A Live Arts Boston event about loss, rage, and healing from the experience of Hurricane María in the Puerto Rican Diaspora.

More than 4,000 people died during the year after Hurricane María hit the archipelago of Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017. Right after the weather event, the archipelago experienced a one-week blackout, the longest in the history of the US and its territories. These are alarming facts for anyone; for Puerto Ricans living outside the islands, the experience of living the aftermath of the Hurricane brought anxiety, panic attacks, constant adrenaline rushes, and insomnia, to name a few effects of witnessing the event from a distance.

The word “despojo” in Puerto Rico refers to sacred environments where emotional burdens are released in ritual actions, as mind, body and soul reach a safe, grounded place. “Despojo” also refers to what is left after cleansing occurs: the residue, the waste. Both meanings are included in the piece.

This ”despojo”* will be grounded in poetry, performance, music, audiovisual arts, and healing rituals with a ceremonial focus.

Poet/Artistic Director Yara Liceaga-Rojas, alongside multi-genre artist Shey Rivera Ríos, Lyric Coloratura Soprano Karish, death midwife and healing arts practitioner Luana Morales, Seeds of Our Ancestors, AgitArte and special guests will present this work at CROMA, Arlington Street Church’s performance space. This project is made possible in part by a Live Arts Boston grant from the Boston Foundation.

Event starts at 7:30pm on September 21st, 2019.

*This event includes difficult emotional content: death, trauma and violence. Parental discretion adviced.