Review by Rob Spiegel
The Chicano Movement Explodes Onstage
7-April-2016
Siembra Latino Theatre Festival
Yo Soy Joaquín (or “I am Joaquín”) is an epic poem by Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales, a well-known work associated with the Chicano movement of the 1960s. Joaquín is the narrative voice of the poem, voicing the struggles to achieve economic justice and equal rights. The poem outlines 2000 years of Mexican and Mexican-American history, highlighting the different and often opposing strains that make up Hispanic heritage.
Patricio Tlacaelel Trujillo y Fuentes has brought the poem alive as part of the Siembra Latino Theatre Festival at the National Hispanic Cultural Center (NHCC). Trujillo y Fuentes makes quite a spectacle of the performance, exploding onto the stage amid fog in native Yucatan costume.”

He then uses costume changes and a video screen to depict the various stages of Chicano struggles in the Americas, particularly in the United States. Trujillo y Fuentes grew up in Pueblo, Colorado, in the 1960s, where he first learned the poem when he was nine. He notes that Yo Soy Joaquín is “his blood, his heartbeat, his way of life.
The joy Trujillo y Fuentes takes in the poem is clear and contagious. This 45-minute one-act one-man-show rushes by in a blink. Trujillo y Fuentes keeps the energy high throughout. Also, hats off to guitarist Andres Valdez, Sr., who appears briefly toward the end of the show. The production crew of J. Santiago Candelaria as production manager and Carol Power as stage manager have helped to put together just the right set to support Trujillo y Fuentes’ energetic performance.
The Siembra Festival, which is finishing up its second years at the NHCC, continues to present nine to ten plays each year. Let’s hope it continues. I’ve been impressed by the rich selection of plays, many of which might not find a venue in Albuquerque were it not for this program. Kudos to the NHCC for supporting the festival.
The audiences have sometimes been thin for these mostly excellent productions. This might be helped by greater promotion through subscription sales. There’s certainly an argument to be made for the value of an audience commitment to viewing multiple productions. They build favorably on each other.
Yo Soy Joaquín, written by Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales and performed by Patricio Tlacaelel Trujillo y Fuentes, through April 10, 2016, at the National Hispanic Cultural Center. Performances are at 7:30 Thursday through Saturday, and at 2:00 on Sunday. Tickets are $18, with a $3 discount for seniors and students. $10 for Thursday performances. For more information or to reserve tickets, call the NHCC at 724-4771, or go to nhccnm.org/events
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ABN : Introduce yourself. Who are you and what’s your artistic vision?
Tlacaelel : My name is Patricio Tlacaelel Trujillo y Fuentes but my birth name is actually Patrick Trujillo. Through the years, my name has morphed into what I call myself today, Tlacaelel, which evolved out of my desire to remain close to my cultural heritage: the Chicano culture. My artistic outlook is based on many years of learning my roots and growing up in the southwestern United States. My history as a Chicano artist is inextricably woven into my cut-paper art.
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ABN : What’s your background?
Tlacaelel : I was born and grew up in Pueblo, Colorado, a small town on the banks of the Arkansas River. As a child, I would listen to my father play and sing many of the traditional Mexican songs that would give me a sense of pride. The music my father made served as an introduction to all things aesthetic: music, art, dance, and poetry. I began to cut paper, creating patterns and shapes, which would eventually turn into what I refer to as contemporary papel picado, based on the Mexican tradition of cutting tissue paper to depict images of skeletons, flowers, children on bicycles, and other playful images. The papel picado of Mexico can be found strung above the heads of party-goers at festive celebrations.
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ABN : What is your work philosophy and how does that impact your art?
Tlacaelel : I believe that each of us, as we live our daily lives, can write a book about our experiences, our joys, our accomplishments, and our goals in life. For me and my cut-paper art, each piece I make is another page in my life. As the artworks accumulate, they begin to form the tale of my life, another page in the book of my autobiography. The autobiography will continue to evolve until the day I put down the razor blade or scissors for the last time. I’ve been cutting paper since I was five years old, and at 66, I continue to cut paper, exhibiting and promoting my work. Cutting paper gives my life meaning, a purpose, and a sense of leaving a record of my life. Cutting paper is a way of using my frenetic energy to deal with the daily challenges and horrors of life, as well as the joys and accomplishments as I go through life’s rigors. I like the word frenetic because I see my work as frenetic: fast, energetic, and uncontrolled—much like the fauvists of the 20th century.
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ABN : ABN: What artist(s) inspire you?
Tlacaelel : My work is often inspired by other artists’ works, across disciplines; like modern dance artist Paul Sanasardo, from whom I took dance classes in New York City; concert pianist Douglas Riva, who specializes in the compositions of Spanish composer Enrique Granados; and famed photographer Oscar Lozoya, who’s known for his black and white photography depicting images of Day of the Dead. The beautiful poetry of Garcia Lorca and Rainer Maria Rilke; the way they weave words together inspired me to weave shapes and patterns together in a way that is more sophisticated and detailed than my childhood years. These and other artists have deeply inspired me and influenced my artistic outlook on life, and how I work when making a work of art.
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ABN : What’s the best advice you’ve received?
Tlacaelel : My work is often inspired by other artists’ works, across disciplines; like modern dance artist Paul Sanasardo, from whom I took dance classes in New York City; concert pianist Douglas Riva, who specializes in the compositions of Spanish composer Enrique Granados; and famed photographer Oscar Lozoya, who’s known for his black and white photography depicting images of Day of the Dead. The beautiful poetry of Garcia Lorca and Rainer Maria Rilke; the way they weave words together inspired me to weave shapes and patterns together in a way that is more sophisticated and detailed than my childhood years. These and other artists have deeply inspired me and influenced my artistic outlook on life, and how I work when making a work of art.
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