On Sunday, March 6, my sister and I attended the 14th Anniversary Mujeres De Maiz Live Art Show: Soldadera de Amor. Mujeres de Maiz is a grassroots women's networking support circle of emerging Xicana and Women of Color artist and activists in Los Angeles who create work concerning women's issues. Throughout the month of March, Mujeres de Maiz puts on various community events honoring International Women's Day and Women's Herstory Month. It was our first time attending one of their events.
We paid a $10 cover and made our way through the artisans' booths at the Paramount hall. There were plenty of booths selling Frida, Cesar Chavez, and Dia De Los Muertos/Day of the Dead handcrafted decorative memorabilia. Other vendors sold natural medicinal herbs, Chicano books, local art, decorative handbags or jewelery. It was the first time I had ever seen washable feminine pads. The material was soft like receiving blanket material and in various colorful patterns like Hello Kitty or roses.
A half hour later, we made our way to the auditorium and were about to take our seats in the back in case we wanted to leave early. Fortunately, a woman let us know they had empty seats up front. I’ve learned to go along with these cosmic interventions as they tend to work out for the better. She took us to the second row where we got to see all the performances up close. And what a night it was. We watched various female groups or solo artists sing, dance, rap, drum, or read poetry or spoken word. The performances were inspiring and passionate, and resonated a spirited message celebrating women from all walks of life and cultures.
Needless to say, we stayed till the very end. We walked out of there proud our our culture, proud to be women and share in this movement of expression. It was an empowering night. Below are just a few of the performances from that evening.
Las Bomberas De La Bahia Performs at Mujeres De Maiz Live Art Show.
Las Bomberas De La Bahia Performs at Mujeres De Maiz Live Art Show.
Las Bomberas De La Bahia Performs at Mujeres De Maiz Live Art Show.
Las Bomberas De La Bahia Performs "Tu Eres La Poderosa" at Mujeres De Maiz Live Art Show.
In Lak Ech Performs at Mujeres De Maiz Live Art Show.
In Lak Ech Performs at Mujeres De Maiz Live Art Show.
La Luchadora
In Lak Ech Performs at Mujeres De Maiz Live Art Show.
La Luchadora
D'Lo Co-MCed the Mujeres De Maiz Live Art Show.
I am going to have to come back to explore all the videos. It looks like an amazing show and what a treat to watch it so close!
ReplyDeleteHi Lynn,
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by. It was a great night. I hope to go to next year's event.