Poet Xanath Caraza Summons The African Roots Of Mexico

Kansas City poet Xanath Caraza recently published the poetry chapbook Corazon Pintado, a book of "ekphrastic poems" – or poems that respond to other works of art. 

Yanga, Yanga, Yanga

Yanga, Yanga, Yanga

Today, your spirit I invoke

Here, in this place

This, this is my poem for Yanga

Mandinga, malanga, bamba

Rumba, mambo, samba.

Caraza says the poem Yanga was inspired by the African history and rhythms of her home state of Veracruz, Mexico. Yanga was a historical figure who came to Mexico as a slave, and escaped, eventually founding a free community that became town bearing his name

Many of the other poems in the book are accompanied by the paintings that inspired them.

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