Timestorm Special The Heart of Newark Transcript

NARRATION:
Hello listeners! This is Dania Ramos, series creator of Timestorm. In this bonus episode, Sonia and Janelly perform at the Heart of Newark fundraiser that they’ve organized with Alexa and Beni’s help. You’ll also get to meet Josie, the mysterious owner of Taíno Comiics and Games.

2017. BRICK CITY CAFE. NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

MUSIC: “GET UP”

A crowd of people enter the cafe.

JANELLY:
¡Permiso! Can I stamp the back of your hand real quick?

SONIA:
Hey, guys!

BENI:
...and all the money we collect today is being donated to ConPRmetidos...

ALEXA:
Look…

JANELLY:
Hey! Who needs their hand stamped?

ALEXA:
Oooooh! Hey!

SONIA:
Hey!

BENI:
These are all signed by the illustrators.

JANELLY:
Hola, ¿cómo estás?

JOSIE walks onstage. The crowd applauds and hollers.

JOSIE:
Hey, Newark! How we doing? Bienvenidos! Welcome to the Brick City Cafe. If this is your first time here, I hope you’re enjoying the Caribbean fusion snacks. Mmm, qué rico. You can thank Renaee aquí in the front row. She’s the owner and head chef of this fine establishment and has also donated the cafe’s performance space this afternoon. Can we show some love for Renaee?

The crowd applauds and hollers.

JOSIE:
For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Josie Nevarez, owner of Taíno Comics and Games, located on the street right behind us. If you’re a regular at the comic book store, Datu might look more familiar to you. He was running things while I was in Puerto Rico this past year, taking care of other business in San Juan. When I came back to Newark last month, almost immediately, Renaee walks into my store and invites me to host this fundraiser. She said, We gotta have a Boricua. I’m so honored she asked me. Because what we’re doing here tonight? It’s special to me. It’s special for all of us. Am I right?

The crowd applauds and hollers.

JOSIE:
We’re all thinking of our island. Pero, let’s be real, this recovery is going to take time. And we’re going to do out little part to help. That’s what today’s about. Newark, New Jersey, is with Puerto Rico.

The crowd applauds and hollers.

JOSIE:
Now, I’ve got a question for ya'll. Show of hands: who knows Sonia Soto Johnson? She was greeting everyone as we entered.

The crowd hollers.

JOSIE:
Sonia takes guitar and vocal lessons right in this room. She’s the one who had the idea to hold a fundraiser in this space. In fact, Sonia and her friends did much of the work to make this afternoon a reality. Janelly Rios stamped your hand after you paid the entrance fee. Alexa Ventura is selling her amazing knit coquis and flags. And Beni Ventura is with Datu stationed at the Taíno Comics and Games table, selling autographed illustrations and comics donated by artists. All of today’s proceeds are going to ConPRmetidos based in San Juan.

The crowd applauds and hollers.

(On stage)

JOSIE:
All right. It’s time to bring out our first guest. Isabel Pask, a New York-based actor and writer, born in Texas with Puerto Rican roots. Make some noise for Isabel.

JOISE exits the stage.

ISABEL:
te amo, me amas
i am carrying puerto rico for you abuela…

(Backstage)

A lost audience members enters the backstage area.

LOST AUDIENCE MEMBER:
Uh-oh.

JANELLY:
Hi!

LOST AUDIENCE MEMBER:
I’m looking for the restroom, but…how did I end up backstage with the talent?

MICHAEL:
Oh! No problem! The bathrooms are that way.

LOST AUDIENCE MEMBER:
Thank you! And, ooh…break a leg!

JANELLY:
¡Gracias!

LOST AUDIENCE MEMBER:
That’s what you say, right?

SONIA & MICHAEL:
Thanks!

SFX: TEXT MESSAGE ALERT.

SONIA:
You’ll never believe this, Janelly! 

JANELLY:
What?

SFX: WHOOSH.

(On stage)

ISABEL:
last summer in san juan
you almost didn’t recognize her
you almost didn’t recognize
your country disguised in bright lights
unfamiliar street corners, loud busy nights
and McDonalds
people walk through the streets
with their heads down low

i will learn how to make pasteles for you abuela
peel fifty cloves of garlic
fold the banana leaves into little envelopes
brush them with oil
and toil for three days
tie them with string
in neat little bows just to show you i know
how you need puerto rico to grow in me…

SFX: WHOOSH.

(Backstage)

SONIA:
Okay. So, Newark Sounds, it...it’s this contest. A song contest. With a category for just for kids. And Justice, my music teacher, submitted a bunch student song demos - including “This Is Me” - into this contest. I mean, when she mentioned it last month, I figured it was a long shot and I didn’t want to get too excited, especially since the prize is amazing.

JANELLY:
Uh. What’s the prize?

SONIA:
A professional recording of the song. With a professional producer. In a professional recording studio.

JANELLY:
Wow. Whoever wins that is really lucky.

SONIA:
I won. We’re going into the recording studio.

JANELLY:
Me, too?

SONIA :
Of course. You, too.

JANELLY:
This is gonna be fun.

SONIA:
I know, right?

SFX: WHOOSH.

(Onstage)

ISABEL:
she curls up and sleeps against the walls of my heart
(i sing her lullabies so she will not leave) 
she claws at the corners of my mouth begging to be free
begging to be seen.

The crowd applauds and hollers.

ISABEL:
Thank you.

BRICK CITY CAFE, ONSTAGE.

JOSIE walks onstage as ISABEL exits.

JOSIE:
Thank you, Isabel. I just want to remind everyone that Navidad is coming up. Why not get some of your shopping done after the show? Buy a signed a comic book or a knit coqui pin like the one I'm wearing. ¿Para la tía? That's right - holiday shop and donate to a good cause at the same time. Next up, are Aquino and Deivito, hailing from the urbanlands of northern New Jersey.

JOSIE exits the stage.

MUSIC: “TALKING SPIRITS”

AQUINO / DEIVITO:
Rumba, macumba, candombe, bámbula. (Repeat)

Canta en la calle, quemar el montón.
Para aguanile. (¡Aguanile!)
Dar tu corazón. Viva mas.
Encontras tu forma y baile mas.

See from here
The mountain rising
Clear, clear, clear
with the rhythms of our ancestors
drumming in our ears.
Telling us to walk the line, find our time.
Our spirits will walk with us for a lifetime.
Feel the heat on our feet.
And dance to our tribal beat.

Rumba, macumba, candombe, bámbula. (Repeat)

Let us sing you a songoro,
a pretty ditty decima called "La Bamba."
Or maybe it's quimbara quimbamba 
Or maybe it's como se llama cosongoro 
A tune as tasty as mofongoro.
Rumba, macumba...bámbula.

Let me clear my throat!

When the world was young
And laughter falling free
Her hands reached out
like palma giving trees
In those days few songs were sung.
But like ripe fruit them tunes they hung.
Grown from the ground,
we ate those sounds.
And they nourished us all around.

El corazón es un rio profundo,
es una vena tejida en este mundo
en parentesco con todos los que respiran
las bestias y aves y peces sostienen y inspiran
Que amemos lo digno y lo fecundo!
Defienda nuestra Madre!
Rumba macumba candombe
bambula (Repeat)
Rumba, macumba, candombe, bámbula. (Repeat)
¡Ya!

The crowd applauds and hollers.

AQUINO:
Thanks everyone!

JOSIE:
Gracias, Aquino y Deivito! Up next is Seary, who has performed at the Nuyorican Poets Café, the Bowery Poetry Club, and Le Poisson Rouge. Please welcome Seary to the stage!

The crowd applauds and hollers.

SEARY:
Maria
For many she is bendita
For us…she was tormentosa

Maria
Landed on Boriken
And drowned the people in
Salt water and darkness
Blackout

Days would go by
My people would be told lies
About the day their lives would return to
Normal…

(Backstage)

SFX: WHOOSH.

SONIA:
Oh my gosh. I should have brought a back up guitar. What if a string breaks in the middle of my song?

JANELLY:
Has that ever happened to you before?

SONIA:
Well…no. But it could happen.

JANELLY:
Oh, Sonia. I’m nervous, too. But we’ll be fine.

(On stage)

SFX: WHOOSH.

SEARY:
Drowned in darkness,
nights guided by starlight
A reminder of our ancestors lives
Islanders drowning in silence
No radio static, no morning news
No heat from el blower
Yet there was a silence more haunting
coquis sin canto
Maria y su fuerte viento
Le robo las voces

From stateside we were screaming
Wondering if Maria also rendered us
silent
absent
blank
Like satellite images of the Caribbean
A black space where Borikén
Used to be

Puerto Rico drowned in darkness…

(Backstage)

SFX: WHOOSH.

JOSIE:
Mira, you girls are gonna shine. That crowd’s the best. Now, go out there and show the adults how it’s done.

SONIA | JANELLY:
Thanks. | Thank you.

(Onstage)

SFX: WHOOSH.

SEARY:
People turned to each other
Not on each other
Porque Boricua significa sobrevivir

The crowd applauds and hollers.

SEARY:
Thank you.

JOSIE walks onstage as Seary exits.

JOSIE:
Thank you, Seary! That was powerful. We’re gonna close out the show with a special surprise. Sonia Soto Johnson and Janelly Rios are going to be our final act of the afternoon. 

The crowd applauds and hollers.

JOSIE:
Sonia and Janelly are both a seventh graders at Rafael Hernández School. Sonia plays guitar, sings, and is on the honor roll. Janelly Rios is an expert on Spiderman who sometimes sings. Give it up for these young ladies!

JOSIE exits and SONIA and JANELLY walk onstage to applause.

SONIA:
Hi. My name's Sonia. And, uh, this is Janelly.

JANELLY:
Hey. I'm doing some back up vocals.

SONIA:
So…this is a work-in-progress. And the title is "This Is Me." So...uh...here we go. Okay…

MUSIC: “THIS IS ME”

SONIA & (JANELLY):
I’m at this party, they stare at me, 
whispering,“She talks so funny!”

All I want is to stand and scream:
This is all I’ve got. This is me.
This is me.

Hey, I don’t know what you are like.
(No sé como eres.)
No, I don’t know what you are like.
(No sé como eres.)
So, I don’t know what you are like,
(No sé como eres,)
But this is me! (This is me!)

Waves that flow from my head
My skin, my eyes 
So misread
This is me.

All I want is to stand and scream: 
This is all I’ve got.
This is me.
This is me.

Hey, I don’t know what you are like.
(No sé como eres.)
No, I don’t know what you are like.
(No sé como eres.)
So, I don’t know what you are like,
(No sé como eres,)
But this is me. (This is me!)
But this is me. (Esta soy yo!)

I grab my hand, years ago.
I hold it tight and won’t let go 
Fly to the sand and waves of blue 
We sing so loud... (Cantamos fuerte...)
We sing so loud... (Cantamos fuerte...)
We sing our truth! (Heck, yeah!)

Hey, I don’t know what you are like.
(No sé como eres.)
No, I don’t know what you are like.
(No sé como eres.)
So, I don’t know what you are like,
(No sé como eres,)
But this is me. (Esta soy yo.)
But this is me. (Esta soy yo.)
But this is me. (Esta soy yo.)
But this is me. (Esta soy yo.)

This is me.

The crowd applauds and hollers.

SONIA | JANELLY:
Thanks. | Gracias.

JOSIE walks onstage.

JOSIE:
And thank YOU, Sonia and Janelly. All right, I'm going to ask all of the performers to join us on stage. Come on! ¡Ven!

MUSIC: “GET UP”

JOSIE:
Let’s hear it for Seary, Aquino y Deivito, Isabel Pask, and Sonia and Janelly. Thank you, Alexa and Beni Ventura for all of your help, all the artists who donated their work, and Brick City Cafe for providing food and space for the Heart of Newark fundraiser! And thank YOU for spending the afternoon with us. I hope all of your loved ones in PR are safe and finding the support they need. Now, go buy some knit coquis and comic books for Puerto Rico!

The crowd applauds and hollers.

NARRATION:
Thank you for listening to this Timestorm special, which was inspired by the fundraising efforts that took place in Newark and across the nation in the months immediately following the devastation of Hurricane Maria. More than two years later, the island is still recovering. ConPRmetidos, the organization mentioned in this episode, is a real-life organization that’s committed to creating a stable, productive and self-sufficient Puerto Rico. You can find a link to their website by visiting: Cocotazo Media dot com slash PuertoRico. That’s c-o-c-o-t-a-z-o-media dot com slash PuertoRico.

MUSIC: “IN THE TIMESTORM” INSTRUMENTAL.

NARRATION:
This special episode was written by Dania Ramos with original poems written and performed by Isabel Pask and J. F. Seary. “Talking Spirits” was written and performed by Aquino and Deivito. “This Is Me” was written and performed by Michael Aquino with Jessica Bracken on lead vocals and additional vocals by Frances Ramos. Audio engineering and sound design were by Michael Aquino. The role of Josie was played Angelica Ubiera. Sonia was played by Jessica Bracken. Janelly was played by Frances Ramos. Beni Ventura was played by Claudio Venancio. Alexa Ventura was played by Leilany Figueroa. Links to full versions of the poems in this episode are included in the show notes.

A couple of fans in sent us a really fun surprise that we wanted to share with you. Here are Eva and Joaquin from Austin, Texas, singing their own rendition of the series theme song.

EVA & JOAQUIN:
The hidden past seeks its dawn,
showing us that we all belong.
Horacio, Alexa, and Beni take back time,
find history in the timestorm.
Witness. Find. Remember

NARRATION:
Thanks for sending that, Eva and Joaquin! I noticed that you even voiced some of the sound effects. Nice! We love hearing from our listeners. You can reach us at cocotazomedia at gmail dot com.

Timestorm is produced by Cocotazo Media and is a proud member of TRAX from PRX. Support for TRAX comes from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. To learn more about TRAX, visit TRAX dot fm: that’s t-r-a-x-dot fm. Additional support comes from the PRX Google Podcasts creator program.

If you enjoy the show, ask your parents to subscribe to Timestorm on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, or the Kids Listen App. A quick message for our adult listeners: please be sure to check out our free resources, including episode guides and transcripts over at Timestorm Series dot com. And if you're interested in more bonus and behind-the-scenes content, we hope you’ll consider joining our Patreon community over at Patreon dot com slash Timestorm. You can also show your support for the series by sharing it with a friend or leaving a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Podchaser.

NARRATION:
We want to acknowledge the support that you, our listeners, have given us. We’re truly grateful for every message, review, share-out, performance of our theme song, and donation we’ve received. Thank you!

Timestorm is produced in Essex County, New Jersey, which is situated on the traditional territory of the Leni Lenape people.

As always, thanks for listening.

ATABEY:
Witness. Find. Remember.

END OF TIMESTORM - SPECIAL: THE HEART OF NEWARK