I'M SO JERSEY CITY

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Cocomama brings the musical heat to Jersey City

By Ricardo Kaulessar - Focal Point JC

The musical group Cocamama will come back to Jersey City on Sept. 9 after their recent appearance on July 22. Image by Ricardo Kaulessar.

If you weren't able see the all-female band Cocomama when they came to Jersey City's Miller Branch Library on July 22, don't despair as they are scheduled to return to town on Sept. 9.

That's when the group, who combines sassy brass with tropical rhythms, will perform at the African Cultural Arts Festival in Berry Lane Park.

If their July appearance is any indication of future outcomes, they will be having people on their feet and dancing to the beat next month.

The group, which featured Mayra Casales, Nicki Denner, Reut Regev, Lafrae Olivia Sci, Ariacne Trujillo and Jennifer Vincent, went through an hour-plus vibrant set of vocal and instrumental selections.

And they not only affected the audience with their infectious music, but also with some fun of their own. Whether it was Denner and Trujillo taking turns on the piano during one number, or it was Regev dancing offstage with her daughter during another piece.

Their performance at the African Cultural Arts Festival is scheduled for 4 p.m. on the same stage as other talents including the Mount Olive Gospel Choir (1 p.m.), Segunda Quimbamba (2 p.m.), SpecKtrums Afrikans (3 p.m.) and the Blackbyrds (5 p.m.).

For more information about the festival, call [phone].

Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at [email protected].

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White Eagle Hall is now open for your entertainment

By Ricardo Kaulessar - I’m So Jersey City

The grand opening of White Eagle Hall on Newark Avenue in downtown Jersey City occurred on May 5. Photos by Ricardo Kaulessar.

The closing of St. Anthony’s High School in downtown Jersey City, at the end of this school year, was marked recently by a gathering of alumnus to remember the school as well as its legendary basketball team coached by Basketball Hall of Fame coach Bob Hurley.

Fittingly, the event was held at White Eagle Hall on Newark Avenue, where Hurley held his famously rigorous practices, but is now an entertainment venue.

The grand opening for the renovated White Eagle Hall took place on May 5.

The building, which dates to 1910, underwent a 10-year transformation, according to Ben LoPiccolo, whose development company led the project. He spoke before the ribbon cutting as he was about to lead a tour of White Eagle Hall for visitors including Mayor Steven Fulop.

“Everything was completely redone, we stripped the building down to the bone, we had to fix the infrastructure. Special work went into it,” LoPiccolo said.

The result is an 8,000 square-foot space that can fit 800 people standing, a wraparound balcony, tin and stained-glass ceiling, three separate bars, 28-foot high ceilings, and a 23-foot proscenium stage with two levels of back-stage areas. Also, WEH has its own food & bar service. and features two restaurants - Madame Claude Bis and Cellar 335 – located on the ground level of the space.

At the ribbon cutting, Fulop gave a proclamation to LoPiccolo and his wife, Olga Levina, to recognize the work that went into the restoration, and the space being opened for business.

The celebration continued into the evening with an afterparty and performances by a Ukrainian youth dance troupe and several rock bands.

Upcoming performances include the bands Buckcherry on June 6 and Frank Iero and the Patience on June 22.

For more about White Eagle Hall, visit whiteeaglehalljc.com.

Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at [email protected]

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Jersey City native’s writing finally in the spotlight

Image courtesy of HarperCollins Publishers

By Ricardo Kaulessar - I’m So Jersey City

The late Kathleen Collins was, without much exaggeration, a Renaissance woman.

Before she passed away tragically in 1988 at the age of 46 from cancer, the Jersey City native was an educator, filmmaker, playwright, and writer.

Collins’ work has experienced a renaissance in recent years with the first-time theatrical release of her 1982 film, “Losing Ground,” considered the first feature-length drama directed by an African-American woman, in 2015 to great acclaim and an extended run across the country.

And in December, “Whatever Happened to Interracial Love?” a collection of 16 short stories that Collins wrote, but much of which were never published in her lifetime, made its debut.

This writer, who had the opportunity to see “Losing Ground” during its premiere in 2015 at New York’s Lincoln Center, recently had the opportunity to read the new book.

“Whatever Happened to Interracial Love?” published by Ecco, an imprint of Harper Collins, contains short works that are revelatory, mysterious, opaque, playful, and humorous.

The themes that run through the stories include the messiness of love and the rigidity of family relations, and sometimes both.

For example, the title story, “Whatever Happened to Interracial Love?” which examines the lives of two roommates, one African-American and one white, living in Manhattan during the height of the civil rights period, and both in interracial relationships.

In one segment in the story, Collins captured the idealism of young love meeting up with cold, hard reality when she wrote: “It’s summer. The ‘Negro’ roommate and her young white lover are considering marriage. In a while, she’ll take him to the hospital to meet her father (a stroke victim from an overdose of idealism). In a while, the short white lover with the overhung lip (so that he stuttered slightly) will confront the gray-haired distinction of New Jersey’s first ‘colored’ principal … Her father will fix his deep gray bourgeois eyes on her and not move a muscle.”

This story like the others in the collection can also be classified as biography. Collins, born Kathleen Conwell in 1942, was the daughter of a Jersey City public school principal whose name is on Downtown Jersey City school (Frank R. Conwell School - PS #3). She also was a promising young writer while a student at Lincoln High School who then went on to study at Skidmore College in upstate New York, where she got involved with the Civil Rights movement.

To learn more about Collins life and work, visit kathleencollins.org.

Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at [email protected]

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Festival Makes Film and TV Lovers' Hearts Go Boom-Boom

By Ricardo Kaulessar - I'm So Jersey City

Photos by Ricardo Kaulessar

The Jersey City International Television & Film Festival was back for its third year this weekend with 39 selections screening from Friday, Nov. 4 to Sunday, Nov. 6 at various locations around town.

Some of the highlights of the festival included a screening of the music video "My Heart Goes..." by local singer Giselle Bellas during Friday's opening night ceremony as well as Bellas performing several songs live, and screenings on Saturday of "Jersey City, the Wildlife and Me," by local resident John Dunstan, "Steps"  by another local resident Eddie Harris, and "Dreadlocks Story."

The opening night red carpet event saw many pack into the Skyline Room at NJCU’s School of Business on Hudson Street, a few blocks from the Jersey City waterfront.

Guests were greeted by local blogger Lynn Hazan aka Chicpeajc as the festival's 2016 Brand Ambassador and other hosts, then being interviewed by Hudson County Freeholder Bill O'Dea, also the subject of a short film, "Who The Heck Is Bill O'Dea," that showed at the JCITFF.

The host for the evening, Michael Billy, talked about the JCITFF being started by Craig Goletz and his wife Maureen along with Michael Billy and Jarl Haugedal, and how the festival has become an outlet for filmmakers.

"We had this crazy idea to put together a film and television festival for Jersey City that would connect members of the community to professionals in the industry," Billy said.

He also thanked many people who had a role in the festival taking place.

One of them was Mayor Steven Fulop, who acknowledged the festival's board for their work, and the Goletzes for being involved in the community not just for the festival, but for also for being Jersey City residents.

Craig Goletz thanked the sponsors of the festival, the audience members and filmmakers, who he said was why the festival was put together in the first place.

This writer spoke to some of the people in the room.

Celeste Landa is a friend and manager of Giselle Bellas who also volunteered to help out at the festival. Landa has attended the festival the last three years and was impressed with this year's edition.

"I am very thrilled to be here at the Jersey City International Television and Film Festival for a third year," Landa said. "I have gone the past three years and I am happy to support Craig and Maureen Goletz."

Casey O'Donnell lives with his wife Rita Salpietro near Hamilton Park in the city's Downtown section. O'Donnell's music video for local band OWEL recent song, "Every Good Boy Does Fine," was chosen for the festival.

"I'm excited. To have a Jersey City-based band in my debut ... it was shot in Jersey City, cut in Jersey City," O'Donnell said.

Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at [email protected].

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Working It with The Co-Work Space

By Ricardo Kaulessar – I’m So Jersey City

Images courtesy of Niki Turkington.

When I recently entered &co, the new co-working space located on the second floor in the Charles & Co. apartment building on Montgomery Street in downtown Jersey City, I thought the layout was a bit much.

Looking around during the kickoff party on Sept. 29, it would have been easy to mistake the 20,000 square-foot space for a luxury penthouse or a glorified real estate office.

Along with 22 private offices and an open plan workspace, there’s also a large event area, standing work bar, meditation room and an outdoor terrace.

Meditation room? Is that even allowed in Jersey City?

All kidding aside, there is a reason for the overindulgence as explained by Eric Silverman, one of the principals of Silverman, the development company that he has operated with his brother Paul since 1981, at the kickoff.

“I told myself that there has to be a better way to work. And we were just about to start building this building, my brother Paul came up with this amazing idea – we need office space on the second floor of Charles and Co. And we wanted to build a beautiful place where people can work, be energized with soul and compassion,” Silverman said.  

That meant the Silvermans brought in designer Rebecca Johnson to create a facility that features a living green wall and Finnish lighting.

But these accoutrements do not pay for themselves as there is a membership fee starting at $250 per month. Looking at it another way, the cost for being a basic level member for one year is less than a month’s rent for a one-bedroom at Charles & Co.

So, a freelancer can work in a place that feels like a living space without actually having to live there. And did I mention a mediation room?

To find out more about &co, go to www.andco.work.

Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at [email protected]

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Jersey City Art and Studio Tour in full swing

Today is the first day of the two-day Jersey City Art and Studio Tour.

The annual celebration of art, in its 26th year, features over 500 artists whose works are on display at various locations across the city.

They range from an exhibition of photos by the late David “Chuck” Cortez at Project Greenville, 128 Winfield Ave., to a group show at 130 Central Ave., also known as the Musicians Building.

For more information about the tour, visit thejcast.com.

The tour kicked off Friday night at 150 Pacific Ave. where works from some of the artists participating in the tour were present as well as the artists themselves.

Ibou Ndoye (pictured below), who specializes in glass painting, spoke about being part of the tour again as part of a exhibit by local arts collective ProArts.

“It always fun for me to be part of this event,” Ndoye said. “The first time I did this was in 2002, which means I have doing this for 14 years now.

“It’s fun because this tour shows off all the young talent in Jersey City and all the good artists in Jersey City.”

Jayne Freeman is known as a childbirth educator and a blogger about parenting called “Mamarama.” But for this tour, she’s showing off another side of herself as pictures she took of various murals in town, some featuring a model posing in front of them, are being shown at Cast Iron Lofts, 300 Coles St.

“I went to the School of Visual Arts, I have a BFA in Photography. It’s like I kind of put on a pair of old shoes,” Freeman said. “I love it. It feels really good to do this again.”

Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at [email protected].

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"Dual Sight: Ocean Avenue" & "Peace March 2014" showing

By Ricardo Kaulessar

The Golden Door International Film Fesitval is coming to a close today.

The four-day festival in Jersey City showcased over 160 films and featured various talks and special events.

I may be the only filmmaker to have two films showing in the festival: "Dual Sight: Ocean Avenue" (also known as "Dual Story: Ocean Avenue") and "Peace March 2014," both of which showed on Friday at Saint Peter's University. If I am wrong, could someone let me know?

Nonetheless, being selected for the festival is reward enough. That's because I am under no illusions that my films will win any awards. There are too many works that were superior in terms of video quality, story and execution.

I saw a couple during the festival that I hope will be in the running for an award to be given out later this evening at the festival's closing night awards ceremony.

The ones that come to mind are "Glen's Village" by Jordan Geiger, "Fester" by Rennie Ren Wah and "To Oh Seven" by Davis Hall.

With that said, I will post links to my films online as there are probably some folks that may have never seen them, and have read on my Facebook page about my works. Enjoy watching.

Here they are:

"Dual Sight: Ocean Avenue" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xp0a9CYd5eM

"Peace March 2014" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScxXjxEiAFU

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Golden Door Opens Again for Filmmaker

By Ricardo Kaulessar

The 6th Annual Golden Door International Film Festival kicked off four days of screenings at the Landmark Loew’s Jersey Theater in Jersey City on Thursday, Sept. 22.

I remember when I was 11 years old when I first went to the Landmark Loew’s Jersey Theater in Jersey City’s Journal Square. It was a school field trip to see Steven Spielberg’s “ET: The Extra Terrestrial.”

There was joy at seeing the gentle alien lifeform riding a bicycle across the sky with his human friend Elliott.  There were tears when ET had to go back home.

I have been to the Loew’s a number of times since that childhood visit, some in the capacity of journalist, and some as an attendee of the various film series that have shown over the years at the 87-year-old theater restored to much of its original glory by the Friends of the Loew’s group.

This past Thursday, Sept. 22, I returned wearing both journalist hat and spectator hat for the opening night gala for the 6th Annual Golden Door International Film Festival. And for the second year, I was putting on the participant hat.

Last year, my short film, “I’m So Jersey City,” was the opening film of the festival. Much joy indeed at seeing my own work projected on the big screen. I think there were some tears, but it was probably out of joy since my mom accompanied me that evening.

This year, two of my short films, “Dual Sight: Ocean Avenue” (also known as “Dual Story: Ocean Avenue”) and “Peace March 2014,” were scheduled to be shown on the festival’s second day this past Friday, September 23, at 3 p.m. at Saint Peter’s University’s Pope Lecture Hall. The festival would run until Sunday, Sept. 25.

But showing my face at the opening night was a plus as I got to see people coming to a gorgeous cinema palace, all decked out in their fancy outfits, to celebrate the cinematic medium. Special guests included Rashad Jennings, running back for the New York Giants.

It also allowed me to nosh on some hors d’oeuvres, and catch up with some old acquaintances and meet some recent ones.

Among them was John Dunstan, the Jersey City-based maker of “Jersey City, The Wildlife and Me,” which was scheduled to show this past Sunday at 1 p.m. Dunstan told me about showing his work in the festival, which captures wildlife within the big city.

“I love it. We look forward to it every year because it chases us a bit out of our ordinary lives,” said Dunstan, who came with his family.

He then said of his film, “There is this whole natural world within this urban world that most people are not aware of, and that is all here.”

Before the opening evening’s screenings of the short “JCPD Searching for Running Man,” and the feature “Another You,” the festival’s founder Bill Sorvino talked over noisy attendees about how the festival has grown since it started in 2011.

“We got a big crowd here tonight, that’s pretty amazing … every year, we get bigger and bigger and at the same time, we see a lot of familiar faces, filmmakers that come back and we love that. We love the new filmmakers and we love giving a voice to all filmmakers,” Sorvino said.

Truth be told, after I got settled in my seat to watch the flicks for the night, I was only able to stay for the short. I had to go home to write this story. I had to get some rest for the next day to not only be able to do my day job as a journalist, but to also stay awake to see my own films as a filmmaker.

Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at [email protected]

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Jersey City Native Powell Returns Home

By Ricardo Kaulessar

Writer Kevin Powell speaks at Sloane Square in Jersey City on Oct. 24 at the launch party for his new book, “The Education of Kevin Powell.”

Thomas Wolfe is famously known for the book, “You Can’t Go Home Again,” published in 1940 after his death, which tells the story about a writer who finds success with his book about his hometown only to discover that family and friends resent how they are portrayed in his work.

Kevin Powell will probably not suffer the fate of Wolfe’s fictional protagonist George Webber as the author and poet has come out with a memoir about growing up in Jersey City in the 1970’s and 1980’s as a bright youth in a tough yet nurturing environment.

“The Education of Kevin Powell,” (Atria Books: October 2015) is Powell’s harrowing and inspiring trip down memory lane, as he recalls his upbringing as the only son of a disciplinarian single mother who “learning” him about words at an early age would shape not only his career path, but the person he would eventually become.

The Kevin Powell who went on to be a student activist at Rutgers University, the cast member of the first season of MTV’s “The Real World,” a up-and-coming journalist at Vibe Magazine, running for political office in New York, and the writer of 12 books and an upcoming biography of the late rapper Tupac Shakur.

“My mother then sat me down, and we spent what felt like the entire day counting numbers and repeating the alphabet and my name and address,” Powell writes in the book. “‘You are going to college. You are going to get a good education,’ my mother said to me. ‘You have to go farther in school than I did. Do you understand?’”

Paying Tribute

At the Oct. 24 launch party for the book, organized by WORD Bookstore and the Jersey City Public Library at Sloane Square, the design studio and retail showroom in downtown Jersey City, Powell was surrounded by friends and admirers as he paid tribute to his mom, Shirley Powell, to whom the book is dedicated.

“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for my mother,” said Powell, who paused for a moment as he was overwhelmed by emotion. He would pause a few more times as he recalled people who were important influences when he was coming up in the world such as his teachers and coaches at Snyder High School like Lillian Williams and Larry Odoms.

Powell said while he has written about Jersey City in the past, his new book is the most he has ever devoted words to his hometown. He said one of the things that he spotlighted in the book was the role that the public library system, especially the Greenville Branch on Kennedy Boulevard, played in his existence.

“The library, as much as anything else, saved my life in so many ways, “Powell said. “As I described in the book, my mother went to the adult section and she read the Jersey Journal, but she gave me permission to just roam.”

Powell also said that his involvement with Jersey City does not stop with his appearance to publicize the book or just periodic visits to relatives as he put out an offer to city officials to set up scholarships for young people who have the potential to become the next Kevin Powell.

Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached by [email protected]

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Some musings

 When I have some time, I will look up all the films in the upcoming #GoldenDoorFilmFest with the exception of #IMSOJERSEYCITY. LOL

But in all seriousness, I will try to check out as many as I can during the festival. It will be the first time in quite awhile that I have the opportunity to check out a film festival that's more than a day.

I don't envy the people who had to look at all the film submissions. KUDOS TO THEM ALL!

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2015 Golden Door Official Selection, congratulations! #IMSOJERSEYCITY #jerseycity #missamericadiner #statueofliberty #lincolnpark #JournalSquare...

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Thoughts about film

I was just thinking about how to maintain the momentum from having my film accepted in the first film festival that I entered this year.

One of the ways to continue the positive direction of being in the Golden Door Film Festival is by making new films. But what will those films be and how will go about doing them?

That's for the next blog post.

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Thoughts about "I'M SO JERSEY CITY" on the big screen

This is the first post of this blog about my short film, "I'M SO JERSEY CITY," being shown in the Golden Door International Film Festival on September 24 in at the Loew's Jersey Theatre in Jersey City.

I am elated, excited, and nervous about getting the first slot in the festival. That means being shown on opening night. Not in my wildest dreams did I ever think that would happen.

It has also been an interesting process of publicizing my film. There are times when I don't want to believe that is happening. But it is, so I have to do my part to make it known that it is showing there.

This past week has been an eye-opening reminder that I am probably showing in a major festival for the first time since my senior year at NYU. The good news is that I submitted all the materials that was required by the Golden Door Film Festival. I just hope they are acceptable.

And again, I want to thank all the people who participated in my production. And of course, Jersey City.

Finally, "I'M SO JERSEY CITY" that I can say that I  was born here, raised here, still living here, and was able to make a film about here that's showing here.

 YES!

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