Confession: I truly believe I have known Rolando Morales my entire life on this planet during this lifetime (definitely in other alternative lifetimes). He is my spiritual, creative, and confidante kindred in so many ways. Our mothers knew each other from another time way before we intimately knew each other. These sistah warriors, one Latina and the other African American are so alike in a lot of ways. One being they were single parents raising manchildren with absentee fathers who equally sought out creativity to make sense of the chaos of our worlds. Rolando is one of the people/artists that has influenced me as a man/artist of color. Our conversations are without borders and endless. I was elated when he finally committed his words to a YouTube video. His piece/peace speaks to our collective humanity and I’m glad he allowed me to share it with Art/Life.
But first, a little about him…
Who are you?
My name is Rolando L. Morales and I am a Nuyorican born in 1970’z Manhattan raised up in the Bronx and the Heights. I am an actor and I have performed my one-person plays The Last Will and Testament of Willie ShakespeaRican and Song of Rolando back in the day.
What do you do?
I create from the classics and try to remix them through my own experience resonating with the journey that to me feels timeless, that goes on and on to the break of dawn.
Art is…
Art is life lived in all directions within without, without within loved and fought for and practiced and performed…daily.
Where can we see more…
The best way to see and feel me will eventually be posted online since the live jive ain’t what’s happening, tu sabes? Or just reach out and email me at shakespearican@gmail.com, I’ll let you know what’s up. One of these days my hope is for my work to be recorded either, bound on paper, read on audio, and performed on video. The peaceful dream is indeed to fulfill that which is lacking. Gracias for listening.
“Lady in the Bailey House” was a poem I wrote back in the ’90s; after spending a Christmas eve with my uncle at the Bailey House in the Village in Manhattan/NYC. ” Bailey House provides housing and support services to GLBT homeless men, women, and children living with HIV/AIDS and other chronic illnesses. It later became a part of my one-person play The Song of Rolando. Peace
Great content! Keep up the good work!