Sounds of Cultura: Mujeres Del Sol

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Learn about Mujeres del Sol, a group to support women and girls in their journeys as artists, writers, poets, and storytellers. Melissa Dunmore and Yovani Flores with Mujeres del Sol talk about the organization.

José Cárdenas: IN SOUNDS OF CULTURA "S-O-C", MUJERES DEL SOL IS A COLLECTIVE DESIGNED TO GIVE A VOICE TO WOMEN IN THE ARTS COMMUNITY. JOINING ME TO TALK ABOUT THE GROUP IS YOVANI FLORES, CO-FOUNDER OF MUJERES DEL SOL. AND, MELISSA DUNMORE, FOUNDING MEMBER, PRODUCER, AND COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER THANK YOU BOTH JOINING US. THIS WAS FOUNDED FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AGO?

Yovani Flores: JUST OVER FOUR YEARS AGO. THIS IS GOING TO BE OUR FIVE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY.

José Cárdenas: AND YOU DO A VARIETY OF THINGS AS EVIDENCED BY THE PICTURES ON THE SCREEN. THE FIRST ONE IS OF YOU AS I UNDERSTAND IT PARTICIPATING IN, THIS IS YOUR, DIA --

Yovani Flores: IT IS OUR GODESS SEASON.

José Cárdenas: TELL ME WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?

Yovani Flores: WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE IS THIS WAS A COLLABORATION WITH A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT ARTISTS, MUSICIANS, THE FOLKS IN THE BACKGROUND ARE FROM THE WONDERFUL GROUP CALLED UNID. WHAT WE DID IS EVERYONE GOT UP AND PERFORMED A PIECE, DID DANCING, DID STORYTELLING AND JUST -- I LOVE THAT YOU HAVE FOCUSED ON THIS PHOTO BECAUSE WE GET TO SHOWCASE --

José Cárdenas: AND WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A CARIBBEAN, PUERTO RICAN KIND OF MUSIC AND MOST OF THE PEOPLE INVOLVED ARE FROM THAT PART OF THE WORLD.

Yovani Flores: YES, A LOT OF DIASPER PRESSANCE WITH DOMINICANS FOR SURE AND WE ARE ALL ROOTED IN THAT SAME SORT OF AFRO DIASPER PART AND DANCE AND MUSIC.

José Cárdenas: AND WE WILL GET TO YOUR STORY IN A MOMENT. BUT YOU RELOCATED FROM NEW YORK CITY?

Melissa Dunmore: YES, I GREW UP IN BROOKLYN, NEW YORK. THIS IS MY 14TH SUMMER HERE.

José Cárdenas: HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED?

Melissa Dunmore: I ACTUALLY MET MICHELLE THROUGH PUBLIC ALLIES WHICH IS AN AMERICAN CORP PROGRAM SO WE WERE IN THE SAME CLASS 2011-2012. AND WE REALIZED WE WERE BOTH PUERTO RICAN BECAUSE HE TOOK A DRINK AND WE SAID THIS TASTE LIKE MALTA AND WE SAID HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT TASTE LIKE?

José Cárdenas: YOUR NEXT PICTURE IS MICHELLE AT THE SAME EVENT AND SHE IS ON STAGE. WE HAVE HER NOT ONLY IN PICTURE BUT HERE IN ANOTHER FORM. WE WILL SWITCH TO SOMETHING YOU BROUGHT FOR THE SHOW WITH YOU WHICH IS A REFLECTION OF SOME OTHER KIND OF ARTWORK.

Yovani Flores: THIS IS A PROJECT WE STARTED FOR WOMEN IN THE COMMUNITY AND WE STARTED -- IT IS CALLED THE MONSON BELLY PROJECT.

José Cárdenas: YOU MIGHT WANT TO HOLD IT UP HIGHER SO PEOPLE CAN GET A SENSE OF IT. THIS IS BASED ON HER BODY?

Yovani Flores: THIS IS HER ACTUALLY BELLY WHEN SHE WAS PRETTY FAR INTO HER PREGNANCY.

José Cárdenas: SHE IS HERE IN SPIRIT.

Yovani Flores: SHE IS PROBABLY ON THE WAY TO COLOMBIA TO MEET WITH DOULAS.

José Cárdenas: WE HAVE ANOTHER PICTURE FRAUP FROM THE SAME EVENT AND THIS IS WOMAN DANCING.

Yovani Flores: THIS IS THE LOCAL GROUP AND THIS REPRESENTATION OF PUERTO RICAN WOMEN, DOMINICAN WOMEN, JUST REALLY BEAUTIFUL REPRESENTATION OF THE ROOT OF DIASPERA DANCE AND A LOT OF THIS IS STORYTELLING THAT COMES FROM THE HISTORY OF SLAVERY IN PUERTO RICO AND OTHER COUNTRIES.

José Cárdenas: WHEN WE ARE TALKING IN THE GREEN ROOM, YOU EXPLAINED THAT THIS EVENT WAS NOT INTENDED TO BE NECESSARILY THE SAME AS THE DIA LAS MARTES. THE NEXT IMAGES DO PICK UP THE TRADITION OF THE DAY OF THE DEAD.

Melissa Dunmore: WE PARTNERED WITH LOCAL ARTY ARTISTS TO INCORPORATE ANCESTORS AND PEOPLE THAT ARE SACRED TO PEOPLE WHETHER IT IS A GODDESS IN THEIR OWN TRADITION.

José Cárdenas: THE FOCUS IS WOMEN AND PARTICULARLY MOTHERS. WE JUST SAW MICHELLE IN A DIFFERENT FORM HERE. BUT YOU ORGANIZE MOTHER'S DAY EVENTS.

Yovani Flores: THE MOTHER'S DAY EVENT IS REALLY A WAY FOR US TO LOOK AT THE WAY WE CELEBRATE MOTHER'S DAY IN OUR CULTURE WHERE IT WAS A BIG EVENT OUT IN THE COMMUNITY

José Cárdenas: THE ORGANIZATION IS GOING STRONGLY. PEOPLE WANT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE DOING HOW DO THEY GET IT?

Yovani Flores: WE HAVE A WONDERFUL PUBLIC PAGE ON FACEBOOK. WE POST OUR EVENTS. WE POST PHOTOS. THERE ARE VIDEOS OUT THERE. THERE IS ALL OF THE HISTORY FROM BASICALLY DAY TWO WHEN WE STARTED IN PHOENIX.

José Cárdenas: IT IS A FASCINATING ORGANIZATION. THANK YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US ON "HORIZONTE" TO TALK ABOUT IT. THAT'S OUR SHOW FOR TONIGHT. THANK YOU FOR WATCHING. FROM ALL OF US HERE AT HORIZONTE AND YOUR ARIZONA P-B-S STATION. I'M JOSE CARDENAS, HAVE A GOOD EVENING.

Video: "HORIZONTE" IS MADE POSSIBLE BY CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE FRIENDS OF ARIZONA PBS, MEMBERS OF YOUR PBS STATION. THANK YOU.

Yovani Flores: Co-founder, Mujeres del Sol
Melissa Dunmore: Mujeres del Sol

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