Painted

coquichuloimages.blogspot.com

Me Gusta

I have been checking out the Ricardo Muniz' blog and found more photos of my new favorite, Corona. I think I am in love.

Ricardo Muniz @ Coquichulo Images

Puerto Rican photographer, Ricardo Muniz of Coquichulo Images, continues to titillate with his latest feature--a tribute to winter in New York City he calls, "Pimp Papis." What better way to celebrate the beauty of the Latino male, say goodbye to winter and welcome spring than by throwing three near-naked men, two Dominicans and an Argentine, into the snow and saying, "Work it, papis!" This series was published in the famed Paris magazine, Ohlala. The models featured are Corona (Dominican), Santiago, (Argentine), and, of course, the 2008 winner of the Mr. Escandalo Contest, Deilin (Dominican). Feel free to check out more of Ricardo's art and photography at his blog www.coquichuloimages.blogspot.com.Above is my FAVORITE!

2009-2010 Calientitos Fundraising Calendar

Calientitos Fundraising Calendar, photographed by Ricardo Muniz for Coquichulo Images, is having a party @ Splash (NYC) next Tuesday, January 20, 2009. All the proceeds are being split with The National Hispanic Scholarship Fund, and The American Indidan College Fund. Go to Ebay to buy your calendar now, or if you are in NYC next Tuesday, stop by Splash and get your calendar signed by the models.

Also, Escandalo Nights will be giving their monthly party on Sunday, January 25, 2009. This month's theme is a Pajama Party.

Boiish Clothing

This week, The Monaga blog brings you the work of Puerto Rican photographer and puppeteer, Ricardo Muñiz (www.myspace.com/coquichuloimages).

While researching Latino designers, Ricardo came across Boiish Clothing (www.boiish.com). He was delighted to discover that Boiish was a clothing line created by a legally married, gay Latino couple from Queens. Because Ricardo’s artwork is focused on the struggles and triumphs of urban Latinos in the US, he immediately wanted to bring the story of Santos and Steve Morales to the fore-front. Hence, this layout was born.

This series was shot entirely in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx. Famed for its industrial waste, graffiti, and long history of prostitution, drug dealing and chop shops, Hunts Point is now making a revival as a cultural arts center for people of color. This series highlights the beauty of it all: Latino culture, gay pride, urban art, and, of course, beautiful clothing and beautiful models.

A little About Santos and Steve Morales of Boiish:

“Steve and I have been together for 14 years. We met through mutual friends during the summer of 1992 in New York City. In 2005, Steve and I were legally married in the State of Massachusetts, where we lived at the time. Shortly after, we moved back to New York City to launch our business.

Steve and I have been designing and managing for over 10 years, so we merged our ideas and experience to start BOIISH. BOIISH is a men's beachwear apparel clothing line that sells in the mid-to-better market. Although we have a full service web site at www.boiish.com, the bulk of our business comes from retailers and specialty boutiques that cater to metrosexual men looking for distinctive apparel.

Steve came up with the company name during a pride event. At the time, we were entertaining the idea to start a business, but we really didn't know what to do. I wanted our business to be in fashion because Steve is a very talented designer. It all came together during the Orlando Gay Days in 2004. We noticed that many men, young and mature, were acting like young boys parading around in their swimsuits and beach gear. There was an unbelievable freedom and a tremendous energy in the crowd...and the men were gorgeous everywhere you looked.

Back home we talked about the event, the swimsuits and the expression "boyish" was thrown back and forth several times. It was then that we decided to put together a beachwear collection for our business venture. Then suddenly, it hit us - the expression 'boyish' would be the name of our company because we felt it's appropriate to the market. After a minor twist on the spelling, we decided on ‘boiish’.”

BOIISH: befitting of a man and playful as a young boy.

“Models featured in this spread are Deilín Sanz, DeMarco Majors, Zion Cohen, Héctor Troncoso, Nicholas Turner, and Ryan Lawrence. Special thanks to Dave Silverberg of Elektra Laboratories.”

Escandalo Nights

Albert and Fernando have moved their fabulous Escandalo Nights parties. Checkout the article below:

New York City’s largest Latino gay party, Escándalo Nights, now takes place the second Sunday of every month at their new venue, El Morocco Theater and Nightclub and Leopard Lounge, 3534 Broadway at 145^th Street in Washington Heights, New York City. Escándalo Nights founders, Alberto Fermín and Fernando Romero, however, see it, define it and promote is as a party for everybody—gay, straight, transgender, bisexual, curious and undefined.

“With Escándalo Nights, we wanted to create a place for everybody—not only gay or straight—to come together and dance, party and socialize in a place where everyone felt safe and comfortable,” claims Alberto.

Both Alberto and Fernando were born in the Dominican Republic. When they first moved uptown to Washington Heights and Inwood, two predominately Dominican neighborhoods in Upper Manhattan, they were surprised and disappointed to see that there were no establishments catering to the Latino gay scene.

“It was sad to see the same people from the neighborhood go downtown or to Queens to socialize in a gay bar when we knew we could establish our own Latino scene up here in Washington Heights and support ourselves,” Alberto asserts. He continues, “I’m very happy with what we’re doing with the community. Every month we’re getting stronger. And, things have changed. We used to have to go to them—now they come to us.”

Although Escándalo Nights just recently celebrated its third anniversary, Alberto and Fernando have been supporting the Uptown Manhattan Latino gay community since 1990 when they promoted their first event, the Annual Gay Picnic, now in its 17^th year.

“We wanted to stop people from having to meet in unsafe places. People [back then] were taking advantage of the gay community. We had to stay quiet. If we got mugged, we couldn’t go to the police and report it. If we were punched in the face, they would do nothing about it. All we had was the park. I didn’t think this was enough. I wanted the Latino gay community to come together out in the open and be supported.”

Besides Escándalo Nights and the Annual Gay Picnic, Alberto and Fernando also sponsor events at No Parking (est. 2006) and the Monkey Bar (est. 2004), two gay bars that have since opened in the community. In fact, Fernando, himself, established the first gay bar, Joel’s, on Upper Broadway, in 1993. Unfortunately, the straight Latino community was not accepting at the time and the bar was shut down in 1995. Now, ten years later, things have changed.

“When No Parking opened,” Alberto states, “I thought we might not be accepted, that we’d feel uncomfortable walking on the street. I was afraid the men [of my Dominican community] would attack us with bottles because the neighborhood was very straight and Latino culture is very macho, but nothing happened. I was impressed. All the work over the years paid off. We were accepted and it was safe for us to walk the streets.”

“I don’t feel safe,” chimes Fernando. “All they boys and taxi drivers whistle and cat call at me.” (The group laughs.)

“The community is getting stronger,” Alberto adds. “We’ve opened the doors for the whole gay community to move here and feel safe and loved. We think about what our community wants and needs. We cater to everybody—the whole Latino gay community, the whole gay community, the whole world.”

For more information on Escándalo Nights and other upcoming NYC events sponsored by Alberto and Fernando, visit them at www.myspace.com/escandalonights and www.myspace.com/cochito25.

We hope to see you on Sunday, January 20, 2008, at the Escándalo Nights “Explosion Party.”

Article and photos by Ricardo Muñiz (www.myspace.com/coquichuloimages).

After Party

This year I just wanted to celebrate my birthday quietly. Had a nice dinner with friends on Sunday and thought that would be it. Then I heard a rumor about a potential "surprise" get-together on Monday, my actual birthday. I tried to discourage it. Then I thought, okay, just a couple of people. Well, the music was turned up loud, and we scandalized the neighbors (in a nice respectful way, of course ...) and had a really great time.

So thanks to John, Curtis, Victor, Kenny, Patricio, Natja, Michael, Melvin, Edward, Byron, Richard, Jose, Gerardo, Mark, Ruddy, Bernard, Drew, Joseph, Elvis, Joel, Jean, Henry, Dana, Merrick, and anyone else who stopped by and I forgot to mention.

I would publish the pictures, but you know the old saying, "what happens in the Dominican Republic, stays in the Dominican Republic."

Instead, I will post pictures from freelance photographer, Ricardo Muniz. This is what I want my next party to be like. Ricardo is a NYC-based photographer who will be sharing some of his work in the future with our blog. He can be reached at coquichuloimages@yahoo.com.

There is so much going on, and so much I want to say, but ... I will wait.

As ever,
The Monaga Blogger

I know, I know ...

I need to blog more often. I just feel like one of the people that can't wait to start my new job that is going to have me traveling to points across the globe. After doing the job for a year you get bored and want to do something else. That's my dilemma now. I was so gung-ho when I started this blogging thing, and now, I feel like it is a job I don't get paid for. I will keep doing it as long as I can.

I have been asked why I closed the comments to the Leon Land entry. Honestly, I just think it is overkill now. Everyone who wanted to comment has had their chance. I had a dream the other night that Leon escaped and made his way back to the DR through Haiti. He and Angie were on the Conde sitting at Paco's telling people not to go out that evening. Then I wake up! Anybody a dream interpreter? The only other thing I will write is if I can confirm his sentence, which is to take place Thursday, April 26. Or, if he escapes ...

The weather has been really up and down lately. Yesterday was beautiful, but very breezy and cool. And I don't know if there is a convention going on, but there are many tourists in town this weekend (and next!). Quite a few people are staying for a month or more, so I have been going to see many apartments for rent. It is amazing what is going on here in the Colonial Zone, and the prices are skyrocketing. The nicer areas of the city have many places for rent, too. If you just happen to be looking for that fabulous penthouse with ocean views, check this building out. The penthouse is a mere $1.2 Dollars (not pesos!).

If you are in town this week, I would suggest you go and peruse the offerings at the International Book Fair in Santo Domingo. Don't read? Well, go anyway and peruse the folk walking around, or take in the many exhibits. Highly recommended.

Beautiful Mag, this really great blog where I found the Dominican model, Deilin Sanz. Well, they have some more great photos of Deilin, along with some other Beautiful models. The photo shoot was photographed by Ricardo Muniz, for a fashion company called Boiish Clothing.

David and Byron have finally updated their blogs. Send them an email and encourage them to update more often.

Pollo Victorino, my favorite fried chicken place in DR is opening up stores in NYC.

Okay, I hope that holds your for a couple of days, while I figure out what else I can say.

Until soon,
The Monaga Blogger