A new multidisciplinary theater work by award-winning poet, performance artist, and playwright Paul S. Flores, “We Have Iré,” explores the true stories of Afro-Cuban immigrants living in the United States, as well as their influences on and experiences with American culture.
Commissioned by Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and co-produced by Pregones Theater in New York City, We Have Iré features the performances of Grammy-Nominated jazz musician and composer Yosvany Terry and his quartet; award-winning choreographer and dancer Ramon Ramos Alayo; Oakland-based hip-hop artist DJ Leydis, and poet, writer, and Youth Speaks co-founder Paul S. Flores. Shaped by Flores’ research into his own roots and interviews with collaborators, the performance centers around the passion of four immigrant artists, their traditions, life in Cuba, and their individual journeys, from Cuba to the United States. Directed by Rosalba Rolón of Pregones Theater with videography from filmmaker Eli Jacobs-Fantauzzi, We Have Iré speaks to the challenges of being an immigrant artist and celebrates the triumph of establishing one’s voice in a new country through live Cuban jazz, traditional Yoruba songs and dance, Latinx hip-hop, and spoken word. In collaboration with CubaCaribe.
