"And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same." Nelson Mandela
Las ’Manas- which is short for las hermanas or the sisters- is women of color writers and artists collective. The original members of Las ’Manas, which include Rosa, Cruz, Maya, Gina, Marisa, Sasha and Genevieve, came together in 2004 to cultivate a more feminine voice and sense of sisterhood within the Bay Area spoken word scene.
Las Manas Tres (Maya, Milta and Cruz) are hybrid poetas bringing the fuerte flava, heating the heart and melting the mind from the Bay to L.A. Their stilo is characterized by a mixture of theater, spoken word and movement, centered around themes of social justice, sexuality, motherhood and the relationship between first and third world women.
Born from the Las Manas Sisterhood Circle, individually these women are accomplished in their own right. As a trio they take their creativity to new heights using sisterhood and storytelling to inspire collaborative pieces that delve into pain, injustice, love, family, community, and identity, which conjure a potent potion to fend off the plague of self sabotage. Their newest work pokes fun and peels back the layers of community building and relationships, speaking from the in between spaces as hi-tech aztecs, cyber mamas and spiritual beings. They’re always ready to bring the hotness. Yaddamean?
Contact: Cruz Grimaldo
email: ma_cruz AT berkeley.edu or (510)642-6449
