Nuyoricans in Loisaida Celebrate 120 Years of the Tompkins Square Library

The Nuyorican Poets Cafe and the Loisaida Center converge to celebrate the cultural and community significance of both iconic LES institutions and the Tompkins Square Library. This one-night-only event celebrates the diverse voices of our city through spoken word, music, and visual arts, showcasing the raw talent that makes the Lower East Side a beacon of artistic innovation.

Site: Tompkins Square Library, Community Room (331 E 10th St, New York, NY 10009)

Date: Tuesday, December 17th

Duration: 6:00 – 7:30 pm

Participants: 

Nuyorican Poets Cafe: 

• Sumbodies Mama & Brittany Barker
• cap

Loisaida:

• David “Daso” Soto
• Maria Dominguez
• Marlis Momber, CHICO

David Soto aka DASO is a Singer, Songwriter, Youth Development & Community Organizer. A few of his accomplishments include: Music Artist As Daso El Afro Caribeño, Founder of the PIRAGUA clothing brand, Owner of the PIRAGUA ART SPACE, Founder of the yearly multicultural New Village Music Festival and Production Company DeKora Digital, Founder of the New Village Foundation engaging youth through the arts and connecting artists to community.

Jesica “Sumbodies Mama” Blandon is a multifaceted artist hailing from the vibrant Bronx, NY, celebrated for her roles as a poet, spoken word artist, and actor. Her list of accolades is impressive, including being crowned the February 2024

Nuyorican Poets Cafe Final Friday Slam winner and securing 2nd place in the 2024 Women of the World Poetry Slam. Her journey to success began when she was named the 2009 Nuyorican Poets Café’s Youth Poet of The Year and continued when she won the 2010 Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry slam as a member of the Urban Word NYC team. She has shared stages with luminaries such as Georgio Armani, Oscar Award-winning Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Savion Glover. Sumbodies Mama’s artistry is a force to be reckoned with, inspiring audiences far and wide with her compelling narratives and poignant performances.

Brittany Barker is a poet and educator from Harlem, NYC.  She has impacted hundreds of youth and adults as a creative leader and advocate for community wellness. Brittany was most recently ranked 3rd in the world at the 2023 Womxn of the World poetry slam. Currently, she is the Executive Director of Creative Soul House, a community-development organization that designs and facilitates people-development workshops, programs and events for youth and adults.  As an educational consultant, she has served a diverse set of communities, including NYU, Columbia Business School, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Rutgers University, Twitter, NBCU Comcast, Girls Write Now and DREAM Charter network, etc. Brittany finds inspiration through God, deep interpersonal connections and art spaces.