When Death Visits a Popular Beauty Salon, By David Gonzalez (The New York Times)

The flowers and candles lent a soft touch to the sidewalk outside Jailina Salon Unisex on Saint Nicholas Avenue. But the closer people got, the more the sight broke their hearts ... read more

Book Review: The Birth of Hip-Hop

A quarter of a century ago, as New York City's unemployment rate ballooned past eleven percent, recordings from the burgeoning world of rap chronicled the plight of the city's poor, as Luis “Disco Wiz” Cedeno and others recall in a series of recently published books. City Limits' Curtis Stephen reports ... read more

Farmers Say New State Legislation Will Affect Production

The proposed Farm Workers Fair Labor Practices Act, if passed by the state Legislature, would force farmers to cut jobs, limit employees' hours or close their farms, says Watertown Daily Times's Jude Seymour ... read more

Film Review: A. O. Scott on Pedro Almodóvar's "Broken Embraces" (The New York Times)

Can there be such a thing as exuberant melancholy? I can’t think of another way to describe the spirit of Almodóvar’s latest film, the title of which carries a telling hint of paradox ... read more

Prestigious Literary Journal Celebrates Inca Garcilaso's 400th Anniversary

The special Inca Garcilaso de la Vega issue of Review: Literature and Arts of the Americas, marked the culmination of Americas Society’s Fall 2009 literature series, a season that focused on the life and legacy of the son of an Inca princess and a Spanish conquistador who is considered the first Spanish American writer ... read more

Award-Winning Peruvian Author Presents Novel in Queens

Last Thursday, Dora Przybylek presented to local audiences her book "Luna llena," winner of the Best Romantic Novel International Latino Book Awards. El Diario La Prensa's Julio Paredes reports ... read more (in Spanish)

Book Review: Sean Wilentz on "A Country of Vast Designs: James K. Polk, the Mexican War, and the Conquest of the American Continent," By Robert W. Merry (The New York Times)

Polk seized upon his marginal election victory of 1844 and proceeded to act as if he had won an enormous mandate; then he led the country into war with Mexico by resorting to what his critics called deep deception. No wonder some writers have likened him to George W. Bush ... read more

Pinta Consolidates as Latin American Art Benchmark Showcase

Sixty top-notch galleries from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Chile, Dominican Republic, Germany, Mexico, Peru, Spain, Venezuela, and the United States set the stage for the ebullient third edition of Pinta, The Modern & Contemporary Latin American Art Fair, which is on view until tomorrow at the Metropolitan Pavilion and B. Altman Building in Chelsea ... read more

More on this issue:
Pinta 09 Confidently Sets Sail, Andrew Russeth (Artinfo)
Latin American Art Fair in the Big Apple (New York Times)
Review: PINTA Art Fair 2009, By Catherine Serrano  (NYRemezcla)
Latin American Sales Show Robust Results, By Amy Page (Artinfo)
El arte latino enamora a Nueva York, por Ana María Battistozzi (Clarín, Argentina)
El arte latinoamericano tiene espacio propio en Nueva York, y Pinta 2009 mide sus fuerzas en Nueva York, por Alicia De Arteaga (La Nación, Arg.)

Poetry Series Spurs Debate on the Use of an Old Slur

Once a cruelly common taunt that mocked the way Spanish speakers pronounced “speak” but also used creatively by reknown poets and artists, the appearance of the S word in the title of El Museo del Barrio's poetry series Spic Up/Speak Out has sparked controversy among Latino writers. New York Times's David Gonzalez reports ... read more

Puerto Ricans in New York Face Persistent Struggles

Almost a third of New York's Puerto Ricans are below the poverty line, compared to less than a fifth of all New Yorkers, and in terms of educational and professional achievement, they are also doing worse than Latinos in general; but these statistics may not be reflecting the whole story. WNYC’s Marianne McCune reports ... read more

Study Shows Link Between Segregation and Subprime Loans

According to researchers at New York University, the probability that individual borrowers receive risky, high-cost subprime loans increases depending on the racial composition of the neighborhood or metropolitan area where they live. New York Times's Manny Fernández reports ... read more

Rebuilding U.S. - Cuba Relationship, One Beat at a Time

The Cuban Septeto Nacional de Ignacio Piñeiro can legitimately claim to be inventors of salsa, says New York Times's Larry Rohter. But it last played in the United States when Franklin D. Roosevelt was president, until early this month ... read more

More Latin Events / November 20 - December 1

The Daily News' Weekly Latin Picks: Music, Dance, Theater, Film, and more ... read more

Musical Offerings / November 21 - 27

November 21 (8 pm) Mariza & Friends. Presentation of Portuguese fado singer Mariza with Afro-Peruvian singer Eva Ayllón and Cuban jazz pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba. Tickets: $25 - $95. At Carnegie Hall, 57th Street & 7th Avenue. For further information, call 212-247-7800.

November 21 (8:30 pm & 10:45 pm) The Alegrías Tablao. Flamenco performance featuring La Trini de Jerés, Bárbara Martínez, Pedro Cortés, and Jorge Navarro. Cover: $20. At La Nacional, 239 West 14th Street. For more information, call 917-691-6399.

November 21 (8 pm) Argentine Folk & Tango. Singer and guitarist Pedro René presents his albums “Pinceladas del Sur” and “Nos”. Tickets: $10. At El Taller Latinoamericano, 2710 Broadway, 3rd Floor (At 104thStreet). For reservations and further information, call 212-665-9460.

November 21 (8:30 pm) Sín Lineas en el Mapa. From Argentina, Luz María Carriquiry and Eulogio Moros perform Latin American music in their Hay Locuras international tour. Free admission; donation suggested. At the Terraza Cafe, 40-19 Gleane Street, Elmhurst. For more information, call 718-803-9602.

November 22 (8 pm) Devendra Banhart in Concert. Venezuelan Devendra Banhart presents his new album What Will We Be. Tickets: $26 - $30.  At Town Hall, 123 West 43rd Street. For tickets, click here. For more information, call 212-840-2824.

November 22 (9 pm - 11 pm) Gregorio Uribe Big Band. Afro-Colombian rhythms blends with funk grooves and powerful big band arrangments. Tickets: $10. At the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, 236 3rd Street (between Avenues B & C). For more information, call 212-505-8183.

November 23 (8 pm) Glamour Tango. Closing the fourth edition of the Latin American Cultural Week in New York, the formation created by reknown Uruguayan pianist Polly Ferman celebrates the presence of Women in Tango. Featuring Bettina Hartl (bandoneon), Tali Roth (guitar), Machiko Ozawa, Ina Paris (violins), Anne Lieberwirth (double bass) and singer Valeria Lima, with dancers Mariana Parma and Mariana Galassi and the musical direction of Mario Cammarano. Tickets: $25. At City Winery, 155 Varick Street (between Spring and Vandam Streets). For more information, call 212-608-0555.

November 24 (7 pm & 8 pm) Afro Cuban & Salsa Classes. Two hour session every Tuesday through December 15th. At Nola Studios, 250 West 54th Street, 11th Floor. For more information, send an e-mail to salsonera@gmail.com or call 212-582-1417.

November 25 (5:30 pm) Jimmy Delgado & his Orchestra. Live Salsa. Tickets: $10. At El Taller Boricua, 1680 Lexington Avenue. For more information, call 212-831-4333.

November 25 (6 pm - 12 am) Spanish Harlem Salsa Night. Zon del Barrio, the official house band of the National Puerto Rican Day Parade and the Hispanic Day Parade, performs live. Admission: Ladies free until 7 pm, Gentlemen $5. $10 after 7pm. At Milk Lounge, 2056 Second Avenue. To RSVP or for more information, call 212-594-9355.

November 25 (7 pm) Bebel Gilberto Live. Bossa Nova. Tickets: $35 - $50. At Hiro Ballroom, 371 West 16th Street. Formore information, call 212-727-0212.

November 27 (7 pm) Forro in the Dark & Pistolera. New York-based Latin alternative bands in action. Tickets: $15. At Highline Ballroom, 431 West 16th Street. Formore information, call 212-414-5994.

To appear in this listing, send information to hnypeditor@gmail.com 

THEATER / November 20 - 27

November 20 (8 pm) La Casa de los Espíritus. Isabel Allende’s magical novel adapted for the stage by Caridad Svich. The rise and fall of a patrician family in an un-named Latin American country through several decades of tumultuous sociopolitical changes that culminate in a cruel dictatorship. Directed by José Zayas. In Spanish with a live English translation. At Teatro Repertorio Español, 138 East 27th Street (between Lexington and Third Avenues). Tickets start at $25. For more information, call 212-225-9920.

November 20 & 21 ( 8 pm) Aloha Boricua: A New Latino Musical Play. The rhythms of traditional Puerto Rican music and urban reggaetón collide in this song-driven rendition of the historic migration of Puerto Ricans to Hawaii. Adapted from Manuel Ramos Otero's Vivir del Cuento. Presented in Spanish and English with titles. At Pregones Theater, 571-575 Walton Avenue, The Bronx. For tickets and more information, e-mail to info@pregones.org or call 718-585-1202.

November 21 (3 pm) La cenicienta (Cinderella). A bilingual musical based on the classic fairytale about a humble girl who works very hard to realize her dreams. At Teatro SEA, 107 Suffolk Street, 2nd Floor. For tickets and more information, call 212-529-1545.

November 21 & 22 ( 3 pm & 7 pm) U.S. & Mexico Playwright Exchange. Four Mexican playwrights, four American playwrights, four new plays in translation. Presented by the Lark Play Development Center. Free admission. At Lark Studio,939 8th Avenue, 2nd Floor (between 55th & 56th Streets). For more information and schedules click here or call 212-246-2676.

November 22 (1 pm - 3:45 pm) Theater Workshop. Presented by Ay Ombe Theater, no prior experience necessary. Limited space available. Cost: $75. RSVP by sending an e-mail to ayombetheatre@gmail.com. At Roy Arias Studios & Theater, 300 West 43rd Street, Room 606. For more information, call 212-957-8358.

November 24 (11 am) El Quijote. Directed by Jorge Alí Triana. An adaptation of Cervantes' masterpiece, directed by Jorge Alí Triana. Presented in Spanish, English translation available. At Teatro Repertorio Español, 138 East 27th Street (between Lexington and Third Avenues). Tickets start at $25. VIP seating available. For more information, call 212-889-2850.

November 21 (3 pm) La Vida es Sueño (Life is a Dream). A prince is imprisoned after his horoscope reveals that he will bring disaster to the country. By Pedro Calderón de la Barca. Directed by René Buch. At Teatro Repertorio Español, 138 East 27th Street (between Lexington and Third Avenues). Presented in Spanish with live simultaneous translation via headsets. Tickets start at $25. VIP Seats available. For more information, call 212-889-2850.