Tato Laviera
Encyclopedia
Tato Laviera is a Nuyorican
poet. Born in Puerto Rico
, he moved to New York City
with his family in 1960.
Laviera's poetry, which is written sometimes in Spanish, sometimes in English, more often in Spanglish
, addresses language, cultural identity, race, and memory, particularly as it affects the transculturated
lives of Puerto Ricans in the United States
.
Scholar William Luis describes Laviera's work as follows: "His poetry is full of the music of bomba
and plena
, and of rap and preaching. However, it is also socially minded and historical in content. Indeed, his poems are a conglomeration of voices, songs, dialects and cultures producing a unique synthesis which is moving, instructive, and aesthetically appealing".
Nuyorican
Nuyorican is a portmanteau of the terms "New York" and "Puerto Rican" and refers to the members or culture of the Puerto Rican diaspora located in or around New York State especially the New York City metropolitan area, or of their descendants...
poet. Born in 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...
, he moved to New York City
New 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...
with his family in 1960.
Laviera's poetry, which is written sometimes in Spanish, sometimes in English, more often in 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...
, addresses language, cultural identity, race, and memory, particularly as it affects the transculturated
Transculturation
Transculturation is a term coined by Cuban anthropologist Fernando Ortiz in 1940 to describe the phenomenon of merging and converging cultures....
lives of Puerto Ricans in the United States
Puerto Ricans in the United States
Stateside Puerto Ricans are American citizens of Puerto Rican origin, including those who migrated from Puerto Rico to the United States and those who were born outside of Puerto Rico in the United States...
.
Scholar William Luis describes Laviera's work as follows: "His poetry is full of the music of bomba
Bomba
Bomba is one of the traditional musical styles of Puerto Rico. it is a largely African-derived music. The rhythm and beat are played by a set of floor drums, cuá and a maraca. Dance is an integral part of the music: the dancers move their bodies to every beat of the drum, making bomba a very...
and plena
Plena
Plena is a folkloric genre native to Puerto Rico. Its creation was influenced by African and Spanish music.-History:The music is generally folkloric. The music's beat and rhythm are usually played using hand drums called panderetas, but also known as panderos or pleneras. The music is accompanied...
, and of rap and preaching. However, it is also socially minded and historical in content. Indeed, his poems are a conglomeration of voices, songs, dialects and cultures producing a unique synthesis which is moving, instructive, and aesthetically appealing".
List of works
- La Carreta Made a U-Turn (Houston: Arte Público Press, 1979)
- AmeRícan (Houston: Arte Público Press, 1985)
- Enclave (Houston: Arte Público Press, 1985)
- Mainstream Ethics-Etica Corriente (Houston: Arte Público Press, 1988)
- Mixturao and Other Poems (Houston: Arte Público Press, 2008-09)
See also
- List of Puerto Rican writers
- List of Famous Puerto Ricans
- Puerto Rican literature
External links
- Biography from the Heath Anthology of American Literature