Yjastros Fall Season Tickets On Sale Now!

What: Tickets for Yjastros’ Fall Season: “Xicano Power” are on sale now! 

When: November 10-11

Where: National Hispanic Cultural Center

Andrea Lozano, credit: Farruk

In 2004, just five years after Yjastros: The American Flamenco Repertory Company’s inception internationally acclaimed Sevilla-based Flamenco artist Israel Galván choreographed “Xicano Power” on Yjastros. The concert now includes excerpts from the epic poem “I am Joaquin, Yo Soy Joaquin,” by Mexican-American civil rights and political activist Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzalez, (1928-2005). Like the poem “Yo Soy Joaquin,” “Xicano Power” explores issues of reclaiming ones identity, systematic inequality, and a legacy of historical greatness.

PART I: THE NAMING

"Israel Galvan set a martinete. It was a quirky, cool, piece. It had great steps, cool rhythm, and at the same time was just weird enough, like Israel.

In rehearsal, we would break up and do group stuff, duets, different things. I remember the experience being really cool. Israel was experimenting. This seemed to be something new for him. I don’t think he choreographed at the time much on groups, or on other people.

At the end of the residency period, during which the work was set —  I think it was set over the period of a week or nine days — I remember Adriana Sandoval asking Israel, what is the piece going to be titled?

The way I remember it was that Israel asked Adriana about what her t-shirt meant. Adriana was wearing a t-shirt that said, 'Chicano Power'. Adriana explained her t-shirt. She said Chicano Power is about the power of a people, of Chicanos. 'We are Chicanos,' she said, 'and Chicano Power is about our power.'

Israel said, 'Well then, ‘Xicano Power’ is going to be the title of the new work.'

Yjastros debuted “Xicano Power” at the internationally acclaimed Festival de Jerez, in Spain, where Yjastros made history as the first US-Based company to ever be invited to a Spanish flamenco festival.   

“Israel is from Sevilla. His mother is Spanish Romani (Gitana), and his father Español, not Romani. Israel comes from a place where he is familiar with the struggle for social and racial justice and power differential. I read a comment that Israel made once about his identity as someone who is of mixed Spanish-Romani and non-Romani descent. He said something along the lines of, 'I am half and half, the half of my body that is payo (non-Gitano) does eccentricities and weird things; the half that is Gitano ‘sabe rematar bien’ (knows how to finish a phrase in flamenco well).

In this case, Israel was making fun of the stereotypes, the divisions that are constructed when talking about artists and artistry, who they are, how they identify, and their related abilities. Israel pokes fun at the stereotype and at the same time playfully reaffirms it, to a degree. He casts light on the fact that the stereotype exists and that its existence is associated with a more complex and well established system of power and white supremacy.

When Adriana spoke to Israel about Chicano Power, I think that Israel resonated with the aspirations of this young Chicana who so proudly wore her t-shirt to rehearsal. Israel might have seen in all of us — all Chicanos from different parts of the U.S. Southwest — this element of being different and searching, as young flamencos, to speak truthfully through this art form. 

This is at least how I remember the naming occurring."

— Marisol Encinias, NIF Executive Director