Travel Latina

This summer, before having left for France I was living in Ann Arbor since I was still paying for my appartment. I decided to take summer classes, and of course along with that, help with the Hispanic Hertiage Month committee for the Latino Student Orgaization (LSO). I had to do something since I would be missing out of festivties for a whole year, as I was the treasurer for LSO 2007-2008.

Oveous Maximus is a latino spoken-word poetry artist from New York with roots from the Domincan Republic. This year’s internal co-chair for LSO and a friend of mine, Kenia Ruiz had introduced the idea to me, and we decided to make this happen. This is Ove’s performance that completely sold it, goosebump forming and all:

This piece in called “Dulce de Leche” and I love how you can see that he is feminist.

So I decided to prepare funding, advertiseing, co-operations, and Ove’s lodging before I left. I was so excited for the event, even though I was not going to be able to see him or meet him, things were happening for LSO after a slow year last year in which the organization has had a bad name at the University of Michigan. So after my work and all the extra work the current LSO e-board did (fundraising from MSA-MAC and University Arts and Programs) this was the outcome:

Since I was not there to see the performance, a review by Sayan at the University of Michigan said:

“ Oveous Maximus performed to an overflowing, rapt and enthusiastic audience that showered him with cheers and applause and hung on his every word. Rarely have I seen the U-Club at the Michigan Union so packed. In fact, there was standing room only and I had to stand at the back. The excitement was at a similar level as at the other performance poetry event at the university that I had written about a few weeks ago.

Oveous puts his heart out into his performance, this is for sure. He was a bundle of dynamic energy, with his baseball cap sitting on his head at a jaunty tilt, belting out one poem after anothe

The first few poems were high-spirited, but then things to a somber turn as Oveous told the audience that the previous day had been the sixth anniversary of his brother’s death, and that Oveous had spent the day with his parents in Miami, visiting his brother’s grave, before flying into Ann Arbor.”

Picture/ Videos from the performance to come!