Caridad de la Luz
Encyclopedia
Caridad De la Luz a.k.a. "La Bruja" (The "Good" Witch), is a poet
, actress and activist.
from Puerto Rico
, was born and raised in the South Bronx
. There she also received her primary and secondary education. As a child she was always surrounded by the sounds of salsa music
since she lived in a section which is also known as "El Condado de la Salsa" (Salsa County). De la Luz would often prepare shows for her family, imitating her favorite salsa singers Celia Cruz
and Celina Gonzalez. She also enjoyed writing, especially poetry. She graduated with honors from Murry Bergtraum High School
's secretarial studies major.
De la Luz made her debut as an artist in 1996 when she made her presentation at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe
in New York. The Cafe is known as a place where many poets got their first start in front of a live audience. Among those who have performed there are: Miguel Piñero
, Pedro Pietri
and Edwin Torres
. Her one-woman show "Boogie Rican Blvd." is traces the life of the Puerto Rican persona from the Bronx to Puerto Rico. She blends characters, poetry, photography and music. Her show was a success and it was not long before she was touring presenting her show in different cities of the United States
, Europe
and Latin America
.
In 1998, she participated in an uncredited role as a dancer in the movie Dance with Me, starring Vanessa L. Williams
and Chayanne
. In 2000, De la Luz made her featured movie debut as "Cuca" in Spike Lee
's film Bamboozed.
On October 2001, "Boogie Rican Blvd." made its Off-Broadway
debut at The Producers Club and later at La Téa Theater. Among the other theater productions in which she has performed are: "Ubu Unchained", "El Spanglish
language Sandwich" by Pedro Pietri and "Women Like This" a Hip Hop
festival held in Switzerland
.
In 2002, De la Luz gave a reading entitled "WTC" (World Trade Center
) simply by utilizing the three letters of the historic acronym which reminded the audience in HBO's Russell Simmon's Def Poetry Jam, how complex the events of 9-11 are and will continue to be. That same year she also participated in HBO's Hip Hop Hope. Her poems have been published in magazines such as Shout, Vibe, Source, AWOL, Urban and Stress Magazines, El Vocero
and in El Centro journal for Hunter College
.
comedy movie El Vacilón. In the History Channel's series Witch Hunt, she was cast as "Tituba". HBO Latino recruited her for their series "Habla" and she released an album on her own record label De La Luz Records entitled "Brujalicious", a mixture of Latin Tinged Hip Hop and Reggeaton.
newspaper El Diario/La Prensa as one of the 50 most distinguished Latinas in the United States.
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, actress and activist.
Early years
De la Luz, whose parents moved to New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
from Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, was born and raised in the South Bronx
South Bronx
The South Bronx is an area of the New York City borough of The Bronx. The neighborhoods of Tremont, University Heights, Highbridge, Morrisania, Soundview, Hunts Point, and Castle Hill are sometimes considered part of the South Bronx....
. There she also received her primary and secondary education. As a child she was always surrounded by the sounds of salsa music
Salsa music
Salsa music is a genre of music, generally defined as a modern style of playing Cuban Son, Son Montuno, and Guaracha with touches from other genres of music...
since she lived in a section which is also known as "El Condado de la Salsa" (Salsa County). De la Luz would often prepare shows for her family, imitating her favorite salsa singers Celia Cruz
Celia Cruz
Celia Cruz was a Cuban-American salsa singer, and was one of the most successful Salsa performers of the 20th century, having earned twenty-three gold albums...
and Celina Gonzalez. She also enjoyed writing, especially poetry. She graduated with honors from Murry Bergtraum High School
Murry Bergtraum High School
The Murry Bergtraum High School for Business Careers is a public secondary school in New York City. It is located in Lower Manhattan, adjacent to the Brooklyn Bridge and City Hall. Bergtraum offers business-oriented courses to prepare students for careers in marketing, tourism, finance, human...
's secretarial studies major.
Debut: Boogie Rican Blvd.
Nuyorican Poets Café
The Nuyorican Poets Café is a non-profit organization in Alphabet City, Manhattan. It is a bastion of the Nuyorican art movement in New York City, USA, and has become a forum for poetry, music, hip hop, video, visual arts, comedy and theatre.-History:...
in New York. The Cafe is known as a place where many poets got their first start in front of a live audience. Among those who have performed there are: Miguel Piñero
Miguel Piñero
Miguel Piñero was a Puerto Rican playwright, actor, and co-founder of the Nuyorican Poets Café. He was a leading member of the Nuyorican literary movement.-Early years:...
, Pedro Pietri
Pedro Pietri
Pedro Pietri , was a Nuyorican poet and playwright who co-founded the Nuyorican Poets Café. He was the poet laureate of the Nuyorican Movement.-Early years :...
and Edwin Torres
Edwin Torres (poet)
Edwin Torres is a "Nuyorican" poet.-Early years:Torres's parents moved from Puerto Rico and settled in the borough of The Bronx in New York City. His father died when he was young and he was then raised by his mother and her brother Martin. Martin provided comfort and family support...
. Her one-woman show "Boogie Rican Blvd." is traces the life of the Puerto Rican persona from the Bronx to Puerto Rico. She blends characters, poetry, photography and music. Her show was a success and it was not long before she was touring presenting her show in different cities of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
.
In 1998, she participated in an uncredited role as a dancer in the movie Dance with Me, starring Vanessa L. Williams
Vanessa L. Williams
Vanessa Lynn Williams is an American pop-R&B recording artist, producer, dancer, model, actress and showgirl. In 1983, she became the first woman of African-American descent to be crowned Miss America, but a scandal generated by her having posed for nude photographs published in Penthouse magazine...
and Chayanne
Chayanne
Elmer Figueroa Arce , best known under the stage name Chayanne, is a Puerto Rican Latin pop singer and actor. As a solo artist, Chayanne has released 21 solo-albums and sold over 20 million albums worldwide.-Early life:...
. In 2000, De la Luz made her featured movie debut as "Cuca" in Spike Lee
Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983....
's film Bamboozed.
On October 2001, "Boogie Rican Blvd." made its Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
debut at The Producers Club and later at La Téa Theater. Among the other theater productions in which she has performed are: "Ubu Unchained", "El Spanglish
Spanglish
.Spanglish refers to the blend of Spanish and English, in the speech of people who speak parts of two languages, or whose normal language is different from that of the country where they live. The Hispanic population of the United States and the British population in Argentina use varieties of...
language Sandwich" by Pedro Pietri and "Women Like This" a Hip Hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
festival held in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
In 2002, De la Luz gave a reading entitled "WTC" (World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
) simply by utilizing the three letters of the historic acronym which reminded the audience in HBO's Russell Simmon's Def Poetry Jam, how complex the events of 9-11 are and will continue to be. That same year she also participated in HBO's Hip Hop Hope. Her poems have been published in magazines such as Shout, Vibe, Source, AWOL, Urban and Stress Magazines, El Vocero
El Vocero
El Vocero is a Puerto Rican newspaper that is published in San Juan.Published since 1974, El Vocero was at first the third of the four largest Puerto Rico newspapers, trailing El Mundo and El Nuevo Día and leading The San Juan Star in sales...
and in El Centro journal for Hunter College
Hunter College
Hunter College, established in 1870, is a public university and one of the constituent colleges of the City University of New York, located on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Hunter grants undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate degrees in more than one hundred fields of study, and is recognized...
.
Movie career
In 2004, she played the role of "Lucy" in the film Down to the Bone and in 2005 she played a psychotic girlfriend who uses witchcraft in the LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
comedy movie El Vacilón. In the History Channel's series Witch Hunt, she was cast as "Tituba". HBO Latino recruited her for their series "Habla" and she released an album on her own record label De La Luz Records entitled "Brujalicious", a mixture of Latin Tinged Hip Hop and Reggeaton.
Currently
De la Luz who is a mother of two children, taught a workshop called "How can I change the World" for the East Harlem Tutorial Program and is currently teaching a writing workshop called Write Your Way representing Voices UnBroken (an organization of which she is a board member), YAFFA, and her own organization, Latinas 4 Life. During her spare time she enjoys singing, dancing and traveling to Puerto Rico. She appears as a spokes model for Levis Jean's in a nationwide print campaign that runs in Glamour, Entertainment Weekly, US Weekly and Marie Claire magazines. In 2005 De la Luz was selected by the New York Spanish languageSpanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
newspaper El Diario/La Prensa as one of the 50 most distinguished Latinas in the United States.
See also
- List of Puerto Rican writers
- List of Famous Puerto Ricans
- Puerto Rican literature