The early days of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe: Part II

The Nuyorican Poets Cafe Founders Archive Project is an effort of several Cafe founders to preserve the immense history of the famed cafe and to cement its importance as a foundational scene of poetry and artistic creation in New York's Lower East Side or Loisaida. Founded in 1973, the Nuyorican Poets Cafe began as a living room salon in the East Village apartment of writer and poet Miguel Algarín, along with other playwrights, poets, and musicians of color whose work was not accepted by the mainstream academic, entertainment or publishing industries. As time passed, the signature style of performance poetry became a central fixture of urban Latino and African-American culture, leading to the purchase of a former tenement building at 236 East 3rd Street, where the Cafe continues to reside. A historical and cultural landmark for nearly 50 years, the Cafe has launched numerous careers and supports a wide range of artistic endeavors such as plays, workshops, training sessions, and more.

This footage shows a typical gathering during the early days of the Nuyorican Poets Café. Often beginning and ending with live musical stylings from native Lower East Siders, this footage opens with a musical set by ABC Loisaida (A Band Called Loisaida), before featuring an introduction by Miguel Algarín. Nuyorican founding poet Jorge Brandon follows, then Tisi Garcia. Other poet performers include Miguel or Mikey Scolnick, poet and playwright Carlos Morton, Noel Rico, and Luis Guzmán, who goes on to become a noted film actor. Each of the performers touches on themes of cultural heritage and pride, critiquing systems of colonialization, and the power of poetry as a tool of revolution. After the poems conclude, the band closes out the gathering with another musical set.