Victoria Santa Cruz - "They Called Me Black" (Afro- Peruvian spoken word artist: YouTube video with English translated information, words, & comments)

Alicia Quevedo, Oct. 7, 2015

[This summary is translated from Spanish to English by Google translate; Additions and corrections welcome.]

The writer faces racism and faces it with pride and courage.

Victoria Eugenia Santa Cruz Gamarra (* La Victoria, Lima Province, October 27, 1922). She is a composer, choreographer and designer, exponent of Afro-Peruvian art. She is the daughter of Nicomedes Santa Cruz Aparicio and Victoria Gamarra.

She began in the world of tables with the group Cumanana (1958), together with her younger brother Nicomedes Santa Cruz, a famous decimista and poet. On a scholarship from the French government, she traveled to Paris to study at the University of the Theater of Nations (1961) and at the Higher School of Choreographic Studies. At the latter university, she stood out as the creator and designer of the costumes for the work El retablo de don Cristóbal, by Federico García Lorca, and in La rosa de papel, by Ramón del Valle Inclán. Back in Peru, she founded her company, Teatro y Danzas Negras del Perú, with which she performed in the best Peruvian theaters, as well as on television. This group represented Peru in the festivities on the occasion of the 1968 Mexico Olympic Games, in which she received a medal and diploma for her impeccable work.

Later, in 1969, she toured various cities in the United States and back to Peru in May of the same year, she was appointed director of the Folk Art Center, today the Folk School. In the first Latin American Television Festival and Seminar organized by the Universidad Católica de Chile in 1970, she won the award as the best folklorist, and the following year she was invited by the Colombian government to participate in the Cali Festival. She was appointed director of the National Folklore Ensemble of the National Institute of Culture, between 1973 and 1982, and in this capacity she made a successful tour of the United States, Canada, El Salvador, Guatemala, France, Belgium, Switzerland and the Principality of Monaco. .

Upon completion of her tenure, she served as Visiting Professor (1982), Assistant (1983-1989), and Life (1989-1999) at Carnegie Mellon University. She has led workshops in different countries such as Russia, Israel, Canada, Denmark, Spain, Italy and Argentina.

She passed away in Lima on August 30, 2014.

(Description copied from Isa Hernández)"

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases the YouTube video of Afro- Peruvian spoken word artist Victoria Santa Cruz. In that video Vicoria Santa Cruz performed her composition "They Called Me Black" with the backing of several other Afro-Peruvians. 

English translated information about Victoria Santa Cruz is presented in this post along with the English translation of the words for that showcased composition. Selected comments from that YouTube video's discussion thread are also included in this post.

The content of this post is presented for socio-cultural and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Victoria Santa Cruz for her cultural legacy. Thanks to all those who were also featured in this video and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Special thanks to Black Kos Editor Denise Oliver-Velez whose featured this spoken word composition by Victoria Santa Crusthis in the Feb. 9, 2021 edition of  Black Kos: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/2/9/2014455/-Black-Kos-Tuesday-s-Chile-Thinking-about-Blackness-and-Black-History-Month  

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THEY CALLED ME BLACK
(by Victoria Santa Cruz)

THEY YELLED AT ME: “BLACK!”

I was just seven years old,

Just seven years old…

What seven years old!

And not even make it five!

Suddenly, some voices on the street,

They yelled at me: “Black!”

Black! Black! Black!

Black! Black! Black!

Black!

Am I “Black”? – I told myself (Yes!)

What is to be a “Black”? (Black!)

And I didn’t know the sad truth

which might be behind (Black!)

And I felt black (Black!)

As they said (Black!)

I stepped back (Black!)

Just as they wanted (Black!)

And I hated my hair and my fleshy lips

And I saw with sadness my brunette skin

I stepped back (Black!)

I stepped back…

Black! Black! Black! Black!

Black! Black! Black! Black!

Black! Black! Black! Black!

Black! Black! Black! Black! Black!

And the time went by,

and I always so bitter

I continued to carry my heavy burden

On my back,

And how it weighed!

I smoothed my hair

And I make up my face,

But among my soul I heard

Always the same word:

Black! Black! Black! Black!

Black! Black! Black!

Until one day that I stepped back,

I stepped back and I was going to fall out-

Black! Black! Black! Black!

Black! Black! Black! Black!

Black! Black! Black! Black!

Black! Black! Black!

So what? so what?! (Black!)

Yes- (Black!)

I’m- (Black!)

Black!- (Black!)

I’m black! (Black!),

Yes- (Black!)

I’m- (Black!)

black!- (Black!)

I’m black!!

Henceforth, I don’t want

Smooth my hair (I don’t want!)

And I’ll laugh at those

To prevent – they said –

To prevent some conflict

They call to black people “people of color”

And what a color! (Black!!)

And how good it sounds! (Black!!)

What a rhythm it has!

Black! Black! Black! Black!

Black! Black! Black! Black!

Black! Black! Black! Black!

Black! Black! Black!

Finally!

I finally realized! (Finally!)

I don’t step back anymore (Finally!)

I walk safe (Finally!)

I walk and hope (Finally!)

And I bless the Heaven because God wanted that

My skin was jet black color,

And I understood (Finally!)

That I have total control:

Black! Black! Black! Black!

Black! Black! Black! Black!

Black! Black! Black! Black!

Black! Black!

I’M BLACK!!!!

online source: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/2/9/2014455/-Black-Kos-Tuesday-s-Chile-Thinking-about-Blackness-and-Black-History-Month 

Note: This spoken word composition is given as it was found in that article with the exception of the title which was given as "They Yelled At Me: Black" and with the exception of one iternation of the word "Black" which was misspelled as "Blackr".

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SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THIS YOUTUBE VIDEO'S DISCUSSION THREAD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZBHvMaTiuU&feature=emb_logo&ab_channel=AliciaQuevedo

Comments are given in relative chronological order based on their publishing date with the oldest dated comments given first. Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.

1. JustLoseIt5, 2016

"I need to hear this every day, as an Afro-Latina it's NECESSARY!"

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Reply 

2. Kiki Kareema, 2017
"I feel like every black person needs to hear it."

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Reply
3. C. C, 2019
"Not just Afro-Latina. It's for all of us descendants of Africa."

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4. MyWorldMusic, 2016
"Amazing. One of the most powerful performances I ever seen.

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Reply 
5. Maria Quispe, 2017
"MyWorldMusic SURE IT IS, AND SHE IS PERUVIAN!"

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Reply
6. Maria Quispe, 2020
"Yes, as a Peruvian I heard her while I was a little girl and learnt from her many good things."

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7. Gonzalo Diaz, 2017
"Victoria Santa Cruz was one of the most respected artists of the Afro Peruvian Arts. She passed away on 2014 but her legacy and contribution to the Afro Peruvian Culture in music, dances, and lyrics are amazing."

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8. Maria Quispe, 2017
"SHE IS OUR PERUVIAN VICTORIA SANTA CRUZ. OUR PRIDE!"

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9. Annelise Potter, 2018
"Anyone know the date and location where this was originally recorded?"

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Reply
10. Guapo, 2018
"Annelise Potter It was recorded in the 1970s by Victoria Santa Cruz an Afro Peruvian artist. The location is my country Peru.

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11. damarcuswilson1, 2018
"So back then, Afro-caribbeans called themselves black but now they call themselves afro-latino and not black!! Why?"

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Reply
12. Balam Sosa, 2019
"American influence. African-americans hate the word "negro", so that influenced black latinos. I think that´s stupid."

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Reply
13. Romina Raquel Rojas Correa, 2020
"I can only talk about Peru because I was born and raise there. and NO ONE calls black people Afro Latino... I have never heard it. What you would call afro-latino, we call black - Negro or Negra. some people calls them Moreno or Morena wich means the same. Negro or Moreno is totally fine"

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Reply
14. Pufflix 123, 2020
"@Bochom Ed Oncol We don't call people Afro-latinos, in my case, obviously I prefer using people's name, but when I don't know it, just "negro".

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Reply
15. The Stranger, 2020
"She’s not Afro Caribbean. She’s a black Peruvian. You know, from South America. And many call themselves black as well as Afro Latino (though that’s mostly used in the U.S.)"

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16. Fernando Gonzalez, 2019
"The last sentence is not " im a black woman" but I am black."

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Reply
17. Alicia Del Pilar Quevedo Canales, 2020
"Hello. Thank you for your comment. I'm not a trained translator but in Spanish words have gender. She says "Negra" which means she black but enunciated from her position of women. It is up to the discussion. Thanks."

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Reply
18. Duane Joseph, 2020
"She would've said "Mujer negra soy", not just "Negra soy". Also if you notice all of them shout it and not all of them are women; men shout "Negro soy" and women "Negra soy". The intention is not an emphasis on gender, so the translation is "I am black", or "Black I am" "

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19.latinheritagecards, 2019
"This is moving...first saw in the Brooklyn Museum.

Latin Heritage Cards - www.latinheritagecards.com

is about movement for all Latinx!"

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20. Tishona Hall. 2019
"Woow just wow..the ending is so powerful..she kinda reminds me of nina Simone. I love how her latino roots and African roots are equally celebrated here. She didn't snuff out the side that is considered better by society..finally someone who truly embraces everything that makes them unique. I am not Latina and 4 some reason I understood her..i felt my ancestors  thru her..plus I read the subtitles😂but I could still feel her passion and truth"

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21. The Stranger, 2020
"I’m very late in finding this video but it really needs more attention. Afro latinos are usually ignored. As an indigenous Peruvian, I’m proud of our black Peruvians for they have added so much into the cultural mosaic of Peruvian culture."

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22. Puff Of Smoke, 2020
"Just saw this at Twitter and found out who she was. What a powerful performance. At the time of black revolution this resonates in every corners of the world right now."

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23. Leeshan Hynds. 2020
"Why didn’t I know about this before 👏🏽"

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Reply
24. Maria Quispe, 2020
"We are trying to spread this amazing statement. It is known in many countrys is South America so we get it in Portuguese."

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Reply
25. Tony Siordia
"A blaxican is what she is"

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Reply
26. Leeshan Hynds, 2020
"Tony Siordia she is from Peru 🇵🇪 that makes her a peruana, but since she is a black woman she can also be called Afro-Latina."

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