "Yemaya".
In addition to the amazing exhibition of artwork, the shows main draw was Taino Soleil's unique 2-course menu that they put together to add flavor (literally and figuratively) to the days agenda…
The brunch consisted of a choice of empanadas: a latin turnover deep-fried with a crispy & chewy dough filled with beef or banana & black beans; yucca croquetas: crispy yucca fritters filled with sautéed onions and queso blanco; taino tostaditos: crispy green plantains topped with chopped shrimp and pineapple salsa; huevos arepas: fresh corn cakes topped with cheese and eggs served with chorizo and queso frito; taino scramble: eggs, fried yucca, queso frito & chorizo all scrambled together and topped with fresh avocado served with mangu; quesadilla gorda: a giant tortilla stuffed with cheese and your choice of chicken, beef or rice & bell peppers served with pico de gallo, guacamole & sour cream; pernil: slow-cooked pork shoulder braised whole with all the simmering fat still intact, then stripped and pulled off the bone; and the classic, arroz con pollo: yellow rice with pigeon peas, capers, and slow-cooked chicken…
phew….estaba delicioso…but don't take it from me…experience it for yourself.
Our next Taino Brunch will be on Sunday June 7th, if you are interested in
About Taino Soleil:
The newest edition to New York City's Historical Downtown Brooklyn – Taino Soleil brings to light a rich fusion of influences that span Latin America. With vibrant design elements and unparalleled service, TAINO SOLEIL offers a unique dining and partying experience.
For more information about Capicu Poetry & Cultural Showcase, visit www.CapicuPoetry.com
Additional information about the Taino Brunch artists
This is really interesting, U.J. The Little Sis (K. Iris, my co-blogger) was asking me last week about books and articles on history/anthropology on our Taino ancestors and I had nothing to offer her. I can at least point her in Bobby Gonzalez’s direction.
Muchas gracias, mijo.