The Nuyorican Poets Cafe has been a revolutionary home for poetry, music, theater, and activism on New York’s Lower East Side since 1973. It’s the stage where legends were born—and where in 1996, a young Bronx poet named Caridad De La Luz first performed, giving rise to the legendary name, La Bruja. In this episode, Caridad takes us back to that night, the moment “La Bruja” was born, and reflects on how the Cafe shaped her voice and her mission. Now, decades later, she has come full circle as the Executive Director, guiding the Cafe into a new chapter with a $24 million renovation project called Nuyoricanstruction. We talk about the Cafe’s role as a cultural sanctuary, Caridad’s journey from spoken word to Off-Broadway and film, and why preserving the Nuyorican’s legacy matters for future generations of artists. #puertoricans #bronx #lowereastside #loisada #nuyoricanpoetscafe #nuyorican #boricua #poetry #spokenword
