Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month at CCNY: Ricano Music and Mujer Creacion Divina
- thepaper6
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
By Ingrid Ibarra
Hispanic Heritage Month takes place during two months, beginning September 15 and ending October 15. This time is used to acknowledge and celebrate Hispanic culture and its potent influence on the United States culture and history. One of the ways The City College of New York (CCNY) has decided to celebrate Hispanic culture is by having a few events during this time that shines a spotlight on Hispanic artists.
There were two main events at Aaron Davis Hall. One was a beautiful jazz concert that had heavy Caribbean and African music influences composed and led by Jonathon Suazo. The second was an art collection titled Mujer Creacion Divina by the artist Rhadames Ramirez.
The jazz concert, which took place on October 3rd, was a beautiful mix of different genres of music you wouldn’t expect to go together. It merged African beats with traditional Caribbean genres, and a jazz element using saxophone. The band Jonathon Suazo & Ricano, was made up of multiple instruments and elements such as bass, piano, drums, guitar, saxophone, tambourine, backup singers, etc. Jonathan Suazo, the award winning saxophonist and composer, has both Dominican and Puerto Rican roots, which play an important role in the way he composes his music. He embraces his heritage and the music he grew up listening to but somehow finds a way to incorporate contemporary jazz and make it sound completely new and fresh. He made up the term Ricano, by combining the Spanish words Dominicano (Dominican) and Puertorriqueño (Puerto Rican) as a way to merge his backgrounds which directly informs the specific style of music he composes. It is also the name of his first studio album which is available on all streaming platforms. It was named the sixth best jazz album in 2023 by The New York Times and the Grammys named Suazo one of the top ten emerging jazz artists of 2023. He is currently working on his second studio album, which will continue to explore the Ricano world. It will be out in May of 2026.
His music seems to entice diverse audiences. The concert was filled with people of all ages and backgrounds, a large percentage of the audience being middle-aged Hispanic people. They seemed very excited to hear music that was both traditional and contemporary. The younger people, with or without Hispanic roots, also seemed to enjoy the mix of different genres as they merged together seamlessly. Everyone in the audience was completely captivated by the experience, with many people allowing themselves to move along to the music. Everyone could find an element of the music to enjoy whether it was something they had heard before or if it was completely new. It’s the type of live performance that makes you wonder how come this is the first time you’ve heard something like this.
In my personal experience, as a Bolivian attending the event with my immigrant parents, it was a beautiful evening that we shared together. Although it wasn’t music I grew up listening to at home, it has many elements of music I had heard over the years of living in one of the most rich Hispanic areas in New York. I noticed my parents had a great time and were completely enthralled by the dynamic changes in the rhythms. If they had room to get up and dance, they would have. By the end of the concert, a part of me had gone through an emotional journey, finding beauty and joy in such an intimate experience between live music and an audience that felt they were part of something greater. Being completely present in the same space as dedicated artists and not letting anything else distract you is not as common as it once was, especially for younger generations. It was an unforgettable night and has inspired me to attend more cultural events CCNY offers in the near future.
Leaving the concert, Aaron Davis Hall also displays different artworks throughout the seasons which showcase wonderful, often local artists. For Hispanic Heritage Month, the Mujer Creacion Divina art collection, which translates to Divine Creation Women, by native Dominican artist Rhadames Ramirez was being displayed. The collection’s bright color palette completely stood out and invited the audience in to look more closely. A standout was one portrait of a young woman with braids and a headpiece. Her face and upper body were in various gradients of pretty colors but the background was black, making her project more.
Ramirez immigrated to New York in 1981 and has been making art that celebrates Caribbean culture for many decades. As mentioned in a statement next to the collection of beautiful paintings, “the exhibit reflects his changing styles and influences, as he continues to explore and celebrate his heritage through different techniques.” The Caribbean influences and African roots are very apparent in the paintings, which invoke feelings of happiness and amusement. These influences are shown through attention to detail and the diverse beauty that is apparent in the artwork. Each painting was carefully crafted and holds a very special meaning.
In the current political climate, celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month becomes increasingly necessary. Jonathan Suazo & Ricano provided an enriching evening of jazz combined with Dominican and Puerto Rican influences, alongside African roots. Rhadames Ramirez had a mesmerizing art collection that can occupy you for hours. The beautiful variety of art that people with Hispanic heritage can create is one of a kind and tells unique stories that often involve immigration and preservation. Latinos have one of the greatest influences on this country’s food, culture, history, and legacy. While people in the communities of the Hispanic student body at CCNY are suffering in silence, being able to celebrate their culture is a way they can escape that reality. It is crucial that these events continue to take place and are further funded so that more stories and artists can inspire our young Hispanic community at CCNY.
Ingrid A. Ibarra is currently a junior at the City College of New York studying Economics, with a minor in English Literature. She spends her free time walking around the city, reading, and watching movies and tv shows.
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