Photos by Ottoniel Campos
Even when the clouds parted ways to let the sun come out in New York City, nothing shined brighter than Puerto Rican pride being celebrated with Mayor Bill de Blasio, Calle 13 and many New Yorkers honoring Puerto Rican heritage.
At the Gracie Mansion reception the conga, guira and timbales serenade the crowd of community leaders, small business owners and prideful Puerto Ricans with Latin sounds. After the attendees danced and sang their native salsa songs the prideful New Yorkers cheered as Calle 13 frontman René Pérez Joglar and his brother Eduardo Cabra were honored by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. “They speak out against injustice and issues that others may shy away from. I may not agree with them on everything but the fact that they even dare to challenge people is good,” said Mark-Viverito, the first Puerto Rican and Latina to be a New York City council speaker, to online publication Buzzfeed.
The popular Puerto Rican artist, Perez, who is also known as Residente, leads the celebration as “King” at the New York Puerto Rican 2014 parade.
The festivities were celebrated with Puerto Rican traditional goodies like flan, helado de coco, coquito (virgin of course) and the savory rice and beans with pollo, pernil and pescado.
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