Raquel Obregon

Dr. Orlando, Medical Director at Baystate Hospital, High St., Springfield joined us on Tertulia to speak about Covid-19. He discussed symptoms presented by children affected by the virus, types of masks, necessary precautions to consider when reopening stores and how this pandemic is disproportionately affecting specific sectors in our community.

On Tertulia, Andrew Morehouse, executive director of The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, spoke about the role of the food bank feeding neighbors in need and leading the communities to end hunger by distributing food to member agencies in Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden and Hampshire Counties. 

One event to raise funds for The Food Bank is Monte’s March, to be held on November 19 and 20. 

Dr. Yves Salomon-Fernandez, President of Greenfield Community College, joined Raquel Obregon on Tertulia. She spoke about the different programs the college has to offer, in particular the Study Abroad program. She also shared her vision for the school in the years to come.

Rolando Garro, research and outreach specialist of the Latinx Food Access Program at Amherst Survival Center, visited Tertulia on February 24, 2019. He spoke about the free services regarding food and hot meals provided for Latinx who reside in surrounding areas. 

Diana Alvarez, singer, songwriter, poet, composer and scholar, and Magdalena Gómez, playwright, poet, author, motivational speaker and social activist, joined Raquel Obregon on Tertulia. They spoke about how communities can help immigrant children. Gómez and Alvarez will perform on Sunday, March 31 from 2-4 p.m. at Art for the Soul Gallery in Springfield’s Tower Square, 1500 Main St.

Catherine Valdez,  Spanish teacher at The Academy at Charlemont, and her students, Lila Goleman, Leni Sperry-Fromm and Isadora Brenizer, visited the NEPR studios for Tertulia. They spoke about their school and read poetry, all in Spanish! 

Ginetta Candelario, Professor of Sociology and of Latin American and Latino/a Studies at Smith College was Tertulia’s guest on November 25, 2018. She spoke about Dominican-American poet Rhina Espaillat and read some of her poems both in English and Spanish. Rhina Espaillat will be at Smith College on Thursday, November 29 at 4:30 p.m., at the Poetry Center. Nancy Kang and Silvio Torres-Saillant will speak about their book, The Once and Future Muse: The Poetry and Poetics of Rhina P. Espaillat, based on Espaillat’s works at Dewey Common Center, 7:30 p.m., Smith College.

Magdalena Gómez, playwright, poet, author, social activist and performer, stopped by the NEPR studios to chat on Tertulia. We spoke about the play “Dancing In My Cockroach Killers” inspired by Gomez’s poetry and monologues. The play was recently performed at Palante Theater Pop Up! in Holyoke by Pregones. In November, the show returns to New York City after traveling to Los Angeles and Washington, DC.

Ilan Stavans, Lewis Sebring Professor of Humanities, Latin American and Latino Culture at Amherst College was the guest on Tertulia, April 8, 2018. He spoke about his new book of poetry, The Wall, based on his experiences traveling the border between México and the United States from one end to the other. The poems are written part in English, Spanish and Spanglish. Stavans also hosts In Contrast, a podcast at NEPR.

Dr. Martín Valdiviezo, Profesor of Philosophy and Education at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú joined Raquel Obregon on Tertulia for a conversation about “Western and Indigenous Traditions: Are they Opposites?” -- a theme that he presented at Amherst College.

Three musicians who are performing for "Quiero Volver: a Xicanx Ritual Opera", a multimedia performance to honor women, and non-binary and genderqueer people of color joined Raquel Obergon on Tertulia. 

Tertulia's guest on September 24, 2017 was Marta Martinez, a licensed acupuncturist in Florence, MA. We spoke about the different types of acupuncture including electro acupuncture and its benefits. Learn more about Martinez and her practice on her website.

Tertulia's guest on September 17, 2017, was Ilan Stavans, professor at Amherst College as well as an editor, translator and essayist. In celebration of the National Hispanic Heritage Month, he read poetry by poets Pablo Neruda, from Chile and César Vallejo, from Perú, in Spanish and it's English translation. He also expressed his concern about the future of the Dreamers and the DACA program.

Colby Singleton, Program Director of Holyoke Urban Bike School at the YMCA in Holyoke, joined host Raquel Obregon on Tertulia. 

Tertulia's recent guest was Diana Alvarez, singer, guitarist, poet and video sound artist. She was accompanied by Nicole Young — playwright, poet and theater artist. They spoke about their art, projects and future presentations. They delighted our listeners with their music and poetry.

Tertulia's guest artist Mark Guglielmo creates large collages using thousands of photographs he took during three trips to Cuba from 2015-2017. This project chronicles the dynamic people of Cuba and their rich culture full of heart and soul. 

On April 23, actor, Nathalie Vicencio, director, Patricia Sandoval and singer, Diana Alvarez, joined Raquel Obregon on Tertulia to discuss Latinas con Pluma -- a stage reading of poetry, prose and drama by Latina writers along with music written by Latino composers.

They will perform at Wistariahurst Museum, Holyoke on April 28, at 7 pm.

Elizabeth Cardona, Executive Director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs, International Student Life and Assistant to the Provost for Diversity at Bay Path University in Longmeadow, MA was Tertulia’s guest on February 26, 2017.

Tertulia’s guest on February 19, 2017 was Ginetta Candelario, Associate Processor of Sociology and of Latin American and Latino/a Studies at Smith College in Northampton, MA. She spoke about the book “Cien Años de Feminismos Dominicanos”, a collection of documents related to the birth and development of feminism in the Dominican Republic collected from archives that date from 1865 and compiled by the authors Elizabeth Manley, April Mayes and Ginetta Candelario.

Ilan Stavans, Lewis-Sebring Professor of Latin American and Latino Cultures at Amherst College, was Tertulia’s guest on November 20, 2016. He spoke about the stories of immigrants presented in the book “Words in Transit” a project with New England Public Radio.

Tertulia’s guest on September 18, 2016 was Eileen Crosby, Archivist of Local History Collection at Holyoke Public Library. She spoke about the project Nuestros Senderos y Nuestras Vidas en Holyoke, Our Journeys and Our Lives in Holyoke, a Community Digitization Day on September 24 at Enlace de Familias, Holyoke. The aim of the event is to begin to build a community archives documenting the origins and history of Puerto Rican life in Holyoke, and more broadly, the development of local Latino Culture.