La VellonEra en el Colmado San Rafael

La VellonEra en el Colmado San Rafael by Pepe Álvarez uses an out-of-service jukebox from the Colmado San Rafael in the community of Alto del Cabro in Santurce. The piece pays tribute to performances by renowned artists of Puerto Rican popular music in the community. This area has been gradually suffering from the effects of gentrification and urban development for decades, with residents facing the threat of displacement. Álvarez’s work serves as an effort to recover and preserve local memory. During the culminating celebration for Parada 16 ½, an event that formed part of the Museum of Contemporary Art’s 30th-anniversary celebration, participants were able to interact with the original La VellonEra en el Colmado San Rafael and listen to stories, interviews, and sound collages collected by the artist. This piece, a reinterpretation of the original, is dedicated to Luisa (Cotia) Rodríguez, Hirámoslas Rivas, and Legia Vargas, notable figures in the commercial and cultural development of the community.