All Of It (WNYC) – "Poet Caridad de la Luz Performs Live (Get Lit)"

Date: April 2, 2024
Host: Kusha Navadar (in for Alison Stewart)
Featured Guest: Caridad de la Luz (La Bruja), poet, singer, rapper, executive director of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe

Episode Overview

This episode brings together poetry, music, and the resilient spirit of New York City’s creative scene. Poet and performer Caridad de la Luz—known as La Bruja—joins "All Of It" for a live, electrifying spoken word and musical set as part of the "Get Lit" event. The discussion explores the intersections of hip hop, bilingual expression, cultural identity, and the ongoing evolution and impact of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, which has just launched a major renovation milestone.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Caridad de la Luz – "Every Oyster" Live Performance (01:26 – 04:56)

• Performance Highlight: Caridad opens with her evocative song "Every Oyster," blending English and Spanish, exploring coming-of-age, generational wisdom, the challenges of girlhood, and cultural heritage.
  • Quote:
    • “Every oyster in the ocean doesn’t have a pearl. Hail Mary 14, still got my cherry. Please don’t let me be less than ordinary.” – Caridad de la Luz (01:29)
  • Themes include familial advice, self-respect, and pride in identity.
• Multilingual Verse: She weaves Spanish naturally into her performance, illustrating lived experience as a bilingual Latina in NYC.

2. The Inseparability of Poetry, Hip Hop, and Identity (05:00 – 07:51)

• Kusha Navadar / Simon Close (Get Lit Producer) Q&A: The conversation centers on how hip hop and poetry informed each other in Caridad’s creative evolution.
  • Quote:
    • “We were doing hip hop before we were told it was even hip hop...inside the house it was salsa, merengue, cha-cha... When I tried to do rhymes, I was 14. My first hip hop song was called ‘Square Pegs’.” – Caridad de la Luz (05:35–06:13)
• Breaking Barriers at Nuyorican Poets Cafe: Caridad recalls entering the male-dominated cipher circles, earning respect by returning with written "bars," and how poetry always offered a safe passage, especially amidst the challenges of the music industry.
  • Quote:
    • “Somebody was like, ‘You just a poet, you’re not an emcee.’ And I was like, I’ll be back… came back the next month with some bars… and here we are.” – Caridad de la Luz (06:13)

3. Bilingualism, Spanglish, and Cultural Expression (07:51 – 09:34)

• Language as Resource and Rebellion: Caridad champions writing in both English and Spanish—at a time when she was told to choose one over the other—and celebrates inventive Spanglish.
  • Quote:
    • “That was one of the things that people were like, you know, choose—don’t, you can’t do both. And at the time, it just didn’t seem... commercial enough.” – Caridad de la Luz (08:16)
  • Emphasizes how bilingual wordplay creates unique “delicious” expressions and honors poetic mentors like Pedro Pietri and Tato Laviera.

4. The Meaning and Power of "La Bruja" (09:34 – 12:35)

• Origin and Impact of Performer Name: Caridad explains her adoption of "La Bruja" (“The Witch” in Spanish) as a feminist, spiritual, political, and cultural act.
  • Quote:
    • “I wasn’t trying to win any popularity contests by calling myself La Bruja… My name is Caridad de la Luz, which means charity of the light, so I’ve dedicated my life to being a witch of the light and using word and arts to help illuminate truth and love.” – Caridad de la Luz (10:43)
  • She references inspirations, family ties to spirituality, and her commitment to defending children, nature, and community.

5. Reimagining the Nuyorican Poets Cafe (12:35 – 14:16)

• Milestone Moment: Caridad discusses the Cafe’s recent $24 million renovation groundbreaking and her unexpected path as executive director.
  • Quote:
    • “When I became the executive director, I resurrected it from the pandemic. It was shut down for those years… I just know that I will [do it].” – Caridad de la Luz (12:42)
• Despite physical closure, the Cafe remains vibrant with programming across the city. She encourages listeners to take part and participate in open mics—her own launchpad as an artist.

6. Live Performance – “S.P.I.C.S.” (14:28 – 16:10)

• Provocative Spoken Word: Caridad reclaims and deconstructs the slur “S.P.I.C.” through a rapid-fire acronym poem, turning it into a manifesto of resilience, identity, and pride.
  • Notable Lines:
    • “S-P-I-C-S—Spanish people in crisis, speak politely I’m crazy… Strong pro independence community… Socio-political insanity continues. Speaking purpose, constitutional—it don’t mean the same thing to me.” – Caridad de la Luz (14:56)
  • The piece is a blend of biting wit and political commentary, stressing the power of words.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You better use your head in this world, young girl… every oyster in the ocean doesn't have a pearl.” – Caridad de la Luz, "Every Oyster" (01:26–04:56)
• “We were doing hip hop before we were told it was even hip hop.” – Caridad de la Luz (05:35)
• “The poetry was always my saving grace… no matter what was going on, that was the thing that always gave me a safe passage.” – Caridad de la Luz (07:34)
• “My name is Caridad de la Luz, which means charity of the light, so I've dedicated my life to being a witch of the light and using word and arts to help illuminate truth and love.” – Caridad de la Luz (10:43)
• “If he left, let him go.” (On spell requests as La Bruja) – Caridad de la Luz (11:54)
• “I may not know how to do it. I just know that I will.” – Caridad de la Luz (12:59)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:26] – “Every Oyster” live poetry/song performance
• [05:00] – Discussion: Hip hop, poetry origins, and the NY scene
• [07:51] – On bilingual writing and Spanglish
• [09:34] – Meaning behind “La Bruja” and cultural roots
• [12:35] – Nuyorican Poets Cafe: Renovation and director role
• [14:28] – “S.P.I.C.S.” live performance and deconstruction of slur

Final Notes

This episode is a tribute to the transformative power of poetry, music, and cross-cultural storytelling, offering a compelling look at Caridad de la Luz’s journey from Bronx teen poet to cultural leader and icon of resistance, self-definition, and light. Her performances and stories prompt listeners to honor heritage, take up the mic, and find their own voice in the city’s ever-evolving creative chorus.