The following article was printed in the Brown Daily Herald on Monday, November 20, 1995.
In this article Hermano Wilson Quezada is interviewed in regards to Mezcla, the Latino performing arts group, which he coordinated at the time and helped to flourish into a vibrant entity on campus.
 
 

On Stage, Mezcla Spotlights Latino Culture Doren Spinner/Staff Photographer  By Stephanie Morimoto Staff Writer

 

Salsa, meringue, Puerto Rico, poetry, Mexico, song, Colombia, lambada -- a mix of cultures and a mix of expressions. True to its name, that's what MEZCLA (which translates into "mix" in English) is all about.

According to group members Eduardo Gonzales '96 and Wilson Quezada '98, Mezcla's mission as stated in its constitution is to "represent Latino culture's beauty and diversity." The Latino performance group, which performed last night in the Salomon Center as Puerto Rican Culture Week's final event, expresses itself culturally and politically mainly through dance and poetry, although it will try to incorporate more singing, visual art, and plays in the future, Gonzales and Quezada said.

The representation of Latino cultures is a driving force behind Mezcla. Both Gonzales and Quezada noted that Brown's curriculum does not include classes about Latino dance or theater, and while Brown has an African-American theater and Leeds, the Latino community is not represented. "We want to show the administration that we need instruction in Latino culture," Quezada said.

Opening Up

One of the ways Mezcla works towards this goal is by opening itself to non-Latino members of the community. Gonzales noted that out of Mezcla's 72 members, approximately 35 to 40 are Latino, while the rest are comprised of African-Americans, Asian-Americans, and Caucasians.

In addition, there are no auditions and dance experience is not required to become a part of the organization; the only condition is an interest in learning and representing the Latino culture. Mezcla holds dance workshops in which the more experienced members teach the beginners Latino dances, such as Puerto Rican salsa and meringue, Dominican bachata, Mexican folklorico and banda, Colombian bayenato, tango, and lambada.

For Tracy Jackson '97, who is not Latina, Mezcla "incorporates Latino culture into the Brown mainstream. [We] make people aware that yeah, hey, there's a Latino force present [on campus]. Outside of meetings and discussions, Mezcla gives us a place to express ourselves culturally."

Mezcla not only functions to express Latino culture through the arts and make the greater community aware of Latinos' presence, but it also works to unify Latinos. "The Latino community never presents itself as a whole, because it's so fractioned within itself," Marlen Luna '98 said. "You see [organizations like] FEP, LASO, etc., but we really don't work together. I see Mezcla as its name implies: mixture. It unites the Latino community through dance, singing, whatever."

Gonzales and Quezada agreed. They noted that the members of Mezcla have fun because they form close, family-like bonds, and most importantly, they stress working together. Participants in the group do not only work together as Mezcla members but also as students, helping each other with classwork and relaxation.

"We learn from each other," Quezada said, "because there's so much diversity within the Latino culture. You can teach your own culture and also learn from others. It gives everyone a chance to be involved."

Veronica Carbajal '98 spoke about Mezcla's poetry aspect in regards to its political impact. The group reads and choreographs mainly original, student-written poetry, and because it is the students' work, Carbajal said, there is more room for individual agendas.

"We can search for our Latino identity through poetry, taking up where dancing leaves off," she said. "The dancing attracts an audience because it is entertaining; it is our place to take advantage of that and explore our Latino identities through poetry," she added.

Growth of a Dream

According to Gonzales, Mezcla began as the dream child of Elizabeth Garcia, a Latina, in the spring of 1993. She wanted Latinos to represent their culture through dance, song, and poetry. The group began with only eight members, but after undergoing a lot of change, it grew to a 20-member crew by the fall of 1994.

In the spring of 1994, the growth was phenomenal -- Mezcla boasted a roster of 60-plus. Because there were more members, Gonzales said, the group became more structured and organized to accommodate larger numbers, and the quality of the Mezcla show improved. For the Latino History Month performance they gave, Mezcla packed Salomon 101 with an audience of over
600 people this past spring.

Mezcla is also gaining a reputation outside of Brown. Over Columbus Day weekend, Williams College invited the group to perform for their Latino History Month, and Mezcla sent 37 of its members to put on a one and a half hour show. MIT will host 15 of Mezcla's performers over Thanksgiving, and Princeton and Georgetown have asked the organization to perform for their
Latino History Months next semester.

And, Mezcla is also gaining recognition outside of the college circuit. Gonzales and Quezada said that an independent poetry organization contacted them, asking them to send in some of the students' work.