Ka Malinalli in Blue Box 14.

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Ka Malinalli performed in Blue Box 14 which is on the corner of East Central Boulevard and South Garland Avenue with the I-4 looming nearby. There are 27 Blue Boxes painted on the sidewalks of downtown Orlando. They are the only places where begging, or busking is allowed. Street performers have been  told that they must use the blue boxes. Very few people know where the boxes are, and the boxes are located in areas with very little foot traffic. It is a Machiavellian concept to box in artists. I am documenting each box by having Orlando’s most talented performers utilize each box while I sketch.

It was a windy day. Very windy. Kay braced herself and sang facing the wind. At times she was blown backwards and had to lean in to stand up straight. My baseball cap blew off my head, and I chased it before it landed in a puddle. Two gentlemen caught it just in time and gave it to me. The cap to my water bottle also blew away and landed in the puddle.I left it there until the sketch was completed.

Ka sang lyrical Spanish songs she wrote herself. The wind blew her voice away. Even being just a few feet away, I couldn’t hear her clearly. Her skirt fluttered like a flag. A few cars honked their approval, but I’m certain that no one heard the performance. The two guys who helped retrieve my hat were the only people who walked by. Simply put, this is not an ideal place for a performer to showcase their talents. Of course there were no tips for her wonderful performance. When each song was complete, I would clap and make a gentle sound in my throat like the roar of a huge audience. That roar couldn’t be heard over the wind. Ka bowed to the imagined throngs.

“Rumor del Viento”

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The last performance at Love By Design was singer, songwriter Ka Malinalli along with Leo Aether who’s latest album “Vuelo al Sur“is being released this month. It was getting close to dusk. The audience had thinned out, and volunteers began packing away tables and chairs.  

As part of the Swamp Sistas Songwriters Circle, a gathering of women under the
lead of  Beth McKee, Ka had written a song about the Pulse Tragedy. The song was written in Spanish, so before it was performed, she strummed the chords, as Leo read the translation. With Ka’s permission, I will share it here. 


“Rumor del Viento” (Whispering Wind)


The voices of the ones who fell travel in the whispering wind. 

The loves were silenced under fierce attacks of fire.

Joyful advocates of unconditional equality, transcendental essence of love.

They are victims of hatred deeply embedded in our history, invoking the light of humanity.


The grief of the ones who remain is kept by the whispering wind. 

They keep in their breath the names that inspired a grand movement, of strong defenders of unconditional equality, transcendental essence of love. 

And those who hate without thought,

will be blind as we march together,

beaming with this immense light of humanity.


We’ll be a great mountain. 

We’ll be a great wall. 

We’ll be a great canyon.

The whispering wind will find a refuge in the hearts

of those of us that can still appreciate the time given and look for reason.

And we will transform the songs of love,

into echoes of fight and revolution. 


Sung in Spanish the song was even more beautiful. Looking around, I realized there were only a handful of people experiencing this amazing moment. The lyrics quietly faded away in the early evening breeze. I was so glad that I stayed as long as I did. This song encapsulated the day. My eyes burned as I stood and clapped. There was a quiet beauty in the moment. Creativity flourished even if largely unnoticed.


 

Circa at Love By Design.

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In response to the tragedy at Pulse, AIGA Orlando invited the entire city to Love by Design, an event that will inspire and empower us all to stand against discrimination. Even more than a reflection on this tragic event, Love by Design will be an all-day celebration of The City Beautiful’s talent, diversity and resilience. Local artists and designers will donate original work for sale and auction. Food and entertainment will be provided by local musicians and food trucks. Proceeds will benefit OneOrlando, the fund formed by the mayor’s office to respond to the needs of our community in the wake of the Pulse Tragedy.

Circa was a solo act with plenty of heart. What made the performance so endearing was the fact that every song was directed to the performer’s girl friend seat in the front row. She beamed with pride as he sang and he looked he ” the eyes with every romantic note. Perhaps love can someday overcome hate.

I was drinking pear ciders and by this time, my sketches were loose and fluid. I got to enjoy the performance with Ka Malinalli and her daughter. Ka was the next performer in the line up. She referred to her daughter as the “barnacle” since the two of them are inseparable. Little did I know that it would be Ka’s performance that would bring home the meaning of the day’s fundraiser. Her original song “Whispering Wind” written in the make of the Pulse tragedy caused all the emotions to flood back…

St. Augustine at 450: A Crealdé Documentary Project

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Hannibal Square Heritage Center, (642 West New England Avenue, Winter Park, FL) held an opening for Crealdé‘s newest photo documentary project, which  celebrates the oldest city in the United States, Saint Augustine, on the occasion of the 450th anniversary of its founding.

Ten photographers captured the city’s past, its preservation efforts and its place as a tourist destination, college town and home to a diverse population.The photos showcased the city’s historic sights. Had this been an exhibition of pie in air paintings and or sketches it would have been a different story. The historic city of Saint Augustine has a law on the books which makes the creation of art in the city’s most historic areas illegal. Artists found guilty of painting or sketching are subject to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.

The city of Winter Park decided to copy this insane ordinance which is being contested in the supreme court for being unconstitutional. It is non illegal to create art in Winter Park’s Park Avenue, New England Avenue and Heritage Square. Largely drafted to prohibit performance art, visual art’s are included in the law. If I were to return to Heritage Square Center, where this sketch was done and I tried to sketch the building exterior, I could face jail time today. The ordinance went into effect on December 14, 2015.

The Musical group in this sketch is Ka Malinalli which performed traditional Mexican tunes and original music. The violinist is 16 year old Ariah Deason.  Kattya Graham, who founded the group has since decided to perform solo. Kattya gave me a CD and I enjoy the music in my car on long drives. A large Day of the Dead skull and a small sculpture of a face breaking free of a mask pointed back to the mystical Mexican roots behind the music. 

Would I return to Hannibal Square to sketch now that Winter Park considers my actions criminal? Only time will tell.  But Winter Park has certainly taken a step back to the dark ages by limiting and criminalizing freedom of expression.  Were Ka Malinalli to perform outside the Heritage Center today they too could face jail time.